Guidance For Purchasers, Social Workers and other Professional Referrers

What Services Are Provided

• Unlimited access to telephone guidance and counselling through the helpline
• Up to four individual sessions per service user of up to one hour - which may be counselling, advice or practical assistance - provided directly to the service user, or may include an assessment consultation with a representative of the purchasing authority.
• Up to four sessions, pre-adoption, in any one case, as a provider of independent counselling for birth parents or relatives, or to assist in negotiating and establishing appropriate contact arrangements which will continue after the adoption order is made.
• Unlimited attendance at any group provided by SWAN.
• Use of any SWAN library or resource

Additional services will be made available to the purchaser at substantially reduced subscriber rates as follows:

• Additional face to face sessions for identified service users who need more than the core service provision
• Staff to facilitate and report on contact arrangements
• Visits to individuals unable to travel to SWAN premises
• Direct training and consultancy service
• Public records research to locate lost relatives

How Is The Service Accessed

As we are an independent service, we actively encourage people to refer themselves. The leaflet for service users should therefore be distributed as widely as possible and made available to everyone affected by adoption.

Referrals can be made on behalf of the service user, with their agreement, by anyone, including friends, relatives and professionals.

Referrals and enquiries are made via the Helpline (0845 601 2459). The call is to a dedicated SWAN number and is charged at local call rate. Any enquiry requiring further action will be referred to a SWAN service coordinator for allocation to a SWAN worker.

Any counselling or other advice and guidance given is confidential and will only be shared with the referrer given the service users agreement or if there are child protection or other concerns of a statutory nature.