In depth information about search and reunion in Scotland.
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On this page:
> First questions
> Access to information
> Counselling
> Intermediary services
> Contact registers
> Further reading
First questions
See our information for adopted people and birth relatives.
Access to information
Access to information is a crucial part of the search process. Key pieces of information such as birth name or adoption agency are vital to find at the start of the search.
Information relating to adoptions and the people involved is held by:
- Registrar General: birth records, Adopted Children Register
- Adoption agencies: case records and other pieces of information
- Courts: records of adoption proceedings
This information is highly confidential, and access is controlled by law.
When an adoption order is made details are recorded in the Adopted Children Register, which is maintained by the General Register Office and hold records of adoptions made since 1930.
Section 45 of the Adoption (Scotland) Act 1978 grants adopted persons over the age of 16 the right to apply for access to their original birth records. The Adoption Agencies (Scotland) Regulations 1996 http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/
si1996/Uksi_19963266_en_1.htm state that adoption agencies must keep case records in a secure place for at least 75 years (Reg.23), and that adopted persons over the age of 16 can ask to see their case records (Reg.25).
Adoption policy in Scotland is currently being reviewed by the Adoption Policy Review Group. The discussion paper on legal issues 'Choices for Children in Fostering and Adoption' http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
library5/education/ccfa-13.asp outlines the present situation regarding tracing and access to adoption records, and poses questions for discussion.
Further information:
Counselling
Adopted persons over 16 applying for access to their birth records or adoption case notes must be informed that counselling is available, although there is no legal requirement for them to take up the offer. See Section 45 of the Adoption (Scotland) Act 1978 and regulations 23 to 25 of the Adoption Agencies (Scotland) Regulations 1996 http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1996/
Uksi_19963266_en_1.htm for more details.
Intermediary services
Once the necessary information has been obtained an adopted person may take the decision to make contact with their birth relatives. Making contact with birth relatives is something that the adoption counsellor will discuss with you. Although some adopted people decide to make direct contact, because of the potential impact and the strong emotions involved it is usually recommended to use an intermediary service where adopted people can receive practical and emotional support. Birth relatives who want to make contact with their adult adopted children or siblings may also wish to make use of Intermediary services. Unlike adopted people birth relatives are not allowed by law to receive identifying information without the adopted adults expressed permission.
Intermediary services are provided by adoption agencies or support groups who offer practical advice and make initial contact with birth relatives or adopted adults on behalf of the person searching.
The provision of intermediary and support services is not consistent across the country, with some agencies providing more support than others. This issue is being reviewed by the Adoption Policy Review Group. The discussion paper on legal issues 'Choices for Children in Fostering and Adoption' http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/
education/ccfa-13.asp outlines the present situation regarding intermediary and support services, and poses questions for discussion.
Contact registers
Adoption Contact registers are another method that adopted people and birth relatives can use to make contact with one another. Either party can add their own details along with the name of the person they wish to contact and if a match occurs the information is passed on to the other party.
There is no statutory adoption contact register for Scotland, but the independent Family Care Adoption Society in Edinburgh operates Birthlink http://www.birthlink.org.uk/, which was set up in 1984.
See below for details of other registers operating in the UK.
Other registers for the UK
Please note that BAAF does not necessarily endorse any of these services and asks that you exercise caution when using such services, especially if you are asked for money or confidential information.
- NORCAP Contact Register - a non-statutory contact register provided by a charity supporting adults affected by adoption. Also provides Intermediary services and access to a search room http://www.norcap.org.uk/
- Missing Links - a non-statutory adoption contact register for England and Wales http://www.adoptioncontactregister.com/
- UK DonorLink - a UK-wide voluntary information exchange and contact register following donor conception pre 1991 http://www.ukdonorlink.org.uk/
- UK Roll - a service allowing searches of the Electoral Register database for a small fee http://www.ukroll.com/
Further reading
View BAAF books on searching and reunion
The Adoption Reunion Handbook by Liz Trinder, Julia Feast, David Howe
Wiley, 2004
Offers comprehensive practical advice on the search process and includes quotes from adopted people who have searched and had reunions with birth relatives.
http://www.wileyeurope.com/WileyCDA/
WileyTitle/productCd-0470094222
,descCd-authorInfo.html
Heart of reunion: some experiences of reunion in Scotland by Ros McMillan and Gwen Irving
Barnardo's, 1997
A study describing the expectation and experiences of 45 Scottish adoptees who were reunited with their birth families.
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/
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