Q&A Session
2023-08-17 16:00 - 17:00, 2023-09-06 18:00 - 19:00, 2023-09-12 16:00 - 17:00, 2023-09-21 17:00 - 18:00 (Europe/London) | Virtual Session
Pre-Stage 1
This stage starts when you are ready, you are welcome to view our Information Videos at any point and then book onto one of these Q&A Sessions.
The Q&A sessions allow you to have your questions answered and we may also ask some of you. At the end of the session, you will be given the option to book a personal Initial Enquiry call with a worker.
Please follow this link to book onto the Q&A Session; Adoption West Events | Eventbrite

Coffee and Chat Session - for potential adopters
2023-09-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual Session
Find out more about adopting with Adoption West at our virtual chat.
There’s no such thing as a silly question.
Bring your coffee and meet our knowledgeable social workers and experienced adopters, and have your questions answered.
In some sessions, we will have adopters present that have a ‘specialism’ in a certain area, but you are welcome to join any session that fits your schedule.
Please follow the Eventbrite link to register your interest: Coffee and Chat September 13th

10 Online Week Therapeutic Parenting course - for existing adopters
2023-09-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Session
Do you sometimes find your child’s behaviour hard to understand? Do some of your parenting techniques seem ineffective?
We are running a course for our adoptive parents looking specifically at the impact of children’s early experiences on their behaviour and emotional well-being. We will be exploring alternative parenting ideas and strategies.

The course runs for 10 weeks; from 21st September to 30th November with a break for half-term on the 26th of October.
Sessions run from 10 am to 12 pm. and will be held online.
We are running this course for families whose children have been living with them for at least 6 months and who are aged between 3 and 10 years old.

Contact claire.jarvis@adoptionwest.co.uk for more details

Information Session
2023-10-19 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Session
If you are considering whether adoption is the right path for your family, we invite you to attend an Information Session. This gives you the opportunity to hear about our agency, talk about the adoption process, and hear from one of our adopters.
During this session, our adoption social workers will be available to share their knowledge and expertise on the adoption assessment process.
Only one ticket is required per household. Please be aware that if you are looking to adopt as a couple (married, civil partnership, or cohabiting), it is really important that both of you attend the Information Session.
At the end of the session, we will let how you can complete an Initial Enquiry, if you wish to.
Please follow this link to book onto the Information Session; Adoption West Events | Eventbrite

N.B. Please be advised that these Information Sessions replace Q&A Sessions, you do not need to attend both. If you have any questions please use the contact button at the top of the page to get in touch.

What's stopping you? (session for those considering adoption)
2023-10-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual Session
Find out more about adopting with Adoption West at our virtual chat.
Have you thought about adopting?
What’s holding you back?
We are here to answer the questions most important to you.
Please come and talk to us. We need people like you to consider offering a permanent home to some of our most vulnerable children.
Bring your coffee and join us for an online chat, meet our knowledgeable social workers and experienced adopters, and have your questions answered.
This session is intended for those at the very start of their adoption journey and offers the opportunity for individuals and couples to have their questions answered in an informal and relaxed online setting. It is open to all.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whats-holding-you-back-from-adopting-tickets-721094341587
Please be aware if you decide to look further at adoption you will also need to attend an Information Session.

What's stopping you? (session for those considering adoption)
2023-11-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual Session
Have you thought about adopting?
What’s holding you back?
We are here to answer the questions most important to you.
Please come and talk to us. We need people like you to consider offering a permanent home to some of our most vulnerable children.
Bring your coffee and join us for an online chat, meet our knowledgeable social workers and experienced adopters, and have your questions answered.
This session is intended for those at the very start of their adoption journey and offers the opportunity for individuals and couples to have their questions answered in an informal and relaxed online setting. It is open to all.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whats-holding-you-back-from-adopting-tickets-721094341587
Please be aware if you decide to look further at adoption you will also need to attend an Information Session.

Information Session
2023-11-15 18:00 - 20:00 | In-person – Trowbridge
Following on from National Adoption Week, we are holding a number of in-person Information Sessions. These sessions offer a great opportunity to meet our team and have your questions answered.
If you are considering whether adoption is the right path for your family, we invite you to attend an Information Session. This gives you the opportunity to hear about our agency, talk about the adoption process, and hear from one of our adopters.
During this session, our adoption social workers will be available to share their knowledge and expertise on the adoption assessment process.
Only one ticket is required per household. Please be aware that if you are looking to adopt as a couple (married, civil partnership, or cohabiting), it is really important that both of you attend the Information Session.
At the end of the session, we will let how you can complete an Initial Enquiry, if you wish to.
Please follow this link to book onto the Information Session; Adoption West Events | Eventbrite
This event will be held at County Hall in Trowbridge.

