Students from Athlone Institute of Technology are preparing to attend the largest international conference of its kind in Dublin in November, when social care experts from around the world assemble in Dublin to discuss the value of putting relationships at the core of their practice.
The conference entitled ‘Unity through Relationship’ aims to promote best practice for children in care and aftercare as well as children and their families requiring home or community-based support. It will bring together delegates from social work, social care, academia, education, and youth work.
Keith King, one of the conference speakers and himself a former ‘kid in care’ said: “Having spent much of my childhood in the system, I was fortunate to come under the care of people who passionately believed in putting the relationship with the individual as the centre focus of all they did. By emphasising the relationship with the person in care, you will naturally and automatically move towards what is best for each individual as opposed to looking only at what policy or legislation dictates. Many were not as fortunate as I was and I now have the opportunity to put my first-hand knowledge and experience into practice working as a social care practitioner.”
The event will run from November 10-14 with the main ‘Unity through Relationship’ conference on Monday 10 at 2pm until Tuesday 11 at 5pm.
