First map of adoption support services for birth families created by social workers

Social workers have created a map of adoption support services for birth families in England to help them overcome the challenge of finding provision when their children are being, have been or may be adopted.

The interactive online service, launched last week by the Family Rights Group (FRG), enables birth parents or relatives to search for, and find the details of, advice, support or counselling services in their areas.

It has been funded by Adoption England, the umbrella body for the country’s regional adoption agencies.

The charity’s social work team spent the past year gathering data on available services and then worked with the FRG’s parent panel and web developers on designing a map that was easy for families to use.

Birth families ‘struggle to access support’

“Too often, birth families affected by adoption struggle to access the support they need,” said the FRG’s principal social work adviser, Pam Ledward.

“Wherever families are in the process – before, during, and after adoption proceedings – Family Rights Group’s specialist national advice service hears heart-breaking examples of families left to navigate that process alone.”

She said available support varied from area to area, despite its significance for families involved in court proceedings.

“For example, therapeutic support is often cited in family court proceedings as a necessity if a parent whose child has been adopted is to safely keep subsequent children at home. Unfortunately, such support may either not be available, or the parent may not know how or where to access it.”

Ledward added that the interactive would “for the first time” provide a resource families across England could draw upon “at this critical time”.

Range of available services

The FRG said the map included detail of:

• General or legal advice and information about adoption;
• Advocacy support to help birth family members get their views across when dealing with children’s services and other agencies;
• Counselling or therapeutic support;
• Support groups for birth family members affected by adoption;
• Advice and information about contributing to a child’s life story work;
• Support with contact with an adopted child, including letterbox contact;
• Support to access adoption records and information held by children’s services or other adoption agencies;
• Information and support about reconnecting with an adult relative who was adopted as a child.

Map ‘useful for practitioners’

Adoption England’s national adoption strategic lead, Sarah Johal, said the “essential” resource would also be of value to social workers.

“This map will also be useful for professionals working with families to help understand the support provision available in their region and local area,” she added

“At a time when birth family members may not know who or where to turn to for help and support, this map is certain to change lives.”