Asking for an Assessment of Your Support Needs

In England and Wales an adoptive family can ask the council to assess its support needs, and the council must do it.

A two-minute read, three things to try, for children under 19.

Where to start

Write to your council or regional adoption agency asking for an assessment of support needs.
Say what is hard, for how long, what you’ve tried and what would help.
Ask to see the written report, and what the support fund will pay for now.
For relatives and friends raising a child, with or without a court order, there is a specialist advice service. Kinship, 0300 123 7015. Mon-Fri 10.30am-1pm, excluding public holidays. Outside those hours the line is closed. Samaritans answer at any hour on 116 123, and Shout answer if you text the word SHOUT to 85258. Councils in England must publish a kinship local offer setting out what support they give.

The rest of the tip, and why it works, is in the library.

Sources

Adoption and Children Act 2002, sections 3 and 4; Department for Education, Adoption: statutory guidance (2013), paragraphs 9.18 to 9.22 and 9.43 to 9.46; Department for Education, Special guardianship guidance (2017), paragraphs 50 to 53; Department for Education, Adoption and special guardianship support fund (updated 2026); Kinship, Adoption and special guardianship support fund (2026); Family Action, Adoption and special guardianship support fund (2026); Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, section 5

It goes with

A Child With Two Families. For parents and carers whose child came to them through adoption, special guardianship, kinship care or fostering.
When You Are Not All Right. For parents whose own mental health is part of what’s going on at home.

The first chapter you open here is free to read in full.

Free on this subject

Adoption, fostering and kinship care. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
Parent wellbeing. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.

The rest of the library

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If you need help right now

If you or your child is in immediate danger: 999 · Go to your nearest A&E · 24/7.
If either you or your child is in a mental health crisis: NHS 111 · England, Scotland and Wales: call 111 and choose the mental-health option. Northern Ireland: call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 · 24/7.
If your child is under 19 and needs to talk to someone themselves: Childline · 0800 1111 · 24/7 · www.childline.org.uk.
If you are worried that a child is being harmed or is at risk: NSPCC Helpline · 0808 800 5000 · Mon-Fri 10am-4pm by phone; email 11am-4pm, seven days a week. An email sent when the service is closed is not received. · email help@nspcc.org.uk · www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/our-services/nspcc-helpline · If the NSPCC service is closed and the concern cannot wait, call the police on 101. You can also contact the child’s local out-of-hours children’s social care, social work or social services team. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
If you would prefer to text rather than speak: Shout · Text SHOUT to 85258 · 24/7 · giveusashout.org.
If you or someone you are worried about needs someone to talk to: Samaritans · 116 123 · 24/7 · www.samaritans.org.

If you need help right now

Published by Kensington Square Therapy. Company No. 16707111. Written by therapists registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This page is not therapy, and not a substitute for professional support. The full library is at theparentbook.com.