Managing contact for kinship families – the emotional journey workshop
This Workshop has concluded.
Before you register for a workshop, you need to sign up for a free Zoom account. You will not be able to register for a workshop until you have signed up to Zoom. If you have any questions, you can contact us at workshops@kinship.org.uk.
Click on a link below to take you to the section you’d like to read:
Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is for kinship carers living in England and Wales. A kinship carer is someone who has stepped in to raise a child or children when their parents can’t.
Managing contact arrangements with birth parents and family members can often be tricky and complicated – it can create practical and emotional challenges for everyone involved. Contact will also change over time, as children grow up or circumstances change.
If you would like to explore the emotional aspects of contact, this is the workshop for you. It will help you plan a positive and helpful experience for kinship children so together you can try to maintain family relationships.
What will be covered?
The workshop will include information about:
- the emotional impact of contact
- the different perspectives from the kinship carer, parent and child
- how to support your kinship child
- seeking the support you need
- making contact the best it can be
After the workshop you will receive a handout and the presentation slides via email along with a feedback survey.
Please note that Julia (the workshop facilitator) has worked with Kinship and kinship carers to develop these workshops. Julia is contracted for these workshops and others on ‘Understanding trauma and attachment in children’ and ‘Preparing for sensitive conversations with kinship children’.
Kinship is not responsible for other content produced outside of these workshops.
Important – how to join the workshop
All workshops will be held online using a free platform called Zoom. Please note that numbers are limited for each session to around 12-15 people to allow you to meet other kinship carers.
You can access Zoom through a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or even your phone. You may need to download Zoom before you join, please factor in time to do that. The best experience will be through a computer or laptop. Watch a video on how to join a Zoom meeting.
Please make sure you:
- sign in to Zoom before joining the workshop
- click on the Zoom link in the email we sent you
- make sure you join on time – late joiners might not be admitted after 15 minutes
- have a pen / pencil and paper to make notes
About Julia:
Julia is a social worker and play therapist who works with children and young people who have experienced loss, trauma and change within their family. She has worked for many different organisations including local authority teams, fostering and adoption services and the voluntary sector. Julia works with children and young people and their families using a trauma and attachment-based approach to her work and she has a particular interest in creative therapy and therapeutic life-story work. She is the author of ‘Preparing for Adoption‘ JKP, 2015 and works as an independent trainer and practitioner.
"[The workshop] helped me to reflect on my grand childrens’ feelings after attending contact. It also reminded me that what works well with one child may not work well with their siblings eg age difference."
What happens if you need to cancel your place?
We understand that life gets in the way sometimes, so if you need to cancel your place please do try and let us know as soon as possible.
You’ll be able to do this through:
- the email confirmation you received when you first booked
- or by emailing us on: workshops@kinship.org.uk