N.B. Please be advised that these Information Sessions replace Q&A Sessions, you do not need to attend both. If you have any questions please use the contact button at the top of the page to get in touch.

Information Session
2023-11-23 18:00 - 20:00 | In-person – Gloucester
Following on from National Adoption Week, we are holding a number of in-person Information Sessions. These sessions offer a great opportunity to meet our team and have your questions answered.
If you are considering whether adoption is the right path for your family, we invite you to attend an Information Session. This gives you the opportunity to hear about our agency, talk about the adoption process, and hear from one of our adopters.
During this session, our adoption social workers will be available to share their knowledge and expertise on the adoption assessment process.
Only one ticket is required per household. Please be aware that if you are looking to adopt as a couple (married, civil partnership, or cohabiting), it is really important that both of you attend the Information Session.
At the end of the session, we will let how you can complete an Initial Enquiry, if you wish to.
Please follow this link to book onto the Information Session; Adoption West Events | Eventbrite
This event will be held at St. Lawrence’s Church Hall, Barnwood, Gloucester
N.B. Please be advised that these Information Sessions replace Q&A Sessions, you do not need to attend both. If you have any questions please use the contact button at the top of the page to get in touch.

Information Session
2023-11-29 18:00 - 20:00 | In-person – Yate
Following on from National Adoption Week, we are holding a number of in-person Information Sessions. These sessions offer a great opportunity to meet our team and have your questions answered.
If you are considering whether adoption is the right path for your family, we invite you to attend an Information Session. This gives you the opportunity to hear about our agency, talk about the adoption process, and hear from one of our adopters.
During this session, our adoption social workers will be available to share their knowledge and expertise on the adoption assessment process.
Only one ticket is required per household. Please be aware that if you are looking to adopt as a couple (married, civil partnership, or cohabiting), it is really important that both of you attend the Information Session.
At the end of the session, we will let how you can complete an Initial Enquiry, if you wish to.
Please follow this link to book onto the Information Session; Adoption West Events | Eventbrite

N.B. Please be advised that these Information Sessions replace Q&A Sessions, you do not need to attend both. If you have any questions please use the contact button at the top of the page to get in touch.

Information Session
2023-12-05 17:00 - 18:00, 2023-12-14 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-01-16 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual Session
If you are considering whether adoption is the right path for your family, we invite you to attend an Information Session. This gives you the opportunity to hear about our agency, talk about the adoption process, and hear from one of our adopters.
During this session, our adoption social workers will be available to share their knowledge and expertise on the adoption assessment process.
Only one ticket is required per household. Please be aware that if you are looking to adopt as a couple (married, civil partnership, or cohabiting), it is really important that both of you attend the Information Session.
At the end of the session, we will let how you can complete an Initial Enquiry if you wish to.
Please follow this link to book onto the Information Session; Adoption West Events | Eventbrite

N.B. Please be advised that these Information Sessions replace Q&A Sessions, you do not need to attend both. If you have any questions please use the contact button at the top of the page to get in touch.

10 Online Week Therapeutic Parenting course - for existing adopters
2024-01-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Session
Do you sometimes find your child’s behaviour hard to understand? Do some of your parenting techniques seem ineffective?
We are running a course for our adoptive parents looking specifically at the impact of children’s early experiences on their behaviour and emotional well-being. We will be exploring alternative parenting ideas and strategies.

The course runs for 10 weeks; from 11th Jan to 21st March with a break for half-term on the 15th Feb from 10 am to 12 pm.
Sessions run from 10 am to 12 pm and will be held online.
We are running this course for families whose children have been living with them for at least 6 months and who are aged between 3 and 10 years old.

Contact claire.jarvis@adoptionwest.co.uk for more details

Coffee and Chat Session - for potential adopters
2024-01-17 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual Session
Find out more about adopting with Adoption West at our virtual chat, these session is designed for those at the very early stages of considering adoption.
There’s no such thing as a silly question, this offers a safe space to ask anything you like.
Bring your coffee to meet our knowledgeable social workers and experienced adopters, and have your questions answered.
In some sessions, we will have adopters present who have a ‘specialism’ in a certain area, but you are welcome to join any session that fits your schedule.
Please follow the Eventbrite link to register your interest: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/adoption-west-27620899279

