As a Diagrama adopter you can benefit from a range of activities and events provided by us.

Support groups

We have hold bi-monthly support groups via zoom that are facilitated by Diagrama social workers.  These are drop in sessions where we welcome adopters to come along and adoption issues affecting them.  It’s an opportunity to meet and discuss issues with other adopters and social work staff in a nurturing environment. 

Picnics and more...

We hold two activity picnics each year, in late spring and towards the end of the summer holidays.  Families bring along their picnics and Diagrama provide refreshments and various forms of entertainment.  There is often a bouncy castle and face painting along with a variety of other child friendly activities.  These get togethers are a fantastic opportunity for adopters to meet with each other and make connections.  Children have the opportunity to make friends with other adopted children.  Great fun is had by all!
In addition to the picnics Diagrama endeavour to arrange ‘meet ups’ throughout the year at family friendly venues. The focus of these events is to enable adopters to link up with others in a similar situation to themselves. We find this is a really useful way for everyone to benefit from peer support, no matter what age you are.

Here’s our calendar of adoption support events.

Our adopters are also able to access our comprehensive adoption training programme and education advice too.

Understanding and Managing Traumas

Next course will run in Spring 2024 between 10am and 1pm.

Understanding and Managing Trauma is a 5 day course spread over 5 consecutive weeks. It is facilitated by 2 experienced SW's, Margaret Gardiner who has 19 years experience of working in IFA's and 18 years as a foster carer and Garry Brennan who is also a therapist and experience family placement social worker.

Aims of the course:

To equip foster carers, adopters and SGO carers with skills and knowledge to support children and young people who have experienced trauma and multiple transitions

To reduce the disruptions and breakdowns for young people

To enable carers to understand the impact trauma has on children's brain development pre and post-birth and how this affects behaviour.

To explore attachments and the behaviour linked with different attachment styles and how to manage this behaviour

To explore ways to parent your child using NVR techniques

Supporting carers to practice self-care

Themes:

Transitions and Identity

Brain Development and Trauma

Attachment and Secure Base

NVR Session

Reflection and Evaluation

Enhanced Connection Attachment-Focused Parenting/Carers Group

The Enhanced Connection Group is a unique, stimulating, empowering and experiential group aimed at adopters, foster carers and SGO carers who care for traumatised children.

This online group will run over 9 weeks and consists of weekly 2.5 hour sessions with up to 8 participants. The group will be facilitated by two experienced children and family social workers from Diagrama who hold additional therapeutic qualifications and practice knowledge. 

The next course is due to run in the Autumn of 2023.