Intermediary services for birth relatives

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About this service

Wiltshire Council has an agreement with a charity called PACT (Parents and Children Together) to provide intermediary services for birth relatives.

Under the new Access to Information Regulations 2005 birth relatives can seek out information about their adopted relative. They can then find out information in order to try and trace and contact them.

This service will be available to birth relatives who live in Wiltshire and who are a birth relative of a child who was placed for adoption by Wiltshire.

Initially this service will be available to relatives of adopted people who were adopted before 1976.

Once these referrals are dealt with the service will be opened up to birth relatives of adopted people adopted after 1976.

Birth relatives are ‘any person who (but for his/her adoption) would be related by blood, including half blood and marriage’.

There are tight regulations to ensure that no identifying information can be passed on without the consent of the adopted person. The adopted person can place a veto on any contact.

Birth relatives are able to express informed consent about an adopted adult approaching them.

The service from PACT is to help birth relatives through this process, write letters, and arrange meetings. This can be a very challenging time and having someone who has knowledge in the area and is able to be impartial and objective can be a great support to people.

Unfortunately this service will not be free to everybody, only where the applicant is in receipt of benefits, and charges will be made for this work which will be clarified by the PACT worker.

PACT can be contacted on 0118 938 7600 and you can find more information on the PACT website.

Last updated: 22 March 2009