Sir Richard Bowlby Bt

Richard Bowlby retired in 1999 from medical photography where he produced illustrations for research communications. He now gives lectures and tutorials to health care professionals and promotes a broader understanding of his father’s work on attachment theory.

David Howe Bsc, MA, PhD, CQSW, PGCE

I am Professor of Child and Family Social Work at the University of East Anglia, Norwich.  I have  research interests in emotional development, adoption, developmental attachment theory, and child abuse and neglect.  I am the author of many books including several on adoption: Patterns of Adoption: nature, nurture and psychosocial development (Blackwell Science 1998), Adoption, Search and Reunion: the long term experience of adopted adults  (with Julia Feast, The Children’s Society 2000 and BAAF 2004), The Adoption Reunion Handbook (with Liz Trinder and Julia Feast, published by Wiley 2004), Contact in Adoption and Permanent Foster Care (with Beth Neil, published by BAAF 2004), Child Abuse and Neglect: attachment, development and intervention (Palgrave/Macmillan 2005), and The Emotionally Intelligent Social Worker (Palgrave/Macmillan 2008).

Deborah Ferguson, MA, Dip, SW, MBA

Deborah Ferguson is a director of Adoptionplus and is a qualified social worker.

I qualified as a social worker in 1982. My first interest was child protection and I worked as a practitioner and manager also gaining knowledge and expertise by my involvement as an early committee member of the British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BASPCAN) a multi disciplinary professional association and on the editorial board of Child Abuse Review.

I then worked in family placement and gained experience on both local authority and voluntary agency Adoption Panels. I was principle officer for Adoption in Bedfordshire for a number of years. Paul Snell and I left the local Authority in 1996 to set up Fosterplus, an Independent Fostering Agency. Fosterplus currently has 11 offices throughout England and Scotland and was assesses by OFSTED as providing an ‘outstanding’ service to children. Paul and I started offering adoption services in 2000, and our aim now is to offer outstanding services to adopted children and their families.

Paul Snell, CQSW, DMS

Having been with Local Authority children’s social work from 1973, I left to establish Fosterplus in 1996 with my fellow director Deborah Ferguson.

I qualified as a social worker in 1982 and followed that with a Management Diploma in 1991.

My experience includes residential social work, child protection and the provision of care for children and adolescents, various management posts including Principal Officer Child Care – Bedfordshire.

For the past 12 years Deborah and I at Fosterplus have steadily built an extremely positive reputation for the quality care of children and young people.

Joanne Alper, CQSW, BA Social Policy, Diploma in Play Therapy, Diploma in Management Studies

Service Director Adoptionplus

I qualified as a social worker in 1991, since that time have had considerable local authority experience of working with children in the care system, children requiring adoptive families and children where there were child protection issues. I have worked as a Local Authority Team Manager for a Looked After Children Team, and with an Independent Fostering Agency as a Fostering Team Manager and an Adoption Service Manager. In 2006 I set up Adoptionplus as an Adoption Support Agency offering therapeutic services to people regarding adoption issues. In September 2008 we were registered as a Voluntary Adoption Agency. Alongside my social work and management experience I also trained and qualified as a Play Therapist in 2000.

I have had 7 children’s books published, 6 books in the ‘Billy Says’ series and ‘All About Mummies and Daddies’. These books are aimed at helping children with issues related to adoption and fostering. Following on from this I have been commissioned by 10 Local Authorities to write their “Children’s Guides to Adoption.”

I am committed to using all the skills I have developed over the years to ensure Adoptionplus offers a service that is truly helpful to children and families.

When I’m not working I love to spend time playing with my children.

Christopher Cook MBA, FCCA, FAIA, FHEA

I am an accountant by training and qualification and have many years high level experience running businesses of various types and sizes – my own and others. My main occupation currently is as Head of Division in the Business School of The University of Northampton.

I am keen to contribute my knowledge and experience to the success of AdoptionPlus, a cause in which I have great faith.

