***Download a copy of the programme at a glance to help plan your day.***

Our workshops will showcase best practice and current research that can make a positive difference to the way you work and to outcomes for service users.

NEW! Use our Professional Interest Pathways symbols to choose the sessions more relevant to your profession: 

Policy into practice	Commissioning
Efficiencies	Safeguarding
Driving change and improvement	Partnership and multi agency working

Programme content is under development and may change at short notice, subject to speaker availability. We recommend you check these pages regularly for updates.

Seating at sessions is available on a first come, first served basis. Conference programme may change at short notice, so please refer to the web site for the latest updates.

ROOM 2

10 - 10.45am         
THE COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK
Social work and working with the media
 

Social Work and Engaging With The Media | EMAIL
Working with the Media: Why Social Work Must Engage | EMAIL
                                                                                                           | EMAIL

Social work as a profession needs a strong, authoritative voice in the media. The College of Social Work has launched its “Speak up for social work” campaign designed to help the profession speak up for itself with a clear, unified voice. This workshop will explore issues around working with the media and building public confidence in social work.
Delegates who attend this workshop will: 

• Gain an understanding of why working effectively with the media is so important to the profession
• Understand how to respond to media enquiries without prejudicing professional codes of conduct
• Find out what support is available to social workers in dealing with the media

11 – 11.45am        
COMMUNITY CARE AND RECONSTRUCT
Tools for dealing with hostile and intimidating parents

Techniques and Skills When Dealing With Hostile Parents | EMAIL
Hostile and Intimidating Parents  | EMAIL

Professionals who work with families often face a myriad of responses in doing so. This workshop will tackle the issues hostile and intimidating parents present for social workers today. It will offer you the chance to directly input on what you would find useful to overcome these issues.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Consider what we mean by hostile, challenging, difficult, dangerous and evasive service users
• Hear the findings of an exclusive survey on working with resistant parents
• Explore plans for a national campaign to devise some tools to help social workers in this area

12.45 - 1.30pm       
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

Beyond the tick box: Reframing the assessment process | EMAIL

The government has already announced that assessment deadlines are to be removed in child protection as part of the implementation of the Munro Review. This workshop will explore how professionals can promote positive outcomes in child protection.  Join us to consider a case study that has already been implemented to manage this process.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Hear a practice framework that supports social work
• Consider an approach that can articulate, describe and understand the child’s story
• Enhance your understanding of the family in a way that fundamentally supports analytical thinking, judgement and decision making

 1.45 – 2.30pm  

   
COMMUNITY CARE INFORM 
HOW COMMUNITY CARE INFORM CAN SUPPORT SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS | EMAIL

Community Care Inform is an online resource for social workers working with children, young people and their families, and those studying to join the profession who want to work with this group. It gives users 24/7 access to expert-written and up-to-date information about research; practice; legislation; case law and much more to support students through their studies.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Gain a greater understanding of Community Care Inform and the information that can be found on the site
• Have an opportunity to see a demonstration of the site, learn how to find information to support your studies and find out which universities offer the resource to their students
• Have the chance to subscribe to the Inform service at a special student rate

2.45 – 3.30pm       
THE GENERAL SOCIAL CARE COUNCIL AND THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS COUNCIL
 

The changing face of social work regulation | EMAIL
                                                                                    | EMAIL

This workshop will offer detail about the regulation of social workers and how the transfer from the GSCC to HPC will affect social workers. It will highlight the key issues around the transfer and explain the differences once the transfer takes place in 2012.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Gain an understanding of the implications of the transfer from GSCC to HPC
• Understand what is expected from registrants until the transfer takes place
• Understand the key differences in social work regulation once the transfer takes place

3.45 – 4.30pm          
LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY

Practical strategies for the foster care workforce: Managing ‘compassion fatigue’ | EMAIL

Children and young people of all ages are entering foster care with increasingly complex needs. These can manifest in challenging behaviour and emotional difficulties and can impact on a foster carer’s ability to support foster children. This workshop will explore how to positively support emotional change.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Hear strategies to mitigate secondary trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder in foster carers and other professionals
• Understand management and organisational responsibility
• Learn how to diffuse the transfer of emotional, stress and anger issues 

ROOM 3

10 – 10.45am         
THE FOSTERING NETWORK       

Foster care policy into practice | EMAIL

This workshop will explore how the delegation of authority to foster carers can be improved. The Fostering Services (England) Regulations, Volume 4 of the 1989 Children Act and the revised National Minimum Standards, reinforce the principles that surround delegated authority. This workshop will look at the implications of this for fostering practice.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Consider the application of the new legal context which is supportive of delegated authority
• Explore the issues around the sharing and balance of responsibilities from the perspective of those most closely concerned with the child’s welfare and care especially foster carers

11 – 11.45am          
FAMILY RIGHTS GROUP

Developing good policy and practice for family and friends care at local level | EMAIL

By 30th September 2011, local authorities in England were required to publish a local policy on family and friends care.  Yet we know many authorities are still at an early stage of drafting.  This workshop will assist authorities in developing an effective family and friends care policy that complies with the new guidance.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Have a greater understanding of the legal framework for family and friends care including new guidance
• Have the opportunity to consider effective approaches in developing local family and friends care policies and practices
• Have considered what key components of a family and friends care policy

