The outcomes from the Big Adoption Conversation January 2023
At the Big Adoption Conversation event on 25th January 2023 more than 100 members of the adoption community met to discuss some of the issues highlighted in the Adoption Barometer report. The key topic for discussion on this occasion was contact in adoption and this was broken down in to four separate areas:
1. Modernising indirect contact
2. Direct contact with birth siblings
3. Direct contact with wider birth family
4. Supporting Families with contact via social media
Modernising indirect contact
Recommendations
More support needed for all parties to engage with indirect contact.
Arrangements need to adapt as child grows up.
Consider how technology can better support indirect contact.
What is already happening
Agencies provide workshops and support groups to assist with letter writing.
Good Practice Guide on Contact addresses support needed.
AUK offer support to adopters.
Training offered to all staff across Wales on contact.
Good Practice Guide on Adoption Support includes requirement for regular reviews of support plans and will include support for contact.
Plans to do more
Further training on contact to be offered to staff across Wales.
Consideration given to use of technology as a way to support indirect contact.
Direct contact with birth siblings
Recommendations
Professionals to be clear about the benefits as well as the risks.
If direct contact is not the plan all children should know who and where their siblings are.
Every adoption service to have a contact team.
What is already happening
Training for staff across Wales on ‘modern adoption’ includes how to assess contact needs for all children.
Some agencies developing services to ensure specific focus on contact.
Contact survey of professionals across Wales to better understand and work with attitudes towards contact with birth siblings and others.
Plans to do more
Roll out of training for childcare practitioners on siblings’ contact.
Gathering of resources (videos/webinars etc) into one ‘hub’ for use in training, assessment of adopters.
Links developed with the National Team in England to consider pilot on digital contact.
AUK to develop a policy and plan around sibling contact through the Connected service.
Direct contact with wider birth family
Recommendations
Adopters to be supported from the outset with understanding that contact will be the ‘norm’ for every child.
Consider use of video calls as an introductory step.
Regular reviews of all contact arrangements to take place.
What is already happening
Recruitment campaigns include messages regarding contact.
Training for staff across Wales on ‘modern contact’ includes how to assess contact needs for all children.
Agencies undertaking voluntary ‘check-ins’ with adopters and birth parents periodically to assess needs and ensure support available.
New ‘Adoption Support Plan’ rolled out alongside embedding and monitoring of new requirements within the Good Practice Guides.
Plans to do more
Appropriate range of different approaches developed and resourced to support adopted children to have contact when the benefits outweigh any potential risk.
Development of additional resources/information for adoption regions and childcare teams.
Links developed with the National Team in England to consider pilot on digital contact.
AUK to seek funding to develop the Keeping Connected group and one to one work with adopted young people who can’t live with birth or adoptive families.
Supporting families with contact via social media
Recommendations
Adopters to be encouraged to arm themselves with knowledge about social media.
Adopters to be encouraged to share concerns and benefits of social media with their children as early as possible.
Educate and inform so that support systems are already in place for if/when social media is used.
What is already happening
AUK guide to social media available on AUK website.
Life Journey Work Framework outlines how to keep children informed about their story.
Plans to do more
Social media to be addressed within all NAS developments relating to both indirect and direct contact.
The recommendations from those workshops have been included in the current and future plans from the National Adoption Service; these plans continue to support a healthy and resilient adoption community in Wales.