Certificate in Adoption Support Counselling
*Sale price for individuals – £792.00* (see application process and button below)
*Group discounts* for places booked and paid for together
2 people: 10% Discount (£712.80 each)
3 people: 15% Discount (£673.20 each)
4 people: 25% Discount (£594.00 each)
5 people or more: 30% Discount (£554.40 each)
Contact Us for more information and to request an invoice
Overall rating from course graduates
The Albany Centre in St Albans (Hertfordshire), in partnership with Barnardo’s, has designed and produced a national, specialist post-qualifying training programme for counsellors and psychotherapists to be appropriately trained to work with adoption. There are ripples from adoption and special guardianship not just for the adoptee (be they an adult or a child) but also for the wider birth family and the adoptive family; the effects of attachment/relinquishment trauma have far-reaching and lifelong implications. Therefore as a counsellor working with any client affected in some way by adoption or special guardianship, it is important to understand the context and the impact of these processes on individuals.
This course addresses those requirements.
In December 2010, amendments were made to the Adoption and Children Act 2002 to ensure that individuals affected by adoption in the UK are provided with support and services from practitioners who hold the proper qualifications and experience;
Please note the law was changed on 18th December 2023 whereby the requirement to be OFSTED registered to work with adults affected by adoption has been removed (although the requirement to have additional training remains).
In order to work with children the requirement to work within an OFSTED registered support agency is still in place.
For more information on Ofsted registration of Adoption Support Agencies, please click here
Testimonials and ratings from course graduates:
…Fantastic!! The best counselling course I have ever done and I would recommend to everyone★★★★★…the personal stories are invaluable – they have stayed with me and will definitely inform my work★★★★☆…extremely informative as well as emotive★★★★★…the range of presentations and learning materials was great and it felt flexible and accessible★★★★★…brilliant content and very in depth★★★★★…initially I wasn’t sure why I needed to understand the history of adoption, but as the course progressed, it became apparent how important this was★★★★★…well balanced in terms of history & background and present day processes around adoption★★★★★…wonderful course that takes you on a journey of the adoption process (highlighting) why as counsellors we need specialist training to support those affected by adoption★★★★★…packaged in a way that made it easy to follow…. very beneficial that I could work at my own pace and pause to take notes★★★★★…I really liked how this was laid out, particuarly as I’m neuro-diverse. Being able to replay the videos and previous questions helped with my memory★★★★★…It was interesting, comprehensive and indulgent. A great variety of sessions to meet differing needs – I loved it★★★★★
Information about the course:
- the course is for qualified counsellors and psychotherapists wishing to develop their skills and knowledge to support all those affected by adoption and special guardianship orders at every stage of the process; the course builds on your existing understanding of loss and attachment trauma.
- the course has been running since March 2022
- the course and its materials/resources are available to the student for 1 year from the payment date
- please note that as of 18th December 2023 you will no longer be required to register with Ofsted, or with an Adoption Support Agency (ASA), to undertake any adoption therapy with adults. Any therapeutic work with children up to the age of 18 years can only be undertaken under contract with an ASA or Regional Adoption Agency.
- once trained, you may approach any adoption support agency with the aim of undertaking therapeutic work on that organisation’s behalf
- please note that successful completion of this training does NOT guarantee registration with the Barnardo’s LINK service
- this programme will provide you with sufficient knowledge about adoption to allow you to support people affected. However, most commissioned adoption work for children and families requires further training and knowledge. On successful completion of this training, you can progress to the Certificate in Attachment Focused Therapy, delivered by Barnardo’s LINK. For information , please contact [email protected]
Course delivery:
- this course is delivered entirely online and includes a Zoom session
- the course features contributions from experts in the field of adoption as well as interviews with people with lived experience.
- the student is assessed throughout using quizzes and short reflective pieces to test knowledge and understanding
- all assignments are manually marked by experienced tutors usually within 24-48 hours. They will be marked as either a pass or resubmission. No further feedback is given.
- the student must attend an interactive group Zoom session at the end of the training (with two adoption counsellors) to discuss the course and aspects around becoming an adoption support counsellor.
Please be advised, you may find some of the material contained in this course emotionally distressing.
Course content:
Part One: The History of Adoption
This part covers the history of adoption and Looked After Children in the UK from Elizabethan times until the present day, including social, religious, political, and legal facets of adoption. There is a particular focus on the last 100 years of legal and social change and the rights of adopters, adoptees, and birth families.
- Episode 1 Pre 1945 (pre legislation, abandoned babies)
- Episode 2 1945-1980s (adoption becomes regulated although there are still some notable scandals)
- Episode 3 1980s till the present-day (emphasis moves to the child’s best interests)
Assessment methods: Quizzes
Learning outcomes:
- to gain knowledge of adoption in the UK in its historical context over the last 150 years
- to understand the change in attitudes around adoption – morals, laws, social mores
Part Two: Processes surrounding Adoption and Special Guardianship
- Lesson 1 The diversity of current adoption placements
- Lesson 2 Reasons why a child might be placed for adoption
- Lesson 3 Reasons why people adopt
- Lesson 4 The child’s journey through the adoption system
- Lesson 5 The adopter’s journey through the adoption system
- Lesson 6 Special Guardianship Orders
- Lesson 7 The transition to adoption
- Lesson 8 The language of adoption
- Lesson 9 Contact
- Lesson 10 Managing a Contact service
- Lesson 11 The disruption and breakdown of adoption placements
- Lesson 12 Post adoption support
Assessment methods: Quiz
Learning outcomes:
- to gain a solid understanding of the legal and practical processes in adoption and special guardianship
- knowledge of post-adoption support available today
Part Three: Working therapeutically with individuals’ lived experiences
- Lesson 1 The role of an adoption support counsellor
- Lesson 2 An adopter’s story
- Lesson 3 A birth mother’s story
- Lesson 4 Lecture: attachment and loss
- Lesson 5 A birth father’s story
- Lesson 6 An adult adoptee’s story
- Lesson 7 Adoption from a Chinese orphanage
- Lesson 8 Lecture: brain development and therapeutic parenting
- Lesson 9 Same sex couples and adoption
- Lesson 10 Lecture: therapeutic life story work
- Lesson 11 LIVE 2 hour interactive group session with two experienced adoption counsellors
Assessment methods: Quizzes and assignments
Learning outcomes:
- an awareness of the impact of adoption on a range of people personally affected by it
- knowledge of effective therapeutic interventions to help individuals to process their experiences
Course cost for individuals: usual price £1080.00 *Sale price – £792.00*
For your guidance, completion of the course contents, assessments and resources (and attending the Zoom session), takes approximately 3 months on average given other work and personal commitments.