Adoption Support
This page provides information on adoption support
What is Adoption Support?
Sheffield City Council provides a range of adoption support services.
These services support:
- Children and young people who are adopted
- Adoptive parents and their families
- Birth parents and relatives
- Persons adopted as a child (now aged over 18)
Adoption has lifelong implications and Sheffield support services are based upon an awareness of good practice and the need to take into account the views of service users.
Adoption support can be requested at any time following the making of the adoption order.
Support from Sheffield City Council
We are here to help you, whenever you need us with:
- Advice/ Information
- Assessment of adoption support needs
- Access to birth records
- Support to birth families
Support Groups
The support groups provide an informal setting for adoptive parents to meet and share experiences. To find out more about support groups contact Adoption UK on 0844 848 7900.
Supporting Contact
In many instances children may have ongoing arrangements for indirect contact with birth families. Families, Adopters and Carers Team (FACT) is responsible for the operation of the Letterbox scheme. Letters are received into the office from both birth families and adopters. FACT will then forward them on to relevant individuals after checking there is no identifying information contained in the letters.
Adopters Reference Group
A group of adopters who meet senior Sheffield City Council officers to discuss and represent the views of all adopters.
Other Support Available
- Education
If you have any concerns around your childs education, initially advice should be sought from the school itself. Every school/ early years setting has a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator who is responsible for how special educational or additional needs are identified and met. A school can also seek help and advice from a wide range of specialist support services such as the Early Years Team, Learning Support Service and Educational Psychology Service. Contact numbers can be provided through the school or via the Council's contact centre on 0114 273 5722.
- MAPS
If you have concerns about the emotional well-being of your child then we have access to the MAPS (Multi Agency Psychological Support) for Looked After Children Service and can arrange a consultation or brief intervention. They also have an advice line which adoptive parents can ring on a Monday between 10am and 12pm on 0114 226 0876.
- Adoption UK
Adoption UK and Sheffield City Council work in partnership to support adoptive families including free membership for adopters. Adoption UK organise support groups and a buddy scheme call 0844 848 7900 to find out more.
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
If you are concerned about the emotional well being or mental health of your child then your Social Worker or GP can refer your family to the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health service. The service has a variety of practitioners and offers a number of therapies and treatments, as well as close liaison and joint working, as appropriate with other local services and agencies.
- Sheffield mental health needs assessment of adopted children and young people
As part of a wider review of mental health services for Looked after and adopted children and young people, a mental health needs assessment was completed in 2007. This included consultation with many local adoptors via a questionnaire, a report on this can be downloaded from this page. An action plan based on the recommendations from the needs assessment has been drawn up and activated. An additional consultation with adopted young people is currently taking place
What's Next?
To find out more about adoption support or if you just want advice or information on current support groups, please contact the Families Adopters and Carers Team (FACT):
- Call 0114 273 4998
- Email adoptionsupport@sheffield.gov.uk
- Complete our online contact form
- Write to us at FACT, Family Placement Services, Floor 2, Castle Market Buildings, Exchange Street, Sheffield, S1 2AH
- Opening Hours Monday -Thursday 08:45-17:15, Friday 08:45am-16.45
Downloads
Report done on research conducted into the Mental Health Needs assessments of adopted children and young people in Sheffield. (127 KB)
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