Hearts and Minds - run by CCS
2024-01-18 19:30 - 22:00 | Virtual Session
CCS Course – Fees Apply
An 8 week specialist therapeutic parenting programme for adoptive parents, delivered by Dr Jude Courtney and Dr Helen Kirkaldie.
Designed for all adopters, but particularly those who find themselves getting limited rewards from family life, feeling frequent stress or wanting to think about the parenting of their child. The programme will focus on the 8 habits of the thriving adoptive family and provide strategies on how to embed these into your daily family life. The programme will enhance your family’s existing knowledge and enable reflection on the emotional journey that adoption brings.
Suitable For:
This programme will be suitable for those who are trying to improve their family life or just prevent things from getting any worse. It will also be of particular benefit to those who are contemplating, or are about to engage in, therapeutic intervention, providing a good grounding from which to start therapy. Adopters will need to have had a child placed for 6 months or more.
If you parent as a couple, we strongly advise that both parents attend.
Location: The course will take place virtually via Zoom for its duration.
Time: Wednesday evenings 7.30-10pm
Date: 18th Jan, 25th Jan, 1st Feb, 8th Feb, break for half term, 22nd Feb, 29th February, 7th March, 14th March
Objectives of the programme:

To give parents a thorough understanding of the theory which lies behind therapeutic parenting
To understand the neurological changes that parenting brings to both adults and children
To help parents become more confident in therapeutic parenting strategies and learn how to make these become habits of daily life
To give parents a sense of hope that they are connecting to their complex child and can bring about more open, emotional engagement with them
To help parents to reflect upon the emotional issues for them that have arisen from adopting a child who has experienced early trauma and might have developed blocked trust
To help parents find strategies that protect them from moving into blocked care

Fee: £850 per person
More details can be found here: https://www.ccsadoption.org/the-centre/events-calendar/hearts-and-minds/

Information Session
2024-01-25 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-02-07 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-02-13 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-02-22 17:00 - 18:00, 2024-03-06 18:00 - 19:00, 2024-03-12 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-03-21 17:00 - 18:00, 2024-04-10 15:00 - 16:00 and 1 more date | Virtual Session
If you are considering whether adoption is the right path for your family, we invite you to attend an Information Session. This gives you the opportunity to hear about our agency, talk about the adoption process, and hear from one of our adopters.
During this session, our adoption social workers will be available to share their knowledge and expertise on the adoption assessment process.
Only one ticket is required per household. Please be aware that if you are looking to adopt as a couple (married, civil partnership, or cohabiting), it is really important that both of you attend the Information Session.
At the end of the session, we will let how you can complete an Initial Enquiry if you wish to.
Please follow this link to book the Information Session; Adoption West Events | Eventbrite

Coffee and Chat Session - for potential adopters
2024-02-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual Session
Find out more about adopting with Adoption West at our virtual chat, these session is designed for those at the very early stages of considering adoption.
There’s no such thing as a silly question, this offers a safe space to ask anything you like.
Bring your coffee to meet our knowledgeable social workers and experienced adopters, and have your questions answered.
Please follow the Eventbrite link to register your interest: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/adoption-west-27620899279

Coffee and Chat for LGBTQ+ Week
2024-03-07 10:00 - 11:00
This is a great opportunity for those that might be thinking about adopting a child or children, to come along and have their questions answered by those that have done it. This event has been organised as part of the LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering celebrations that we take part in annually.
We welcome anyone considering adoption – it’s that simple. But, we appreciate that those from the LGBTQ+ communities may have some specific questions and concerns that relate to their sexual orientation or gender identity, and how others (including children, birth families, and professionals) may process this.
We want to assure you, that there is very little that hasn’t been asked before, and if we don’t have the answer yet, we will do our best to work with you and find it.
The event is open to anyone interested in adoption, at any point in their journey.
View on Eventbrite and book your space

Life Story Workshop
2024-03-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual Session
Adoption West is holding a Life Story Online Workshop on Friday 15th March 10 am -12 pm hosted by Suzie Harley.
This workshop is designed to support adoptive parents to feel more confident in talking to their child/ren about their life story and why they are adopted. It will also provide a forum for parents to talk about their concerns and challenges. At the workshop, tools and resources will be shared that may be helpful to try at home, alongside routes to seek advice and support in the future.
Suzie qualified with a master’s in social work from Bristol University in 2004 and has worked as an adoption social worker for approx. 20 years. Initially for Bristol City Council and since 2019 for Adoption West. Following her interest in therapeutic work she undertook a Professional Diploma in Therapeutic Life Story Work in 2020/21 qualifying to practice the Richard Rose model with children and their carers, and is a member of the TLSWi and an accredited provider for the Adoption Support Fund.
N.B. Only one ticket is needed per household. This event is intended for parents of children up to the age of 8 years old.
Eventbrite Life Story Workshop
