Adoption & Special Guardianship Support

Once a child/young person is deemed to be 'out of care', many of the formal support mechanisms available through the authority/trust are no longer automatically available.

We draw upon our extensive experience and professional resources to provide a range of services tailored to each individual situation- no matter how complex the child/young person's needs are, or their location. The support available is wide ranging and includes:

Life Story Work

To help children, young people and their birth families (where appropriate) to gain an understanding of their life history and family background. We work with family/carers and the child to make sense of their past and to understand changes in their birth family or history.

Counselling and Therapy

For advice and guidance to sustain relationships within the family including birth family members, focusing on issues such as separation and loss, behaviour management, attachment and sexual abuse. Therapists work in partnership with families to enable understanding of behaviour and in parenting strategies to cope with this.

Education Support

Education advice and assistance can be offered by our qualified teachers many of whom have extensive special needs experience. We will work with schools to maintain a young person in education and achieve the best possible education for them.

Organise and Facilitate Contact

Either direct or indirect contact between siblings and/or birth family members. We have access to a nationwide network of offices which have suitable rooms for contact, and we have vast experience in facilitating contact and making it a positive experience for all involved.

Social Work Service

Work would be focussed around enabling birth family members to make the most positive contribution possible to the child's life. Social workers can prepare assessments for panel and reports for court as required. 

We can also support the professional network around a child, by encouraging shared understanding of a child's behaviour and life experiences, creating consistency. 

Short Breaks

We can access a network of over 2000 approved fostering families many of whom are able to offer short breaks for children and carers, on a planned regular basis, or if necessary on an emergency basis.