LGBTQ+

Adoption & Fostering

Available both online and offline

Know your heterosexual from your heteroflexible? Or the difference between pansexual or demisexual? LGBTQ+ people now form a vital pool of potential adoption and fostering applicants - but working effectively with them means understanding the nuance of different gender identities and sexual orientations.

This interactive course for professionals is your opportunity to ask questions and understand the routes LGBTQ+ individuals and couples take to adoption and fostering. You'll also learn how your agency's existing practices - or staff - may unintentionally damage your relationship with potential applicants and existing adoptive parents or foster carers.

The course covers UK law, together with the LGBTQ+ experiences, LGBTQ+ parenting, and relevant research.

Participants will gain an understanding of the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people and the impact of anticipated discrimination on their approach to the process. It'll also highlight some of key areas of improvement reported by LGBTQ+ adopters and foster carers in our series of research. 

This course can be delivered focusing solely on adoption or fostering. 

Gender Variance in

Adoption & Fostering

Available both online and offline

Puzzled by pronouns? Confused by the difference between sex and gender? Our gender variance course maps out the differences among gender identities and how they impact your work in adoption and fostering.

Participants will learn about the latest terminology and good practice. You'll also hear about the current legal situation and how it relates to assessing adopters and foster carers.

The additional privacy rights of trans people are also explained as is the role of the sensitive cases team at the Disclosure and Barring Service. 

Topics cover how to assess thoroughly and fairly and how to approach approval and matching. And develop your understanding of the impact of prejudice and stereotyping on gender variant people - specifically those who adopt or foster.

This course can be delivered focusing solely on adoption or fostering.

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