Specialist therapy, advice, support, counselling and training for all affected by adoption and permanency
Our PAC-UK service is the largest independent adoption agency in the UK. With bases in Leeds, Liverpool and London PAC-UK has been reaching out to individuals, families and professionals from the Scottish borders to the south coast for 37 years.
Entering adoption, Special Guardianship or another permanent placement is an important step forward in a child’s life. We understand that this is the beginning of a life-long journey, not just for the child, but also for the adoptive/permanent care family and the birth family left behind.
Our support extends to all these groups, and includes adults adopted as children who continue to find difficulties arising on their own life journey. We also offer advice to professionals working with these families in different contexts – in particular adoption social workers, school teachers and virtual school staff.
Our vision is that all those affected by adoption, Special Guardianship and other forms of permanent care are supported and enabled to live their lives to the full. The above video explains the work we do, and more information on PAC-UK services can be found on this page and the PAC-UK website.
Adopted Adult Support
Adoption is often considered a solely positive event that ensures a child grows up in a family, and at the same time allows the creation or extension of a family. However, years of experience have shown that adoption can be very challenging too, and for all parties involved. Adults who were adopted as children often find that they struggle with a range of specific issues for which they need support from counsellors who understand adoption. This is where PAC-UK can help.
The services that PAC-UK can offer may vary around the country. Our Advice Line will be able to help you look at what is available to you. Available services include:
National PAC-UK Advice Line (0300 1800 090)
Face-to-Face Counselling
Telephone Counselling
Access to Adoption Records, Searching and Intermediary Service
PAC-UK’s specialist birth parent and relative support services include our First Family Service, face-to-face and telephone counselling, private intermediary services (for birth relatives of adults adopted as children) and support groups. Our PAC-UK Advice Line can provide you with more information on services you can access in your region and associated fees where applicable.
PAC-UK’s Child & Family Service has extensive experience in all aspects of supporting families with adopted children or otherwise permanently placed children.
We have specific expertise in providing assessments and therapeutic interventions to families whose children experienced developmental trauma prior to their adoption/permanent placement. Available services include:
Assessment Services
Therapeutic Services
Parenting Services: Enhancing Adoptive Parenting and Raising Kinship Children
PAC-UK’s Education Service offers a range of services to enable schools, parents and guardians and education and social care professionals to meet the needs of children who have experienced difficult starts in life. As an education provider you can use Pupil Premium Plus to purchase any of our specialist education services:
e-Learning training for education professionals on attachment: a self-guided route to becoming an adoption friendly school
Training & Consultation for education providers, adoptive parents and carers
Access to Adoption Records, Searching and Intermediary Service (for adults adopted as children)
Many adopted adults want to find out more about the reasons for their adoption which can lead to them searching for and sometimes contacting their birth family. We can access adoption records and work through them with you and discuss whether you want to look for your birth family. Our experienced researchers can usually trace birth family members and we can make intermediary contact with them on your behalf giving a better chance of a good outcome and giving you support through this emotional process. This service offers preparation for possible contact and/or reunion with birth relatives, as well as initiation of contact with birth relatives, in accordance with relevant legislation. Please contact us for information on fees.
Private Intermediary Service (for birth relatives of adults adopted as children)
We provide counselling, tracing and intermediary services to support everyone affected by adoption. If you have lost someone to adoption we can:
Trace the adopted adult and make the first contact on your behalf.
Support both parties through the initial stages of reunion.
Offer specialist guidance throughout (our counsellors have a wealth of experience in this complex area).
In the first instance please telephone us (see our Advice Line numbers listed at the bottom of this page) for a discussion about your particular situation and for information about the costs of the service.
This means we can check the NCR for links on behalf of adopted adults and their relatives, and can also take registrations from new applicants. For all NCR enquiries email [email protected] or call our Advice Line on 020 7284 5879.
PAC-UK Training
Every year PAC-UK offers a comprehensive training programme focusing on adoption and permanent placement specific topics. Some of these workshops and seminars are for professionals only, and some are specifically for parents and carers. Public seminars and conferences are open to all parties affected by adoption and permanency, including professionals.
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