Seminar Programme

Seminar Room 1

Stress can prove hugely costly in both human and financial terms. Despite this, it has become ‘normalised’ in many organisations – that is, people have come to expect to have to face unreasonable levels of pressure. This seminar clears up some of the myths and misunderstandings around stress – including the fallacy that it is inevitable. It explores the harm it can do, ways of managing pressures and support with the aftermath of a stress episode. Dr Neil Thompson has been writing, teaching and training about stress management for many years. He has had many considerable successes in helping individuals, teams and whole organisations to rise to the challenges presented by stress.

Neil Thompson Academy

Seminar Room 3

This presentation examines the potential for anti-racism in Family Group Conferencing (FGC) with racially minoritised families and considers what this might mean for social work. To do this, it draws on the systematic literature review I completed as part of my Bachelors in Social Work dissertation (Mohamed, 2023). The literature suggests racially minoritised families find FGC to be empowering and that at times, it meets their cultural needs, however, we need to be curious about how culturally adaptable FGC is for racially minoritised communities in the United Kingdom.

Omar Mohamed, Principal Social Worker, Brent Council

Seminar Room 2

Practitioners will discuss the work of the Independent Futures Team and how they work collegiately with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), Children Services and Commissioning, sharing their Preparing for Adulthood Protocol and good news stories from young people and their families.

London Borough of Hounslow

Ground Floor

The Relational Social Work Podcast Hannah and Matt are recording The Relational Social Work Podcast Live at COMPASS Jobs Fair, London. The podcast focusses on the importance of connection and relationships in social work ‘with’ children, young people and their families, exploring this through meaningful conversations with inspiring leaders from across the sector. They and are joined by: Kam Kaur – Senior Social Worker / Consultant at Parenting Apart Programme, Jerome Harvey-Agyei - Youth Participation Lead The Mayor Of London's violence reduction unit, Lisa Hackett – Chief Social Worker at Frontline.

Panel includes: Kam Kaur – Senior Social Worker / Consultant at Parenting Apart Programme, Jerome Harvey-Agyei - Youth Participation Lead The Mayor Of London's violence reduction unit, Lisa Hackett – Chief Social Worker at Frontline.

Seminar Room 1

This is an evidence-informed session that offers an opportunity for reflection on the possibilities and implications of generative AI and its significance for safeguarding. Thinking about the impact of social technologies and generative AI, we’ll examine some practice examples and reflect on implications of AI for identity, relationships, and well-being.

Dr Peter Buzzi

Seminar Room 3

Home visits are not simple, especially in safeguarding. Entering someone’s home means stepping into their world. It requires sensitivity, self-awareness, and practical preparation. This seminar explores what happens before you knock, focusing on how practitioners can prepare mentally, emotionally and practically for visits that may carry risk, uncertainty or emotional intensity. This session will also equip you with practical tools, reflective strategies and confidence for one of social work’s most complex tasks.

Vicki Shevlin, Social Work Trainer

Seminar Room 2

Are you a social worker struggling to meet the CPD standards set by Social Work England? Join this masterclass to equip yourself with essential knowledge, practical tips, and effective tools to help you confidently meet your CPD requirements. Whether you're new to the profession or an experienced social worker, this masterclass will give you the tools you need to stay on top of your CPD requirements and make the process more straightforward and rewarding. The session will also include the opportunity to reflect on a piece of CPD with a peer so that you can complete both parts of the Social Work England registration CPD requirements at the event.

Facilitated by Dr Carol Stewart, Director Chinara Enterprises Ltd, a registered social worker of over 30 years, who had extensive experience in supporting the learning and development of health and social care professionals at all levels.

Seminar Room 1

Many parents involved with social services have experienced trauma, whether in childhood or adulthood, which can affect how they think, learn, and respond to support. As a result, many traditional strategies for working with parents are ineffective and genuine long-term changes are not achieved. There’s a common perception in social work that prioritising parents’ needs might compromise child protection. However, in reality, children thrive when their parents are supported to care for them safely. Join the ParentAssess seminar to explore key insights and practical strategies that help parents make meaningful, lasting changes—ensuring better outcomes for children.   

Cathy Sharman, Independent Trainer, ParentAssess

Ground Floor

This will be a facilitated session with Hounslow staff sharing a work experience, followed by an open discussion, London Borough of Hounslow Join this powerful and moving hour-long, reflective forum where staff discuss the emotional and social challenges of their work in a confidential, non-hierarchical space. This will be a facilitated session, starting with 3-4 staff sharing a relevant work experience, followed by an open discussion to foster connection, support, and understanding among social work colleagues.

London Borough of Hounslow

Seminar Room 1

Rachael will explain what Injunctions/Orders are available to victims of domestic abuse. She will run through the steps for obtaining a Non-Molestation Order and Occupation Order and explain the use of Undertakings. She will give an overview of the legal aid funding available and the eligibility criteria to qualify for legal Aid. Rachael will give a brief overview of how the Courts deal with Domestic abuse allegations within Children proceedings and end with exploring how different professionals and agencies can work together to give better support to victims of domestic abuse.

Rachael Bridges, Associate Solicitor Children Law and Domestic Abuse, Ringrose Law

Seminar Room 3

Self-care is more than bubble baths and quick fixes – it’s about building real boundaries that protect your wellbeing and sustain your practice. In this workshop, you’ll gain the tools to recognise the difference between surface-level self-care and strategies that truly support you as a professional and a person. Learn how to create healthier patterns, maintain balance, and prioritise your needs without guilt. Join Vicki for a reflective and empowering session designed to help you thrive in social work, not just survive.

