Exciting news regarding a new lead role within AEM
Published: Friday, October 20, 2023
We’re delighted to share the news that Margaret Bradley, one of our experienced social workers here in AEM, has been seconded to a new post of Learning and Development Lead Adoption Social Worker within AEM, supported by Laura Woodhouse. Margaret has a real passion for supporting adopters’ learning and development through high quality training opportunities, grounded in lived experience. Margaret has written a little bit about herself and her hopes for the new role which you can find below:
I’ve worked for AEM since its inception in April 2019, and prior to that, worked for Derbyshire County Council in a variety of social work roles, including child protection, court work, and fostering and adoption. I was part of the initial working party developing training across the four authorities when the regional adoption agency was created and have latterly been a member of working groups about the Prepare to Adopt course and Therapeutic Parenting workshop. I’m very excited about this secondment as the Learning and Development Lead Adoption Social Worker within AEM and believe that having a learning and development programme that supports applicants during the process and beyond, a programme which includes lived experience, is an integral part of our work. I also bring my own personal experience of adoption to the role and an insight into the support adopters need.
I’m thrilled to be working alongside, Laura Woodhouse, who will be supporting the Lead role and bringing her own expertise to the development of our learning and development programme. As a Regional Adoption Agency, we have greater access to resources, and investment in opportunities for adopters to engage in social, learning, and support events. I hope to use the Lead role to develop those links further and embed peer support and lived experience by aiming to work with families and staff across the adoption journey to capture and learn from their diverse experiences. Ultimately, I hope the role will help us to achieve the One Team, One Vision statement: ‘Enabling the best possible futures for the children in our Region who have a plan of adoption – futures that are secured through understanding, relationships, support and advocacy’.
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