It covers legal frameworks, best practices, and real-world challenges in delivering access to records and intermediary services, with insights informed by research, professional expertise, and the voices of adopted adults and birth relatives. The guide aims to support adoption agencies in delivering sensitive, inclusive, and legally informed services across England.
Adoption: Access to Information and Intermediary Services
A practice guide
This Practice Guide on Access to Information and Intermediary Services was produced as part of the Improving Adoption Services for Adults (IASA) project and funded by Adoption England. Developed by researchers at the University of East Anglia, the guide provides comprehensive and up-to-date guidance for professionals working with adults affected by adoption.
The below resources are designed for practitioners and adoption professionals to use with adoptive families in order to help maintain relationships with the people important to adopted children. They have been developed with the Research Centre for Children and Families (RCCF) at The University of Sydney.
Training Webinars
Watch our webinar with New South Wales, Australia to find out about their maintaining relationships practice
Culture Change Programme
We have a series of videos designed to help professionals better understand the importance of maintaining contact for adoptees with their birth families or significant others. These videos can be used in training sessions, reflective individual or group supervision, or assessment meetings.
Training aimed at Principal Social Workers
There are widespread calls for a new approach to adoption that places greater emphasis on maintaining children’s relationships with their family members and other people who have been important in their lives. This became one of our key priorities at Adoption England, aligning with the recommendations of the Public Law Working Group on adoption. To support this, we worked with Prof. Beth Neil from the University of East Anglia, who delivered a series of three webinars for Principal Social Workers. These sessions provided an overview of the Public Law Working Group’s recommendations and highlighted how Principal Social Workers could lead the way in driving change within local authorities to prioritise and preserve these vital relationships.