CoramBAAF Conversations

Ep 49 | The Annex A case

In this podcast, we are joined by Legal Consultant, Alexandra Conroy Harris and Adoption Consultant, Jane Poore as they discuss CoramBAAF’s recent role as intervenor in a High Court Case: Confidential Prospective Adopters v BM & Ors.
 
The discussion unpacks some of the legal and practice issues surrounding a potential disclosure of Annex A reports in court proceedings. CoramBAAF intervened in this case to highlight the potential consequences of a legal decision on the disclosure of the Annex A report, as well as the potential impact this precedent would place on practitioners, agencies and, most importantly, children and families.
 
Join the discussion to understand how court interventions work in practice, the role we play in representing our members, and the wider context of legal decisions on the adoption sector.

CoramBAAF Conversations EP 48 | Effective Fostering Panels author interview with Elaine Dibben

Effective Fostering Panels is available to buy in our bookshop: https://corambaaf.org.uk/books/effective-fostering-panels In this short interview, Publications Manager Jo Francis sits down with Independent Consultant, Elaine Dibben to discuss the revised and updated Effective Fostering Panels published April 2026.
We discuss how fostering panels have changed since the book’s first edition in 2003 due to evolving policy and practice level; particularly in relation to kinship care. Equally, how the book remains a crucial resource to support panels facing high turnover of members and the importance of maintaining consistency in recommendations. Elaine also shares her expert insight on the role of fostering panels in today’s fostering services, the crucial safeguarding role they play, and top tips for panel members, chairs and advisers.
Listen to the author interview for details on:
What is the enduring appeal of the book Effective Fostering Panels? • Do fostering panels still have an important role?
What role do panels play in safeguarding?
What should panel members remember when taking part?
What should social workers keep in mind when attending panels? • What has been updated in the latest edition of the book?
How has the approach to kinship care changed?
Why is guidance like this book important for agencies?
Why is wider training and networking important for panel members?
About the book
The revised and updated effective fostering panels is for panel members and social workers. It is a guide that brings together all the information you need to know about regulations, standards and inspections concerning fostering panels.
It also sets out good practice to agencies in the operation of effective panels, relevant to all fostering service providers. Although the fostering regulations apply in England only, agencies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will find much of this practice applicable to their work.
This revised edition covers recent changes in practice around areas such as virtual panels, and includes a fully updated and expanded chapter on considering kinship foster carers at the panel.

Adoption & Fostering Journal #23 | Reflective fostering and international perspectives on adoption

This episode of the Adoption and Fostering Journal Podcast introduces the April 2026 issue, offering key insights for academics and social work professionals. Editor-in-Chief Dennis Golm discusses a major randomised controlled trial on the Reflective Fostering Programme, highlighting its impact on carers’ reflective functioning, stress, and burnout, while noting more mixed findings for child outcomes. The discussion emphasises the importance of evidence-based interventions in foster care. 
The episode also explores research on conduct difficulties in children in care, comparisons between local authority and independent fostering provision in the UK, and international perspectives on adoption. Studies from the United States and Pakistan examine birth mothers’ motivations for adoption and the impact of stigma on adopted adolescents. 
Overall, this issue brings together large-scale, global research addressing complex challenges in fostering and adoption, with important implications for policy, practice, and future research. 

Members' Week | Why social work matters: values, and the difference we make

In this episode of the CoramBAAF Conversations podcast, James Bury speaks with Professor Samantha Baron, Interim Chief Executive of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), about the identity and future of social work.
The conversation focuses on the importance of social work as a values-led, relational profession grounded in ethics, professional judgement and advocacy. We also discuss the role of membership organisations for social workers across the UK, including influencing policy, supporting professional development and strengthening the collective voice of the profession.
Despite continuing pressures on the social care system, the discussion highlights the continued impact of social workers in improving people’s lives and the importance of maintaining a strong professional identity, confidence and voice across the sector.

Adoption & Fostering journal #22 | The Reflective Fostering Programme

In this episode, Adoption & Fostering Production Editor, Vicky Walker, and Editor-in-Chief, Dr Dennis Golm, are joined by Professor Nick Midgley (University College London) and Expert by Experience, Jackie Tripp, a kinship carer. Nick and Jackie talk about the Reflective Fostering Programme, an intervention designed to help carers support the children in their care. The Programme was evaluated as part of a large-scale randomised controlled trial, which showed that it was not only beneficial for carers, reducing stress and burnout and improving the carer–child relationship, but also cost-effective. While Nick outlines the study and its findings, Jackie describes its life-changing impact on her as a participant in the Programme. 
For related resources and more episodes visit our website: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/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