12.45 - 1.30pm        
UNIVERSITY OF KENT

Innovations in child protection | EMAIL

This workshop will showcase some of the new ideas we are developing in terms of child protection learning platforms. This session will highlight the ideas behind the ‘child protection house’ and a serious game which affords health and social care practitioners the opportunity to practice in a safe environment.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Consider how to develop inter-personal skills, interviewing skills, handling troublesome situations and decision making
• Have the opportunity to view the potential of the serious child protection game 'Rosie'

1.45 – 2.30pm         
THE CHILDREN’S WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Developing newly qualified social workers: Benefits for the profession | EMAIL
                                                                                                                                      | EMAIL 

Following the Munro review, the government has set a goal for a system which places greater trust in professional judgment. The NQSW programme helps social workers to develop the capabilities that can contribute to this goal. This workshop will look at learning gained from running the NQSW programme and outline the current links to the proposed Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE).
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Understand more about the current NQSW and what it offers to social workers, managers and employers
• Learn what the ongoing evaluation indicates about the challenges and benefits of the NQSW programme
• Gain insights into the current work with Skills for Care on ASYE

2.45 – 3.30pm          
SOCIAL CARE INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE

Working with families with multiple issues: parental mental health and substance misuse | EMAIL
                                                                                                                                                                          | EMAIL

This workshop looks at what you need to know but were afraid to ask about working with adult mental health and drugs services. This workshop will provide an introduction to SCIE’s evidence based elearning materials for children and families social workers working with families who have multiple problems. 
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Understand why and how all professionals have a role in supporting families affected by parental mental health and substance misuse
• Be introduced to elearning resources that provide children and families social workers with information on mental illness, drug misuse and managing risk
• Hear options for integrated training that address all aspects of the process of parental mental health and parental substance misuse

3.45 – 4.30pm           
THE COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK

Strengthening social work as a profession: Taking forward the vision of The College of Social Work | EMAIL

The College of social Work has announced its launch on 3 January 2012. This workshop will explore the aspirations of The College and how it will fulfil the vision of both the Social Work Task Force and the Social Work Reform Board in strengthening the profession and maintaining and raising standards. This session will give you the opportunity to hear about our first steps and more importantly, for us to hear your views.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Gain an understanding of what The College will look like for its members and how you can become involved in shaping its development
• Hear how we plan to develop a professional assembly and communities of practice
• Explore how to develop a professional leadership network for children’s services to make the Munro Review recommendations happen

EXECUTIVE CENTRE

10 – 10.45am         
CHILD EXPLOITATION AND ONLINE PROTECTION CENTRE
Child exploitation through technology | EMAIL

Part of CEOP’s remit it preventing the sexual abuse of children online. This workshop will examine what the current trends are for online abuse and how professionals can work together to improve outcomes for children at risk.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Explore the risks and implications of the misuse of internet, text messages and email for sexual harm
• Understanding the implications for young people who post or access indecent images online
• Consider good practice guidelines for working with victims who are abused through technology

11 – 11.45am       
NO RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS (NRPF) NETWORK

Social Services Duties to Families with No Recourse to Public Funds
(NRPF) | EMAIL

This workshop will provide an overview of the key legislation and assessment process for families with NRPF. Particular attention will be given to the Human Rights Assessment and on the impact of recent case law on policy and practice.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Understand the legal framework for assessing families with NRPF for support from social services
• Explore recent case law and the implications for Human Rights Assessments
• Hear resources that are available in order to stay up-to-date with policy and legal developments in the field of NRPF

12.45 - 1.30pm              
CROYDON COUNCIL

Building family resilience and engagement in child protection | EMAIL

It has long been a challenge to professionals to improve outcomes for children who come from the most complex and entrenched families. This workshop will showcase the innovative approach taken by Croydon Council to positively engage and work with whole families in safeguarding at risk children and young people - including those on the edge of care thresholds or custody.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Understand the synergies to the Graham Allen review and the outcomes framework recommended in national research conducted by the New Economics Foundation
• Hear case studies that demonstrate how a staged approach to intervention can help universal services support families
• Learn our approach to commissioning peer-to-peer services
   

1.45 – 2.30pm          
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION (DfE) and YOUNG MINDS
CAMHS commissioning and what this means for mental health providers
 

• Contribute to the programme of work to build the capacity of the voluntary and community sector
• Explore the barriers and opportunities for commissioners and providers in the context of the mental health strategy
• Consider the vision of the DfE and Better Outcomes for New Delivery (BOND) 

2.45 – 3.30pm          
SOLIHULL METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

Promoting efficiencies in foster carer recruitment | EMAIL

This workshop will explore an innovative approach to recruit foster carers. It will showcase how employing the same principles to maximise value and minimise waste in the Japanese car production sector, can translate to social care.
Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Hear how one agency halved the length of time to recruit foster carers
• Learn how to improve recruitment rates and make cost efficiencies
• Consider how this method translates to other areas including duty team response times

3.45 – 4.30pm          
TENDER EDUCATION AND ARTS

Working with young people to raise awareness of domestic violence | EMAIL

Tender strives to change young people’s attitudes on violence in relationships before it happens, using drama and the creative arts to address issues of abuse. This workshop will explore the high-risk nature of young people’s vulnerability as victims or perpetrators of domestic violence and sexual pressuring.

Delegates who attend this workshop will:

• Gain knowledge of the extent of violence and abuse in teenage relationships and consider how these can be challenged
• Hear what strategies can be employed to change the perspectives of young people on domestic violence
• Understand how to engage young people in the process