Akamas

als-akamas is a private company with public service values, focused on supporting those who work with the most vulnerable children in society. It is our firmly held belief that through offering high-quality training to the professionals in the network we can make a real difference to the lives of these children and young people.

Our training programmes have been delivered online since 2005, and we work closely with Edexcel to ensure we offer the highest standards of student support, assessment and verification.

Key Personnel

Kate Cairns, Training Manager
Kate is both a registered social worker and a trainer and author of international reputation. As well as overseeing and contributing to our online course material, she plays an active role in delivering seminars, conferences and keynote speeches. With her partner Brian and their three birth children she shared in providing permanent care for twelve other children, all of whom are now adult, before working as a trainer/consultant with the British Association for Adoption and Fostering. Kate's books include Attachment, Trauma and Resilience, Surviving Paedophilia and, with Chris Stanway, Learn the Child.

Brian Cairns, Programme Manager – BTECs
Brian Cairns is a qualified teacher and an Approved Social Worker under the Mental Health Act. In 1975 he and Kate started a unique family-based therapeutic environment which provided permanent foster care across 20 years. Brian tutors students on a Social Work degree course as well as our own online BTEC students, and acts as external examiner for the Post-Qualifying courses run by BAAF and Sheffield Hallam University. He is a member of the Care Standards Tribunal and sits on a number of fostering panels for private agencies.

Chris Stanway, Academic Team Manager
Chris Stanway is a former teacher whose roles across 30 years have included Head of Drama, Head of Year, Designated Teacher for Looked After Children, CPLO and SENCO. Until 2008 Chris worked as Assistant Head in a secondary school, running an inclusion unit and leading Vocational Education initiatives in partnership with local sixth form colleges. She is the co-author, with Kate Cairns, of Learn the Child.