Karen Barker- Team Administrator

I joined Adoptionplus in April 2008 as an experienced administrator with over 7 years proven track record. I was previously Departmental/Academic Administrator for the Institute of BioScience and Technology at Cranfield University, providing high quality administrative support to academics, staff and students. I started my career as a Bank Clerk, progressing to a Finance Clerk for a major UK airline. I am privileged to have been appointed Team Administrator, and to be involved in this innovative new agency.

Jessica Christopher BSc (Hons) Behavioural Science, DipSW Senior Social Worker, DipHe Social Studies

Prior to qualifying, I worked with children with special and additional needs in residential care and out of school activities. In 2000 I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Behavioural Science and completed my Social Work Diploma in 2003. Since qualifying I have had various roles including, Programme Coordinator with Buckinghamshire Children’s Fund, Family Support Social Worker with Milton Keynes Council and Senior Social Worker with St Francis Children’s Society (another voluntary adoption agency).

 I am interested in the impact of trauma and attachment on children and completed the Introductory Theraplay training in 2007. I joined the Adoptionplus team in February 2009 and I am committed to understanding and supporting adopted children and their families, using the skills I have developed.

When I’m not working I enjoy swimming and relaxing with my family and friends. For over 5 years I have enjoyed providing respite care to a child with William’s Syndrome through Bucks ‘Take a Break Scheme’.

Irene Pugh - Certificate in Adoption Counselling ; Certificate in psychodynamic counselling; Diploma in Integrative Psychosynthesis Counselling; Diploma in individual and group supervision.

I have been counselling for about fifteen years and am a BACP Senior Accredited Counsellor and a trained Supervisor. Alongside working for Adoptionplus, I also work in private practice offering both counselling and  counselling supervision.

Ian Orr-Campbell (Dip Person Centred Counselling, RMA,NVQ4 Management, NEBS)

I qualified as a person centered counsellor in 1999. I have worked for Mind, Barnardos Link, Voice of the Child in Care and the National Youth Advercacy Services. Alongside my counselling work, I have also worked for 18 years with people with learning difficulties in both residential and day care settings.

I joined Adoptionplus’s birth relative counselling service in 2004, and have worked with a number of birthparents and grandparents on feelings related to the loss of their children. I have also provided counselling services to adopters and adult adoptees.

I am passionate about the work I do and believe that all people regardless of their circumstances, have an innate ability to maintain and constructively change their lives for the better.

Mary Ward, CQSW, GSCC registration, ADVANCE Award in Social Work, Diploma In Counselling [Person Centred], Diploma In Couples and Family Therapy -Institute Of Family Therapy.

I have worked with Children and Families in a variety of settings; residential, and local authorities for over 25 years. I have been a manager for a Child Protection and Child Care Team, working with looked after children and children placed for Adoption. I was Head of the Conferencing and Reviewing Service for a local Authority  up until 2001, when I began to work independently.
 
I have always been interested in working therapeutically with individuals, children and families and I continue to work in this way. I have been a counsellor for The Independent Birth Family Counselling Service provided by Adoptionplus for 2 Local authorities, since the beginning of the service in 2005.
 
I am a counsellor for staff in a primary school, and I am a Deputy Chair and Chairperson for 2 Fostering panels for 2 Independent Fostering Agencies.

Marion Hundleby, CQSW, MSc in Applied Social Studies

I have been a qualified social worker for over thirty years and have extensive experience of adoption, fostering and work with families. I have worked in the statutory and voluntary sectors and my experience includes social work practice, research, resource development, training and project management. I am a published author and since 2001 have been a member of the British Association for Adoption and Fosterings Publications Advisory Group. As well as participating in many conferences and seminars, I also gave evidence to the House of Commons Standing Committee in relation to the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

I currently work independently. As well as providing consultancy for social care organisations, I chair several adoption and fostering Panels in the Midlands and South of England.

Tina Moore

As an adopter I have first hand experience of the complexities of being an adoptive parent; the skills needed to nurture a child with complex needs and help them heal and the great challenges and rewards that come with being an adoptive parent.

I am also a social worker with over twenty years experience of working with children who for a variety of reasons have been unable to remain living within their families of origin. I also have previous experience of sitting on a fostering panel.