What is it with Ofsted regulating adult adoptee support in the UK?

In August 2020 I said I was writing an article about Ofsted and the barriers to accessing therapy as an adopted person in the UK.

The response to that tweet confirmed I was not alone in my own confusion around:

Who can offer adoption counselling? Do they need to be registered with Ofsted, and - if so - why?

Does the UK government and Ofsted know that this layer of regulation is adding to the barriers adoptees face in getting support? Some are having to take other routes to therapy, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which can have a neutral or even negative effect when it comes to adoption issues. And even more worryingly, some adoptees said they are at breaking point, they have self-harmed and had suicidal ideations.

Why are non-Ofsted registered therapists required terminate support if they later find out that someone they are treating is adopted? Not nice for anyone, particularly an adopted person who may struggle with trust and making attachments.

I didn’t get much further with the article at that time due to work and my two weeny ones. Then last month I tweeted again, and this time got an immediate response from Ofsted offering to set up a meeting. I must say, of all the organisations I’ve @ on Twitter, this was the first time I’d had such a speedy and non-defensive response. (Yes, Long Lost Family I am looking at you!)

The tweet itself was seen by over 16,000 people so thanks to everyone who shared it. And a huge and very heartfelt thanks to everyone who emailed or DMed to say how the cumbersome government regulations get in the way of accessing therapy - both finding someone competent and finding someone local to you (and affordable). I hope that together we can change this – both for ourselves and for future generations.

What I asked Ofsted about support for adopted adults

On my call with Ofsted, I asked Matthew Brazier several key questions we are all wondering about.

Q. Why is the UK government regulating access to therapy / counselling services for ADULTS who were adopted as children?

A. No one is really sure why. It came about as a result of the Children Act 2004 but why adults aren’t an exception we don’t know.

Q. Have adopted adults been involved in discussions about assessment criteria and training content?

A. There was a public consultation which adopted people were welcome to respond to, but adopted adults were not specifically consulted.

(Credit to Rachel from @onbeingadopted for tweeting a great summary of the key questions!)

After the meeting, Matthew sent me some further links on:

Who has to register with Ofsted to provide support to adoptees (looks like it is both adoption agencies and independent therapists)

The framework for voluntary adoption agencies most of whom have stopped providing adult adoptee support, i.e. TACT

The framework for adoption support agencies i.e. PAC-UK, etc

I noticed that these resources focus on support for children, even though the Government site itself acknowledges that ‘adults are the main recipients of adoption support’.

I’ll keep you posted as to how we can try to get this changed. And of course I hope it goes without saying that I am not suggesting therapy for adopted people is completely unregulated.

Adoptee experiences with trying to find therapy in the UK

Here are some of the comments I had about the matter of counselling for adopted people in the UK and how government regulations are a barrier. I also had a few comments from adopted parents about issues accessing therapy for their children, but I have chosen to keep this post just for adult adoptees.

“Ofsted need to know how hard it is to access therapy. PAC offers some but depends on if your local authority have a contract with them. I don’t think they offer any therapy in the North. My local authority were re-negotiating/cancelling their contract in 2019 so I had 6 weeks funded and then was signposted to Barnardos Link which put me in contact with a local adoption competent therapist. This however costs £60/session. Out of range for a lot of people I would imagine. Have had therapy for a year and it has made such a difference. Osfted also need to know that issues tend to appear at important points in our lives i.e. having our own children. I would say my issues have increased as I’ve got older. I have had to find my own support.”

“I ended up going with a non-Ofsted certified therapist, and now after 2 years of building up trust with her while dealing with other issues I'm going to have to start all over again if I want to explore adoption.”

“I’ve always been able to have counselling - but that’s only because I’ve always had great counsellors who are prepared to ignore the rules and realise what a nonsense the OFSTED rule is for adults. However, I’m aware that by doing this they are taking a risk. I am also a counsellor myself. I’ve had to have lots of therapy as a compulsory part of my training courses. There are no OFSTED registered adoption counsellors near me and all the adoption support agencies that provide counselling only do so for children. The whole thing is a farce and I cannot fully express how much it angers me! But I know you know this too.”

“There are no OFSTED registered adoption counsellors near me and all the adoption support agencies that provide counselling only do so for children. The whole thing is a farce and I cannot fully express how much it angers me!”

“Good luck with this. I've been arguing this point for years. Adoption is the only population where qualified & registered therapists, psychologists, counsellors etc need to be Ofsted registered to offer services. It makes no clinical sense & bars access to support.”

I’m sorry if I missed anyone off, I’ve been working and home schooling too and it’s been a bit mad! Please drop me another line and I’ll add your comment here.

The therapists’ viewpoint

“As a qualified counsellor, I would definitely counsel adult adoptees if it wasn’t so onerous to be Ofsted regulated.”

“I don’t want to register with Ofsted to offer adoption counselling as it stigmatised that adoptees must need a special treatment when in reality they need help to understand their feelings and emotions from their own views. I have the experience but don’t seem to tick the boxes…”

I did hear from a few therapists and I’d love to hear from more, particularly anyone who has chosen not to register with Ofsted and help adopted people ‘under the radar’. You can remain anonymous.