Sign up for free learning on anti-racism, Covid, trauma and more at Community Care Virtually Live

Anti-racist practice and responding to Covid and trauma are all on the agenda at this year’s Community Care Virtually Live, for which registration is now open.

Social workers can now sign up for two days of free learning, networking and opportunities at the event on 13-14 October, all accessible from their home, office or other workspace through our online platform.

Our approximately 40 free seminars this year – delivered by leading expert trainers, practitioners and people with experience of support – cover the full gamut of essential learning for social workers, while responding to critical and topical debates and issues for the profession.

Anti-racist practice

In the light of George Floyd’s death, after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for at least eight minutes, racism in all areas of life has come under the spotlight, not least in social work.

This year at CC Live, we will be hosting:

• A panel discussion on anti-racist social work, involving British Association of Social Worker professional office Wayne Reid, who has written widely on the topic, Dr Kish Bhatti-Sinclair, an academic specialising in anti-racist practice, and Surrey County Council principal social worker Sharon Davidson.
• A session looking at the experiences of Black, Asian and minority ethnic students and practitioners in the workplace, including in relation to racism and discrimination.
• A seminar examining the impact of race and racism in the mental health system, where there has been longstanding disproportionate use of restrictive interventions for people from ethnic minorities.

Covid and beyond

The pandemic has transformed social work, and we will be both reflecting on the impact and examining the lessons for the future, with sessions covering:

• Innovation in home visits and direct work in the light of Covid, delivered by Claudia Megele, author of Safeguarding Children and Young People Online.
• A panel discussion on how Covid-19 has changed social work with adults.
• Managing the impact of a death on your team, in the light of at least 21 social workers losing their lives to Covid.
• Supporting social workers with self-care, in response to the increased stresses and anxieties as a result of the pandemic, delivered by Sass Boucher and Kate Collier from SelfCare Psychology.

Trauma impact

The impact of trauma is another key theme on this year’s programme, with seminars on:

• Learning on trauma-informed approaches to working with adults, delivered by social worker and trainer Lydia Guthrie, who specialises in attachment approaches with adults.
• Understanding how trauma helps explain the way children behave.

There is plenty more on our free seminar programme – covering sexual and criminal exploitation, child and adolescent to parent violence, supporting adults with learning disabilities with intimate relationships, child sexual abuse and the impact of poverty and inequality on parenting capacity.

Legal learning

Alongside this is our paid-for legal stream, this year offering updates on the Care Act, the Mental Capacity Act, continuing healthcare, the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court, the public law outline and cross-border social work. Each session will be charged at £15 plus VAT.

The event would not be possible without the support of our event partner, Essex County Council, interactive theatre sponsor Surrey County Council, event hosts Hampshire and Somerset county councils, and our exhibitors. Essex and Surrey will be opening the event with a keynote presentation at 9am on day one, 13 October.

Many of them will be delivering learning of their own through the event, as well as being available through our virtual expo to showcase what they have to offer as employers, service providers or sources of support and learning for practitioners. Our online platform will enable you to interact directly with our exhibitors.

Entry to the event remains free for social workers, final-year students, local authority managers, commissioners and workforce leads, senior civil servants, police officers and youth offending and probation team staff.

So sign up for your free place now and join us at Community Care Virtually Live.