Journey Through Adoption Conference
*This event has now taken place.*
Adopt London offered a limited number of free tickets for the online interactive conference ‘Journey through adoption’ hosted by Scott Casson-Rennie and Al Coates, which took place on Friday 20 November 2020, from 9.15am – 3.30pm.
Scott Casson-Rennie is an adoptive parent to three sons, two of which are now adults. Scott worked for Adoption UK for five years and is now a freelance trainer and consultant. Al Coates MBE is a social worker predominantly in the fostering sector; as well as a practice Educator and Trainer. Both Al and Scott are members of the Department for Educations Adopter Reference Group working directly with the Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership board, and co-hosts of the Adoption and Fostering Podcast.
They organised an amazing range of speakers to join the conference who have personal experience of adoption, to discuss practical dilemmas and strategies. The sessions included:
- Reflections of an Adopted Adult
- Navigating Health services and assessments
- Navigating contact
- Adoption and education
- Therapeutic life story support
- Parenting adopted teens and adults.
There were live online presentations, question and answer sessions, breakouts and peer community interaction. People were also able to dip in and out of the conference if they couldn’t commit to the full day.
Speakers included:
- Ruth Scotten, a single parent, social worker and adopter who established Roots of Connection offering bespoke therapeutic Life Story Work for children and professional training.
- Dawn Harker, a 26-year-old adoptee who writes and talks about her experience of adoption including her own identity and relationships with friends and family.
- Jennifer Jones MBE, an adoptive parent of three and founder of Inspired Foundations, where she acts as a trainer and consultant providing advice and support on how to better understand the needs of looked after children and adopted children.
- Clarissa Stevens, a birth mother who had her children adopted following a domestic abusive relationship. She is now an activist fighting for the rights for families in similar positions and works in private law supporting families. Clarissa is co-founder of the charity Reframe Collective with the aim to ensure families are at the heart of every decision made.
- Aliy Brown, who has worked for Adoption UK Scotland for 15 years and leads FASD hub Scotland. Aliy and her husband have 3 adopted children and personal experience of the challenges faces by those with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder.