There is national recognition that contemporary adoption involves hugechallenges and there is a duty on agencies to offer support. I believeour service tackles these challenges in a number of ways.
Firstly, it's multi-disciplinary, as staff have backgrounds in childclinical and educational psychology, family therapy and social work. Wealso adopt a team approach to whatever we do, and feedback is veryimportant to us. As well as offering feedback and welcoming it fromparticipants, the team writes a letter summarising the key themes andissues that have emerged from a meeting. Finally, we operate on a basisof direct access, and accept referrals from social workers and adopterson a first-come, first-served basis, with no distinction made betweenthem.
In our model, everyone participates on equal terms, and differences ofperspective are welcomed in order to expand everyone's understanding. Asa result, our approach allows for the integration of issues that areusually addressed separately by different agencies.
While it could be argued that it is costly to have two or three teammembers in one session, our experience is that very few sessions areneeded or wanted. It is rare for more than two to be taken up. Adoptershave told us that this is because sessions are intensely focused, ofhigh impact and, consequently, most effective. Service users have alsoreported that they feel able to move forward constructively on the basisof what they received.
It is our view that adopters are highly motivated, resourceful peoplewho are open to ideas. They deserve a respectful, collaborative service,which does not treat them like patients, drown them in an ocean ofpaperwork, or talk down to them. Our experience is that a little goes along way.
- Dr Ruth Nissim is a member of the team offering post-adoption supportto Pact, an adoption agency based in Reading. www.pactcharity.org.