Vicki Shevlin, Social Work Trainer

Ground Floor

Explore how Portsmouth City Council is developing approaches to foster carer recruitment and retention through a values-led model that prioritises children’s needs and long-term stability. Focusing on keeping children close to their communities, the discussion will outline how the Mockingbird model strengthens support networks, and how an emerging Intensive Fostering model offers tailored, wraparound care for children with complex needs. The session is suitable for practitioners, managers and those interested in innovative approaches to fostering and family-based care.

Mark Jowett, Head of Children We Care For, Portsmouth City Council

Seminar Room 2

Lauren provides expert court reports for parents with a learning disability or who are neurodivergent (ND), assessing with insight from her lived experience of her own neurodiversity. This workshop examines what neurodivergence is, the challenges, strengths and key issues within society that impact on ND communities, in particular, social care staff and families. Join her to gain an understanding of executive functioning to enable social workers to better understand the neurodiverse families that they work with, instead of labelling them as lazy or unmotivated.

Lauren Crickmar, Independent Social Worker

Seminar Room 1

This seminar will look at the power of the Mental Capacity Act to protect the human rights of people with cognitive impairment and best practice in using the legislation. With the transition from Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) on the horizon, this session will focus on what good practice looks like now and in the future. It will unpack common challenges‚ from assessing capacity to balancing risk, consent, and best interests‚ and highlight practical approaches that keep human rights at the centre of decision-making. Participants will leave with strengthened understanding, practical examples, and reflective tools to promote lawful, compassionate, and person-centred practice in everyday social work.

Val Norris, Service Manager, London Borough of Hounslow

Seminar Room 3

The seminar provides an overview of WillisPalmer’s Supported Community Assessment, a child-centered, multidisciplinary approach to supporting and assessing families with complex needs and risks in their own home and community. Delivered by Family Support Workers (FSWs), Independent Social Workers (ISWs) and a psychologist if required, the service offers supervision, safeguarding observation, guidance, and teaching within the family’s home. Designed to inform court and local authorities' decisions, the model keeps the child’s safety, needs, and timescales central, ensuring all decisions are underpinned on robust evidence gathered in the family’s own environment.

Dave Wareham, Service Manager, WillisPalmer

Ground Floor

Join this session to explore best practices in hair strand testing (HST) for the Family Court, specifically tailored for social workers. Learn why traditional methods of instructing and reporting evidence from HST can fail to meet High Court requirements and why isolated results may be misleading. Participants will gain insights into the critical questions that ensure HST reports are reliable and aligned with Court standards. The session will cover factors affecting results, such as natural or dyed hair, and show how best practices can reduce costs in child protection cases. Speakers will also discuss when it is appropriate to test children.

Steve Nurdin, Senior Account Manager, Forensic Testing Service

Seminar Room 2

Join Shantel and Lisa for "Writing Our Shared Future: anti-racist and intersectional practice in social work" — a reflective interactive space dedicated to honest reflection on how anti-racism and intersectionality can shape the future of the profession. Through creative exercises and thought-provoking dialogue, core ARM members will explore the lived experiences, challenges, and strengths of social workers from all backgrounds. Together, we will co-create meaningful strategies for more just, inclusive, and sustainable practice — ensuring every voice is heard as we build resilience and collective vision for change.

Shantel Thomas, Social Work Leader, Activist, and Founder, and Lisa Zaranyika, Core Member, Anti-Racist Movement (ARM)

Seminar Room 1

Conflict, if not well handled, can do untold damage to working relationships, organisational effectiveness and even to the mental health of the individuals involved. However, there are skills and strategies that can be developed to make sure that no one need fear conflict doing so much harm. In some circumstances, conflict can even have positive results. This seminar examines how conflicts arise and how they can be prevented or managed effectively. Successful conflict management can not only prevent or address significant problems but also boost confidence and a sense of security. Neil Thompson is a qualified mediator with extensive experience of teaching and training about conflict management.

Dr Neil Thompson, Independent Writer, Educator and Adviser & Visiting Professor, The Open University

Seminar Room 3

Social media is part of everyday life – but how can you use it without putting your registration at risk? This interactive session will help you navigate professional guidelines with confidence, showing you how to share online safely, responsibly and authentically. You’ll explore the opportunities social media offers for social workers, while learning practical strategies to avoid common pitfalls. Join Vicki to discover how to protect yourself, your career and the people you work with, and to understand the growing role of social media in the future of social work.

Vicki Shevlin, Social Work Trainer

Ground Floor

In this session, Dr Murphy invites participants to understand how they might achieve a mind of their own despite the pitfalls they encounter on their journey through life. He sets aside psychiatric diagnoses and psychological conditions which medicalise and pathologise our feelings, thoughts, and actions. Instead, he focuses on madness as a state of mind we can all experience if distressing and disturbing circumstances conspire to overwhelm us and ‘drive us crazy’. He emphasises that madness is a temporary and not a permanent state of mind, providing we can understand the source of our overwhelming feelings and thoughts, and the reasons for our actions. Becoming conscious of the source of each feeling can then signpost a way through our madness.

Dr Robert Murphy, Author

Seminar Room 2

This workshop will explore Hounslow Council’s approach to life story work and why it matters. Participants will learn how life story work helps children answer difficult questions about why they are in care, offers a secure anchor to their past, and creates a bridge to their future. Attendees will consider the role of social workers in facilitating these conversations, and how to handle sensitive or traumatic histories with compassion and care. By the end of the workshop, participants will have practical insights and strategies to embed life story work into practice, ensuring children in care feel a stronger sense of belonging, continuity, and identity.

Jade Ferguson-Duncan, Advanced Practitioner, London Borough of Hounslow