Julie Selwyn, Sarah del Tufo and Lesley Frazer report on an evaluation of the It's a Piece of Cake? training programme provided by Adoption UK. The programme, unusually, is delivered by professional trainers who are themselves adopters. The immediate impact of the training was an increase in adopters' confidence and a wider repertoire of skills in managing difficult behaviour. The effects of the programme seemed to have continued for some time for adopters who were not parenting children with multiple and overlapping difficulties. For them Cake was rarely enough. The group setting for the learning — enabling parents to discuss difficult issues with other adopters — was viewed as very important. Many parents had made lasting friendships that were a continuing source of support.
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