April 2012

PAC's marathon man Leon ready to roll!

As part of PAC’S 25th anniversary year we are delighted that– for the first time ever!– a member of PAC staff will be running the London Marathon to raise funds for PAC’s work.

Leon Elias, Team Administrator for the Children and Families Service, tells his story:

“On the 22nd April - the day of the London Marathon - it will be exactly one year since I began working at PAC.

In that time I've learned a lot about the great work that PAC does in supporting adoptive families, birth families, adopted adults and others involved in adoption and other forms of permanent care. I've always wanted to run a marathon, but to do it for such a worthy cause will be really special!

I've worked out that I'll be running just over a tenth of a kilometre for every day since I started working at PAC. Looking at it like that it doesn't seem too daunting... maybe...

Whilst Sunday five-a-side football has been a regular pastime for years, this will be the first time I’ve tackled some serious running. I’ve now begun training in earnest (despite a late start due to a broken wrist). Since January I’ve built up from 5 to 20 mile runs. I hope to be able to come in at under five hours on the day... I do have a specific time in mind, but I'd rather to keep that to myself!

I'm hoping to raise £3,000 for PAC, so please give generously!!“

How you can support Leon's marathon effort:

• Donate via Leon's JustGiving page.
• Send a cheque (payable to PAC) or make a bank transfer. Please complete this donation form and return to our office address: PAC, 5 Torriano Mews, London NW5 2RZ.
• You can also make a donation via JustTextGiving by texting LEON85 £5 to 70070 (you can change the amount to £1, £2, £3, £4 or £10, and there is no sending charge!).  

Enhancing adoptive parenting: a programme for new adopters

PAC has recently been involved in the development of an individualised parenting programme for adopters facing challenging problems in children aged 3-9 recently placed from care.

PAC welcomes referrals and has specially trained staff who can deliver the ten-session programme. Details here.

We are also running a two day training course Training in the use of the Enhancing Adoptive Parenting manual in May 2012 which is open to social workers and other professionals working in adoption and permanency.

Adoption action plan: PAC responds

In March the Department for Education published its Adoption action plan for tackling delay.

Read PAC's CEO Peter Sandiford's response here.    

Training roundup

PAC’s Training Department is pleased to announce its 2012/13 programme.

There is a wide variety of workshops and seminars for adoptive parents and other permanent carers including:

• The adopted child in school - understanding and supporting your child (30 April). Trainer Julia Clements consistently scores 5/5 on PAC evaluations for the quality of her presentations.
• Parenting children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in adoption and fostering (11 July)
• Managing difficult behaviours in children and siblings (26 September)

Training days for professionals include:

• Family and friends: assessment, preparation and support for kinship care (24 April)
• Building family bonds by facilitating family and friends network meetings (24 May)
• Preparing reports for panels (20 June). A must attend workshop for social workers who need to prepare these reports.
• Working with attachment issues in adults (25 September)

Public Seminars:

• Living with an Angry Child (19 June) Holly van Gulden returns to these shores with this always popular day. Holly is a refreshingly open and dynamic trainer and shares many of her own stories of having adopted children in her home. If your child is angry, don’t miss this seminar: it gives hope and help! Book early!
• Why is this child so different? Dissociation in children and adolescents (12 July) 

PAC can provide training directly for local authority and other agency teams, and their service users. Please contact training@pac.org.uk or call 020 7284 5872 for details.

PAC extends Advice Line service

PAC has extended its Advice Line service to include a new Wednesday evening slot.

Anyone affected by adoption or any other form of permanent care can speak to qualified and experienced PAC counsellors by calling 020 7284 5879 during the following times

Calls are welcomed from:

• Adoptive parents, prospective adoptive parents and other permanent carers
• Adults adopted as children
• Birth parents and birth relatives of adopted children, and of now adult adopted children
• Professionals working with adoption and permanent care

PAC’s Advice Line serves as the gateway to our other services, which include individual counselling, intermediary services, parent and couple counselling, intensive therapeutic family work, therapeutic life story work and early placement parenting support.

Watch videos about PAC's work...

PAC has produced three short videos to help explain our work and the impact we can have on the lives of those involved in adoption and other forms of permanent care.

Watch them here!

...and our Gala Dinner video!

PACs 25th anniversary Gala Dinner at the Savoy back in November was a glittering success!

With an amazing menu prepared by four of the UK's greatest chefs, including Heston Blumenthal, plus an auction of works by some of the biggest names in contemporary art, the event raised in excess of £75,000 for PAC's work.

You can read a press release about the event here and watch a video produced for PAC by Tailored Media here.

This is PAC's first ImPACt eNewsletter! We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future content.

Please get in touch with PAC's Publicity & Information Officer Robert Stuart on 020 7284 0555 (Wednesdays and Thursdays) or email press@pac.org.uk.