Workshop themes
Workshop 1: Where is the love? Thinking about what love looks like for professionals
Fiona Munro and Gayle Rice, Institute for Innovation in Social Services (IRISS): www.iriss.org.uk
Charis Robertson and Elaine Coffey, Hot Chocolate: www.hotchocolate.org.uk
For the past ten months, IRISS has been leading a project to establish and challenge the barriers that prevent workers from having ongoing positive relationships with young people as they leave care and live interdependently. In January 2015, it ran an event which concluded that workers need to think about love when building long-lasting relationships with young people in and leaving care. The workshop discussed this theme and how Hot Chocolate in Dundee, will be developing this. Participants took part in an activity to get them thinking about love in a professional context.
Workshop powerpoint presentation - Fiona Munro
Workshop 2: Exploring effective relationship approaches to supporting young people and their families
Brenda Fagan, Includem: www.includem.org
Includem discussed its techniques for working with young people and their families, sharing some examples of how effective relationship approaches can and do benefit young people and their families.
Includem powerpoint presentation
Duncan Gordon, Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCCR): http://scottishconflictresolution.org.uk
SCCR discussed its training for parents and practitioners in resolving everyday conflict. It explored relationships, conflict, responses, skills and resources.
Workshop 3: Where's dad?
Jacky Close, Families Outside: www.familiesoutside.org.uk
Families Outside powerpoint presentation
Douglas Guest, Fathers Network Scotland: www.fathersnetwork.org.uk
This workshop looked at how to help families to maintain relationships between fathers and children when the former are serving a prison sentence. Families Outside explored how we can work in partnership to help fathers remain fathers. Fathers Network Scotland looked at how out-dated thinking about fathers' involvement with their children prevents men's involvement in their children's lives. The workshop also discussed how we can all contribute to positive cultural change as we approach 2016, Scotland's 'Year of the Dad'.
Workshop 4: Domestic abuse and mothering - rebuilding primary relationships to promote recovery
Kirsty Farmer and Orlaith McAree, Cedar Project, Women's Aid: www.cedarnetwork.org.uk
Cedar project powerpoint presentation
This workshop explored how abusive men may parent; the impact of domestic abuse on mothering; and the impact on attachment and the mother-child relationship. It looked at the Cedar programme as a strengths-based approach to working with women, children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse.
Workshop 5: Exploring the importance of peer support and appropriate return-to-work services to improve parental capacity
Lyndzi Burke and Julie Ann Mollon, One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS): www.opfs.org.uk
Jackie Tolland and Sarah Cairns, Parent Network Scotland (PNS): https://www.parentnetworkscotland.com
This workshop looked at the importance of suitable return-to-work services in improving parental capacity. PNS supports parents to create loving supportive relationships with their children through programmes in local communities. The workshop heard from one parent about how she became involved and is now employed by PNS as a parent facilitator.
Workshop 6: Unravelling complex relationships
Anne Chilton, Relationships Scotland: www.relationships-scotland.org.uk
Relationships Scotland powerpoint presentation
Irina McLean, ParentLine Scotland: www.children1st.org.uk/parentline-scotland
ParentLine Scotland powerpoint presentation
Relationships Scotland looked at how the pre-parenting relationship influences parenting choices. ParentLine Scotland explored the complex relationships of kinship care.
What I found most useful about the conference: sharing our projects, jobs, ideas with people from all areas of life. (participant)