Making It Real - Workshop for Professionals May 2023

Do you work with recipients of donor gametes (with or without surrogacy), or with donor conception families?

Owing to the success of the workshops we ran in 2021 and 2022, DCN is delighted to be repeating this event in 2023. The content will be the same. If you attended before, you are welcome to attend the day again or you may like to take this opportunity to recommend it to colleagues so they can experience it for themselves.

We are excited to announce the date of our next 'Making it Real' workshop, aimed specifically at professionals working with donor conception parents and prospective parents - fertility counsellors, psychologists, nurses, embryologists, lawyers, donor coordinators, genetic counsellors, academics, clinicians and others.

"This was honestly the best interactive Zoom event I have been to!"
"I would definitely recommend this to any professionals working in any field that overlaps with that of the area of donor conception."

This workshop will deepen your own understanding of the ways in which creating a child using eggs, sperm or embryos from a third party, including with surrogacy, is different from standard fertility treatments. We look at how best to help prospective parents consider from the outset the lifetime implications for the child and the family. We also look at how to support families as children grow up and circumstances, as well as interest levels, may change.

Attendance at this workshop will inform your policy and practice in helping you support your clients and patients in making decisions that are right for their future. You will have the opportunity to meet and network with the other attendees as well as DCN staff.

5 reasons to attend;

1. Hear the experiences of parents and donor conceived adults - how do these families fare in the long term?
2. Consider the place of the donor, the donor's family and any genetic siblings or half-siblings in donor conception families (especially important in 2023).
3. Hear how DNA testing is revolutionising the making of genetic connections and the implications of this for families.
4. Listen to DC Network’s unique experiences, covering nearly 30 years, of the long view of life for donor conception families.
5. Feel better supported in your role in the fast changing world of donor conception.

We will share our experience and knowledge about;
• The support needed by donor conception families before, during and after treatment
• The popularity of genetic testing companies and the impact of the removal of anonymity in the UK - are we ready for 2023?
• The services and resources offered by DC Network - and how these complement and build on information giving and counselling undertaken in clinics and elsewhere

Your learning outcomes
• Enhanced understanding of the need for full information and support for patients as choices are being made about which clinic and country as well as donor selection
• Ability to put counselling services in the context of other support and resources and future help that may be needed
• An understanding of the social and emotional issues of using donated gametes
• Information about the implications of the use of DNA and genetic testing websites
• Enhanced ability to reflect on the experiences of patients and clients