"Nearly three weeks ago now, I was invited to attend Fatima Whitbread’s ‘One Voice Summit’ in London, where I was able to engage in powerful discussions on creating transformative changes in care systems. Fatima's commitment to driving change, rooted in the lived experience of care experienced people is something that deeply resonates with us at Staf. We are thrilled that she will be joining us as a keynote speaker at the upcoming International Foster Care Organisation (IFCO) conference, Brave Hearts in Care, in Glasgow. This year’s theme, Brave Hearts in Care: Building Trust, Confidence and Connections, highlights the vital role of relationships in improving outcomes for children and young people in foster and kinship care.

This conference, in partnership with Staf, The Fostering Network and IFCO, will bring together over 40 incredible speakers and workshop facilitators, both from the UK and internationally. The topics range from carer wellbeing, and coaching support for care leavers, to empowerment through participation, just to name a few – I can’t do the programme justice here, but it is all available on the IFCO2025 webpage. 

Uniquely, the conference encourages workforce and carers to be supported to attend together, which is why there is also a child and youth track that run alongside the conference and over the weekend. The event will also focus on empowering the workforce and policymakers to embrace relational, trauma-informed approaches to care - something that is at the heart of everything we do at Staf.

Our partnership with IFCO and this conference underscores our belief in the critical role carers play in supporting young people through their transitions into adulthood. We are committed to ensuring that our members have access to the best learning opportunities, so we can all continue to support Scotland’s young people in the best possible way. An international conference supports legacy learning and connections on a global platform to be continued beyond the June event, and Staf remains as committed as ever to create platforms for learning and amplification of voice to support workforce and young people at that crucial and complex time in anyone’s life journey – the transition to adulthood. If ever a relational approach is needed in someone’s life to support them to flourish, surely this is the time."