CoramBAAF Conversations

Adoption & Fostering journal #21 | Mental health status of orphans and vulnerable children

In this episode, Vicky Walker and Dr Dennis Golm speak with three of the authors of the article Mental health status of orphans and vulnerable children in residential institutions in a city in South-West Nigeria from issue 3 of Volume 49 of ‘Adoption & Fostering’. 
The authors describe the different types of residential institution for children in South-West Nigeria and the conditions in them, the mental health needs of the children looked after by these institutions and the availability of mental health assessments and services. They call for greater advocacy and training to enable screening and referrals within the institutions and earlier interventions.
Dr Mercy Aladegboye, the lead author of this paper, is a research nurse currently working with University Hospitals Dorset, Bournemouth, UK. She obtained her PhD in Nursing from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. She’s also a fellow of the capacity for strengthening abortion research in Nigeria (CSARN). Mercy is passionate about using research to transform health care and promote wellbeing for all ages. This has inspired her keen interest in conducting clinical research and producing publications on vulnerable populations.   
Dr Adekemi Olowokere is Professor of Community/Public Health Nursing in the Department of Nursing Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.  She is a registered nurse-midwife and public health nurse specialist with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. Her research interests focus on alleviating vulnerability, debility and mortality among underserved populations in Nigeria. She is a fellow of the African Women Research Observatory (AfWORO).   
Dr Abiola Komolafe is a senior lecturer in the Department of Nursing Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. She is a registered nurse-midwife, and a public health nurse. She obtained her Bachelor of Nursing Science, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Community Health Nursing from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Her research activities focus on sexual and reproductive health across the lifespan with a special focus on maternal and newborn care, and implementation science. 

'Adoption & Fostering' journal #20 | Vol.49 Issue 4 introduction with Dr Dennis Golm and Vicky Walker

Welcome to the latest episode of the Adoption & Fostering journal podcast. In this episode, hosts Vicky Walker and Dr. Dennis Golm discuss the contents of Volume 49, Issue 4, released in December 2025.
Dennis talks through his editorial, which focuses on the impact of first name changes of adopted children by adoptive parents – the subject of one of the research studies presented in the issue. The hosts also offer a glimpse into the other topics covered: the inadequacy of the terms and conditions of direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, the development of trust between foster carers and teenagers in Denmark, the risks of informal foster care practice in South-East Nigeria and the creation of adoptive ‘family’ in contemporary India.
Listeners will also hear about the development of a GP-led initial health assessment model in Gloucestershire, which is easing the pressures on paediatric services and providing person-centred care for vulnerable children.
Dennis and Vicky will be back with a new volume of the journal in January 2026!
For related resources or to watch more episodes, visit our website: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/corambaaf-conversations

Episode 46 | Evidence based mental health support

James Bury is joined by leading researchers Rachel Hiller, Shaunna Devine, and Pasco Fearon to explore their work on improving access to evidence-informed mental health services for children in care across England. The discussion delves into the challenges these children face, why current provision often falls short, and the practical steps needed to ensure every child receives the support they deserve. 
This episode draws on insights from the National Recommendations for Mental Health Provision for Children in Care report, which outlines actionable strategies for policymakers, practitioners, and service providers. Key recommendations include enhancing early intervention, integrating trauma-informed approaches, and ensuring consistent, equitable access nationwide. 
Download the full report here: National Recommendations for Mental Health Provision for Children in Care (PDF). 
Rachel Hiller is a Professor of Child & Adolescent Mental Health and lead the Child Trauma and Recovery research group. Her research is in the field of complex child trauma and mental health. Broadly, this work spans three areas: (i) the identification of key psychological and social processes linking trauma and maltreatment exposure the mental health and wellbeing; (ii) the development and testing of scalable mental health intervention for trauma-exposed young people; and (iii) the implementation of existing best-evidenced practice within and across social care and mental health services. Much of her research is focused on improving the identification and support of the mental health needs of care-experienced young people, including a focus on service pathways and access between children's social care and mental health services. Their research is co-developed with care-experienced young people, caregivers, and professionals. 
Shaunna Devine is care experienced and currently a PhD researcher at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). She graduated with a First-Class degree in BSc Psychology in 2019, followed by a Distinction in her MSc in Brain and Behaviour (Neuroscience) in 2020. She was awarded a Vice-Chancellor scholarship to undertake a PhD in the School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science. Shaunna’s PhD is titled, “Pathways to Social Connectedness in Care Experienced People” explores how early life experiences, including experiences of the care system, can influence sensitivity to social connectedness.  
In addition to her academic work, Shaunna joined the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) in February 2025 as a Programme Support Officer. In this role, she leads the Inspire pilot and contributes to a range of wider NNECL projects. Shaunna has been a keen advocate for care experienced people and has advocated for children's rights through her membership on several boards and organisations. This includes the Local Authority Corporate Parenting Board, Unite Foundation sounding board, Become’s widening participation projects, and LJMU Care Experienced and Estranged Board. 
Pasco Fearon is a developmental and clinical psychologist. He holds the endowed chair in Family Research at the University of Cambridge, and is Director of the Centre for Child, Adolescent and Family Research there. He is past-President of the Society for Emotion and Attachment Studies, and his work focuses on the role of early experience in child and adolescent development. He is Director and co-Director of the UK’s two major birth cohort studies, the Children of the 2020s Study and Generation New Era.

