Keeping in Touch reviews for birth relatives

Find out about how Adopt South's Keeping in Touch Team review Keeping in Touch arrangements with your birth child

What is a Keeping in Touch review?

Keeping in Touch arrangements aren’t set in stone. We want to review them regularly with you, so they meet the needs of your birth child, as they grow and develop.

We believe reviewing your Keeping in Touch arrangements will ensure we continue to:

  • put your birth child at the heart of all arrangements
  • reflect what is best for your birth child
  • take into consideration the views of your birth child
  • provide reassurance that your birth child is safe and well
  • encourage positive and healthy connections between you and your birth child
  • promote regular updates about how your birth child is progressing and developing as they get older
  • enable you to share positive changes and significant life events with your birth child

The review will look at how your current Keeping in Touch arrangements are working and provide you with an opportunity to share the positive changes in your own life.

We understand the thought of a review can bring a mixture of emotions including excitement and worry. We want to reassure you the purpose of any review is to consider what the current and ongoing needs are for your birth child.

It is important to remember that these arrangements are voluntary. For any changes to be made, both families must agree to them.

Frequently asked questions

You can request for your Keeping in Touch arrangements to be reviewed at any time.

Contact our Keeping in Touch Team who will be happy to support you.

During a review, our team will ask all those adults involved in the Keeping in Touch arrangements with your birth child how things are working. We want to hear what’s going well and what may require changing to make sure your birth child is receiving the contact they need.

The review will be an opportunity to consider increasing Keeping in Touch arrangements with your birth child, yourself and/or other birth relatives. Your birth child (when possible) will always be asked how they feel about these arrangements and what they would like.

We will aim to have any review completed within four weeks. Sometimes this may take longer.

Yes, if the adoptive family is in agreement. Other birth family relatives such as grandparents, aunties and uncles can be included. You can request this as part of your review.

There is no formal assessment process, as these arrangements are voluntary. What will be important is that your birth child will benefit from any changes in the Keeping in Touch arrangements.

Our team want to have an honest conversation with you, and not to judge you. We want to hear of the positive changes you’ve made and some of the challenges you’ve faced. It is important we understand the relationship you want to develop with your birth child.

Please be assured that the Keeping in Touch Team will support you throughout the review.

We understand it can be very upsetting if you don’t receive the Keeping in Touch arrangements you want with your birth child. Our team will meet with you to go through the decision and the reasons why your arrangements haven’t been changed on this occasion.

This can be reviewed again at a later date.

Yes, as we want to support you in any way we can to make sure you have a full and fair review of your Keeping in Touch arrangements with your birth child. If you need help at any time, please do contact our Keeping in Touch Team on 03707 795 000.

Absolutely, we know things change and will be happy to complete another review at a later date.

Adopt South's Keeping in Touch Advice and Support Line is available Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5pm, and Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm.

We aim to reply to you within one working day. We are not open on bank holidays.