Support after you have adopted
Following the adoption order you can continue to receive post adoption support services including advice and information, counselling, financial support and help with getting benefits.
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The right support for you
The Children and Families Support Team is a multi-professional team, made up of social workers, mental health practitioners, a childcare support worker and an adoption support worker. Our dedicated team come with a vast range of skills and knowledge to support our adopted families and those affected by adoption.
Will I get post adoption support?
You are entitled to receive post adoption support from us if:
- Your child was adopted through Leicester City Council
- The Adoption Order was made in the last three years (regardless of where you reside)
- You are a Leicester resident.
If it is three years after the Adoption Order and/or you do not reside in Leicester, you will need to contact the local council where you live for support.
If your case needs to be transferred to us from another local council, you can ring us using the number at the bottom of this page.
What support is available?
Adopted children are entitled to the same range of services as any child including, for example, special educational and medical services, as well as general advice and support. However, you might need help with particular issues that can come with adopting and this is where we come in. As part of our service you can expect:
- Our duty service is now open Monday to Thursday from 10am to 2pm.
- Advice and support both pre and post order
- Advice around financial support and benefits
- Advice and support to other agencies supporting adopted children including schools
- Training opportunities from leading experts in trauma and attachment
- Bespoke training around the needs of your adopted children, ways to approach and self-care
- Access to regular social events for you and your children including stay and play events for younger children as well as family activity days
- Be added to a mailing list (once you approve) to be kept up to date with the latest research, relevant training, seminars and news relevant for the adoption community
- Signposting to other agencies (see below).
Are you worried about your child's mental health?
Our team has close links to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and have regular consultation with them. Referrals to CAMHS can be made as part of the Post Adoption Assessment of Needs. If you are worried about your child’s mental health speak to your GP who can also make a referral.
Get support from other adoptive parents
Sometimes the best form of support comes from other experienced adoptive parents and carers. A local support group that we signpost our adopters to is LAFS (Leicestershire Adoption and Foster Carers Support) a peer support group for adopters, foster carers and special guardians in Leicester city and Leicestershire. Click on the link below for more information:
Other supporting agencies include:
Post adoption assessment of needs
Just so you know, within the first three years of the Adoption Order being made, it is the responsibility of the local authority who placed your child to complete this assessment. After the three years, the local authority where you live is responsible in carrying out this.
If you feel you need an assessment, simply call our team using the number at the bottom of this page. Once your request has been accepted you will be assigned a social worker who will carry out the assessment. From here, recommendations for further support may be made, which may include signposting you to other agencies or gaining access to more bespoke therapeutic services.
Due to the skillset of the team, we are able to provide some of the therapeutic support you may need, which may include Theraplay, Play Therapy and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP). However, the assessment can also lead to applications to the Adoption Support Fund for therapeutic support and even training for adopters. For further information on the fund, please see the website below or alternatively contact us using the details at the bottom of this page:
Contact us
Write to us: Fostering and Adoption Centre, Halford House, 91 Charles Street, Leicester, LE1 1HL
Ring us on: 0116 454 4540 - Social worker available 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday
Send us a message