Episode 45 | RCPCH’s new Initial Health Assessment Standards

Ellie Johnson is joined by Dr. Lynn Snow and Dr. Vicki Walker to explore the newly launched Initial Health Assessment (IHA) Standards from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). These Standards are designed to enhance the experience of children and young people undergoing IHAs, improve health outcomes, and support overall wellbeing. By setting a higher benchmark for care, they aim to reduce long-term health disparities faced by children and young people in care compared to their peers. 
Dr Lynn Snow is a community paediatrician working as Designated Doctor for looked after children for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and has worked with looked after children for over 20 years in various roles (including adoption adviser) in various areas of the country. She was until recently chair of the CoramBAAF National Health advisory committee and has focused on health records for children post adoption working with  DHSC and NHSE. 
Dr Vicki Walker is a Consultant Paediatrician in Mansfield and Designated Dr for Children in Care in Nottinghamshire.  She was appointed to the RCPCH Child Protection Standing Committee as the representative for Looked After Children in February 2019, working with the College to improve health outcomes for children in care. In 2022 she was appointed RCPCH Assistant Officer for Child Protection (education)
Dr Vicki Walker, Dr Lynn Snow and Ellie Johnson are the IHA delivery standards clinical project leads. 

Adoption & Fostering journal #19 | Better identification of neurodevelopmental conditions in care-experienced children

Vicky Walker and Dr Dennis Golm are joined by Dr Matt Woolgar and Dr Tom Cawthorne to explore their latest research featured in Adoption & Fostering (Vol. 49, Issue 2).  
They discuss the mental health and neurodevelopmental challenges faced by care-experienced young people, the barriers to accessing effective support, and concerns around the overdiagnosis of attachment and trauma-related conditions. 
The episode also highlights recent changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund and their impact on practice, research quality, and the need for evidence-based approaches to improve outcomes for children. 
Dr Matt Woolgar is a consultant clinical psychologist in the NHS and currently leads the psychology services in the National Adoption & Fostering Clinic and the National Conduct Problems Clinic at the Michael Rutter Centre, at the Maudsley Hospital, SLAM NHS Trust. 
Dr Tom Cawthorne is a Senior Clinical Psychologist within the National Conduct Adoption and Fostering Team (CAFT). In this role, he conducts psychological assessments and interventions with children and adolescents who are adopted or fostered and young people presenting with significant behavioural difficulties.
Read the articles: 
The need for improved recognition of neurodevelopmental conditions in adopted and fostered young people. 
Letter to the editor - The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund – Which services are available

Episode 44 | Chairing with care: Insights from adoption panels

Jane Poore, Adoption Consultant, is joined by Alistair to discuss Chairing adoption panels, and his experience as a single adoptive parent. They touch on the support plan that helped Alistair and his son, for both of their needs, and the support they had before the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). 
They widen their conversation to consider the adoption process and the needs of children and their families, which mirrors the responsibilities Alistair had as a panel chair. As they consider Alistair’s retirement, they also consider the changes over the past 10 years or more since he began as a panel chair. 
The changes of moving online to conduct panels, and adapting to circumstances have been a positive movement in making panels more accessible and diverse panels. Alistair shares advice, actions and resources that have been invaluable to his role as a panel chair. 
Alistair is a single parent adopter following the adoption of his son in 2010. He first joined an adoption panel at Families for Children in 2013, after a suggestion from a social worker, to bring his experience of adoption and commitment to ensuring adopters have good support in place for them. 
He joined the Somerset Adoption Panel in 2014, later becoming Vice-Chair, to then become Chair of the Devon Adoption Panel in 2015. Whilst Somerset and Devon became part of Adopt South West (ASW), the new Regional Adoption Agency, in October 2018, Alistair continues his role as Chair with ASW until June 2025.
 
