Intermediary services

If you have been separated from a relative through adoption and would like to receive an intermediary service, please complete our expression of interest form, which will help Family Action to identify which services you can access through our PAC-UK service and other providers.

How do I choose where to go to for an intermediary service?

What services might I be offered?

Will I see qualified and experienced staff?

Is the service confidential?

What if I feel I have not had a good service?

How do I choose where to go to for an intermediary service?

You are entitled to select an intermediary agency of your own choice.  Some people prefer to contact the agency that arranged the adoption, particularly as they should still hold the records, and often these are very helpful for getting in touch with the adopted person you are wanting to pass information to, or meet. It is also possible that information from the adopted person to a birth relative may be held on file.

However, for some people, this is not always possible. For example:

• The agency does not provide intermediary services;
• the agency has closed (see below);
• you cannot remember the agency’s name;
• you would prefer not to be back in touch with the agency that arranged the adoption;
• no agency was involved – these situations are referred to as private adoptions (see below);
• you may live a long way from the agency.

If any of these situations apply to you or if you prefer to go to an agency that was not involved in the adoption, then there are a few other organisations that can advise and help you.  For example, you could contact the adoption support agency that is closest to where you live. The Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) that covers your local authority will be able to advise on the availability of services, even if they were not involved in the adoption and are unable to provide a service themselves.

What services might I be offered?

Broadly speaking, intermediary services are likely to include some or all of the following:

• The opportunity to discuss your situation with a suitably qualified worker or someone who will understand the impact that adoption has had on your life. You will be able to explore what outcome renewed communication and/or contact will have for you and the other people involved, and to consider what the outcome may be for everyone.
  
• Non-identifying information – the intermediary agency is allowed to provide information from the records which would not identify the adoptive family but would help to answer some of the questions a birth relative may have. It may also be possible to have some idea of what has happened to the adopted person in the intervening years if they have been in contact with the agency.
  
• The opportunity to find out if the adopted person has registered a qualified or absolute veto with the adoption agency that arranged the adoption or the local authority where the adoption order was made if the adoption was a private arrangement.
  
• The opportunity for you to provide information to be kept on the adoption file to be passed on if and when the adopted person contacts the agency.
  
• The opportunity to ask for a search to be made for the adopted person. A charge is likely to be made for this part of the service, even if the intermediary does not charge for other parts of its service. The search may be done by another specialist agency and you will be advised on the costs involved when you ask for details of the service.
  
• If the search is successful in locating the adopted person you may then be able to ask the intermediary agency to make an approach to the adopted adult to find out if they wish to respond to the enquiry from the birth relative.
  
• Support and advice following contact and reunion for all those involved.
  
• Links with a support group – not every agency will provide this service, but they will be able to tell you about local and national services.

Will I see qualified and experienced staff?

Yes. Everyone providing intermediary services will have a good knowledge and understanding of adoption, search and reunion. Some agencies will have volunteers. These people may have personal experience of adoption or a professional qualification and should have received special training. Intermediary services can only be provided by adoption agencies and adoption support agencies that are inspected and registered. There are National Minimum Standards in place which include requirements relating to qualifications and/or experience. These include the National Adoption Standards for England and the National Minimum Standards for Voluntary Adoption Agencies and Local Authority Adoption Services in England and Wales.

Is the service confidential?

The service is confidential but very exceptionally a situation may arise which gives cause for concern about someone’s health and safety. The agency you are in touch with can explain the policy and procedures they have in relation to confidentiality. If you want to keep private the fact that you are receiving a service (for example, you may not want correspondence sent to your home address), discuss this with the agency when you first approach them and ask for the necessary arrangements to be made.

What if I feel I have not had a good service?

All registered agencies are required to have a complaints procedure and to work within carefully prescribed guidelines. Details of how to make a complaint should be made available when you first contact the agency.