Support

Support

Post placement and post order

There is a Post Permanency Support Team which works with adoptive families and families who are caring for children under Special Guardianship Orders. Adoption is a major event in the life a child and it has life long implications for all of the parties involved. We recognise that all of the parties involved may need some support at different stages in the adoption journey.

Who can access adoption support services?

There are support services available for adoptive families during the adoption process and after the adoption order has been granted. Adoption support services are available to domestic and intercountry adopters. The Post Permanency Team also offer support to adopted adults and birth relatives of adopted children.     .

» BAAF
» Adoption UK
» Talk Adoption 
» Adoption search and reunion 
» NORCAP 

What support is available?

Support for adoptive families

Prior to the adoption order being granted, you will continue to work with an  adoption worker. When you are matched with a child an assessment of your support needs and those of your child will be undertaken and a support plan will be drawn up for you. Prior to the adoption order being granted, you can speak to your worker about any additional support that you feel might be necessary to help you to meet the needs of your child. After the adoption order is granted you can contact the Post Permanency Support Team to discuss your support needs.

Financial support

As an adopter you are expected to provide for the child that you adopt, just like any other parent.    However, financial support in the form of an Adoption Allowance may be paid in some cases. The payment of an adoption allowance is made following an assessment of need and adoptive families are not automatically entitled to this. Your adoption social worker will work with you to assess your financial situation. Any adoption allowance paid would be means tested and reviewed annually.

As an adopter you are entitled to any of the benefits that birth parents can claim including adoption leave, child benefit, child tax credit, working family tax credit or Disability Living Allowance according to your individual circumstances.

A post adoption assessment of your support needs

You can request an assessment of your need for adoption support. An assessment for adoption support explores your family’s circumstances to identify your support needs. We can work with other agencies, such as health and education to give you a co-ordinated response.

Information, advice and counselling

We offer advice and information to adoptive families on a range of adoption issues, for example talking to your child about adoption or contact. We can also help you to access mainstream support services and offer you advice about other specialist adoption support services.

We have a service level agreement with the Post Adoption Centre and adoptive families can access counselling and support services through PAC. There is a Post Adoption Centre Outreach Surgery in the borough and we can advise you on how to access their services. We can also provide information, advice and support to adoptive families about accessing other mainstream therapeutic services for your child.

There are groups for adopters which take place four times a year. These groups are run in conjunction with the West London Adoption Consortium and address issues such as promoting attachment and talking to your child about adoption.

Twice a year adoptive families receive a copy of our post adoption newsletter. This newsletter provides information about topics that are related to adoption, workshops  and other support services that are available to you.

Hammersmith and Fulham organise an annual picnic for adoptive families and their children.

Post adoption contact

We offer support to adoptive parents, their children and birth family members to enable them to remain in touch after an adoption order is granted. The letterbox system administers  a regular indirect exchange of information between birth families and adopters. We also provide support to help to maintain direct contact arrangements for adopted children and their birth relatives.

Support for adopted adults

» BAAF
» Adoption search and reunion 
» NORCAP 

The Post Permanency Team offers a confidential information, advice and counselling service to adopted adults who are over 18 and who wish to access the information that is held on their adoption record.   This service is available to adopted adults who were placed for adoption by Hammersmith and Fulham or to adopted adults who live in Hammersmith and Fulham but whose adoption was arranged by another adoption agency. 

The Post Permanency Service will also offer support to adopted adults who have accessed their birth records and are interested in making contact with their birth family.

Support for birth relatives

» BAAF
» Adoption UK
» Talk Adoption 
» Adoption search and reunion 
» NORCAP 

We offer counselling, advice and information to the birth relatives of children who have been adopted.   We can provide this support if Hammersmith and Fulham was the adoption agency that was involved in the adoption or if you are a birth relative and you live in the borough but the adoption was arrange by another adoption agency.  

There is also an independent counselling service which is available to birth parents and other relatives who live in the borough. You can access this service through the Post Adoption Centre Outreach Surgery in Hammersmith. You can contact the Post Adoption Centre directly or we can help you to access this service.

We can also offer you advice and information about other support services that are available to birth parents.

We offer birth relatives support to remain in contact with an adopted child after an adoption order is granted. There is a letterbox service in place for indirect contact and we also provide support to help to maintain direct contact arrangements for adopted children and their birth relatives.

If you are a birth relative and you  would like to make contact with an adopted person who is now over 18, we can offer you an intermediary service. Through the intermediary service we can make an adopted person aware of your interest in having contact.

Contact us

The Post Permanency Support Team
Permanency and LAC Service
Barclay House
Effie Road
Fulham
SW6 1EN

Telephone: 020 8753 2320
Main switchboard:  020 8748 3020

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