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Contents

1. What are Intermediary Services?
2. Who may apply for Intermediary Services?
3. Dealing with Applications for Intermediary Services
4. Registration of a Veto by an Adopted Person

1. What are Intermediary Services?

Intermediary services are defined as:

• Assistance to an adopted person aged 18 or over 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 if they do, the Regulatory Authority should be notified.

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

2. Who may apply for Intermediary Services

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

3. Dealing with Applications for Intermediary Services

Brighton & Hove Children and Young People’s Trust (BHCYPT) is not currently able to provide intermediary services, (although some advice on  tracing relatives may be offered under the Adopted Persons' Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records Procedure.)

Any persons requesting the provision of an intermediary service, should be given the contact details of agencies that do provide such services and advised of the likely charge for service provision.  The enquirer should be advised to directly contact the agency of their choice.

4. Registration of a Veto by an Adopted Person

Adopted adults may register a formal veto with the appropriate adoption agency stating their wish not to be approached by an intermediary agency on behalf of a birth relative who is seeking contact. 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. A formal veto is not a lifelong veto but will remain in place until the adopted person chooses to amend or withdraw it.

Where an adopted person wishes to register a formal veto with Brighton & Hove City Council, acting as an adoption agency, this request must be allocated to a social worker to deal with. The allocated social worker must first verify the identity of the applicant, for example by their passport, driving licence or other photographic evidence, and confirm that the Adoption Case Record is held by the City Council.

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