4.1.13 Intermediary Services

Contents

1. What are Intermediary Services?
2. Who may Apply for Intermediary Services
3. Registration of Veto by an Adopted Person

1. What are Intermediary Services?

Intermediary services are defined as:

• Assistance to an adopted person aged 18 or over, whose adoption order was made before 30 December 2005, to obtain information in relation to his or her adoption; and
• Facilitating contact between such persons and their relatives

Local authorities do not have a statutory duty to provide such a service but where they do so, the Regulatory Authority should be notified.

Intermediary agencies and those involved in providing information to such agencies may charge a fee. 

In all cases, the provision of an intermediary service involves:

1. Establishing that both the applicant and the subject are 18 or over.
2. Undertaking preparatory work with the applicant
3. Obtaining information from a range of sources (adoption agencies, the Registrar General, the Courts)
4. Using the information to trace and contact individuals
5. Obtaining the informed consent of the subject to disclose identifying information
6. If consent has been obtained, disclosing to the applicant in appropriate cases any identifying information obtained by the intermediary agency about the subject.
7. Acting as an intermediary between the applicant and the subject and facilitating contact between them
8. Providing counselling, support and advice to both the applicant and the subject about the process and possible impact.

2. Who may Apply for Intermediary Services

Adopted adults and their adult birth relatives have the right to apply for an intermediary service. 

Intermediary services are not directly provided by the Adoption Service and any applicant for such a service must be advised of this and given the name(s) and contact details of registered agencies within a reasonable travelling distance who may provide an intermediary service, together with information about the charges that may apply.

3. Registration of Veto by an Adopted Person

Where an adopted person wishes to register a formal veto with the adoption agency, the allocated social worker must first verify the identity of the applicant.  The veto may be absolute - i.e. that an intermediary may not make an approach under any circumstances - or qualified i.e. that the subject only wishes an approach to be made by specified people or in specified circumstances.

The social worker must offer counselling to the applicant and ensure that the applicant fully understands the implications of the veto - particularly where the veto is absolute.  The social worker should also explain the right to amend, or withdraw the veto at any time and the steps required to do so.

A written record of any veto must be kept on the person's Adoption Case Record.

End