This seminar examines the underlying risk factors for child-on-carer violence and aggression, the impact on children, foster carers, professionals and stability for children and households.
We will explore the impact on foster carers, their family/community and systemic costs of violence within fostering households, acknowledging the isolation, secondary trauma, and retention risks faced. The session highlights why conventional parenting or behavioural modification strategies can be ineffective or counterproductive.
The seminar will consider the roles of supervising social workers who are supporting carers, their households while safeguarding children and liaising with children’s social workers.
The session focuses on actionable, systemic strategies to develop practitioner confidence and support families. Approaches such as Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) and principles—that de-escalate crisis cycles while rebuilding relational security.
Organisational responses such as risk assessment, safety plans, duty phone support, staff training/support and collaboration and information sharing with the professionals in the team around the child and family will be examined.
About the trainer
Al Coates is a parent through adoption, a former foster carer, became a social worker in 2013 and worked as a supervising social worker until he became a Registered Manager in 2020. For over 10 years he has worked to support families living with challenging, violent and aggressive behaviour as well as campaigning to raise awareness of the challenges faced by families. He is a Level 4 Non Violent Resistance practitioner and works directly with professionals, families and carers to manage and address behaviour. In 2024, he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship for international study into how families of previously looked after children can be supported to manage challenging behaviour.
This event will be hosted on Google Meet - accessibility; delegates will be emailed details of how to join a few days beforehand.
