Understanding Adult Attachment in Parenting Assessment

This one-day, in-person training offers an accessible, practice-focused introduction to understanding adult attachment in the context of parenting capacity, particularly applicable to fostering and adoption assessments, and wider family work.

Drawing on attachment theory, clinical practice, and extensive experience of family court assessments, the training introduces a bespoke adult attachment assessment pack developed to support social workers and other professionals to explore adults’ attachment histories in a way that is time-efficient, non-academic, and clinically meaningful.

The day is designed to build confidence, curiosity, and reflective capacity when working with adults whose parenting is being assessed, particularly where children have experienced trauma, neglect, or maltreatment and this is likely to require more than “good enough” parenting.
Aims of the Training

By the end of the day, participants will:

• Have a clear, practical understanding of adult attachment and its relevance to parenting
• Feel more confident asking adults about their own childhood experiences and relationships
• Be able to think critically about what adults’ narratives, emotional responses, and interpersonal styles may indicate about attachment security, insecurity, or disorganisation
• Understand how adult attachment styles may influence empathy, mentalisation, emotional availability, and child-centredness
• Develop greater confidence in using their professional intuition and relational experience as meaningful evidence in assessment

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Greater Manchester Regional Care Cooperative