Find out more: Episode 46 | Chairing with care: Insights from adoption panels | CoramBAAF

'Adoption & Fostering' journal #18 | Vol.49 Issue 3 introduction with Dr Dennis Golm and Vicky Walker

In this episode, we explore the increasingly international scope of ‘Adoption & Fostering’ journal, where over half of recent submissions come from outside the UK. Dr Dennis Golm and Vicky Walker highlight powerful new research from around the world, ranging from adoptive parent regret in the US, to mental health support for children in Nigerian institutions, to foster care experiences in Greece and family engagement in Italian group homes. 
We also spotlight UK-based research on adoptive teenagers’ attachment and innovative health planning tools for looked after children. Tune in for a rich discussion that connects global insights with local practice, all with the shared goal of improving outcomes for vulnerable children.
For related resources or to watch more episodes, visit our website: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/corambaaf-conversations

Episode 43 | Co-creating assessment tools with our members and the wider sector

In this episode of CoramBAAF Conversations, consultants Jane Poore, Clare Seth, and Emma Fincham explore the extensive work behind the recent updates to three key social work assessment tools: Form K (Kinship Care Assessments), Form F (Foster Carer Assessments), and the CPR (Child’s Permanence Report) for England. 
They discuss the reasons for revising these forms, the collaborative development process, and the challenges of creating trauma-informed, strengths-based, and legally compliant tools that better reflect the realities of children in care and their families. 
Listeners will gain insight into how the updated forms aim to improve consistency across local authorities, amplify the child’s voice, and provide more holistic support for carers. The consultants also highlight the importance of the free accompanying guidance, the role of practitioner and member feedback, and future developments, including support plans and long-term matching. 
Whether you're a social worker, carer, or sector professional, this episode offers valuable perspectives on how thoughtful form design can lead to better outcomes for children and families. It also draws attention to the free resources available to help professionals complete assessments using CoramBAAF’s tools with confidence. 

Adoption & Fostering journal #17 | Allegations of abuse in care: The experiences of foster carers

Welcome back to CoramBAAF Conversations! In this episode, we’re diving into a powerful discussion drawn from the 'Adoption & Fostering' journal. Host Dr Dennis Golm, Editor-in-Chief, and Production Editor Vicky Walker are joined by two leading voices in fostering research and practice to talk about one of the sector’s most challenging issues—allegations of abuse in care. 
Professor Damien Riggs is a researcher based at Flinders University in South Australia. Damien's research focuses on family diversity, and to date has included studies of public attitudes to family diversity, transgender parents, fertility preservation, heterosexual first time parents, surrogacy, foster care, and embryo donation for formation. 
Sarah Thomas is the CEO of The Fostering Network and a qualified social worker. She has worked with children with additional needs in education settings and with young people in residential care. Following a successful career in local authority practice, Sarah programme managed the work of the National Fostering Framework through to the launch of Foster Wales in 2021. She has previously served as Service Manager for AFKA Cymru, Director for England and Wales at The Fostering Network and was appointed CEO of The Fostering Network in 2023. 
Read the article that inspired this episode: Allegations of abuse in care: The experiences of South Australian foster carers.

Episode 42 | The secure base model with Professor Gillian Schofield

In this episode, Anne Horne talks with Professor Gillian Schofield to unpack the Secure Base model - a framework grounded in attachment research that supports children and young people in care. Together, they trace the model’s development, break down its five key caregiving dimensions, and discuss how it has been adapted for foster care, kinship care, adoption, schools, and residential settings. Listeners will also hear about practical training approaches, updated resources, and the model’s growing international reach.
Gillian shares valuable tips for implementing Secure Base across teams and services, along with guidance on where to find books, tools, and further training to put the model into practice.
Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/episode-42-secure-base-model-gillian-schofield
Book your place at our upcoming training course: https://corambaaf.org.uk/introduction-secure-base-model-and-its-role-assessment-and-support-practice