So I've written my own little charter, an Adoption Support Charter.
Adoption Support Charter
As an Adoption Support Service:
- We commit to being available and if not get back to you promptly
- We commit to listening.
- We commit to being honest and keeping you informed.
- We commit to supporting parents to support their children.
- We commit to show empathy and compassion.
- We commit to offering emotional support and advice.
- We commit to being honest about what we can and can't do.
- We commit to work in partnership with you.
- We commit to advocate for you, two voices are louder than one and signpost us to appropriate professionals, services and training.
- We commit to employing Social Workers with appropriate interpersonal skills and appropriate knowledge and giving them the time and resources to support families.
As Adopters we commit to:
- We commit to not waiting until we are desperate or in crisis before we contact you.
- We commit to listening.
- We commit to working collaboratively with you.
- We commit to being honest.
What interests me is that often the stuff that can make the biggest impact has limited cost. The principles of respect, kindness, gentleness, encouragement and availability, these are the things that can make all the difference. We all know that resources are under ever strain but the foundations of all Post Adoption Services should be on these, or similar, principles.
We could debate the specifics of the service and we should, but I'd like to see the kind of things I've listed as a start.
I often hear 'there was no money for services but my Social Worker was great and really helped'. I also hear 'my Social Worker made me feel like I was the problem, I'd rather not have him/her in the house'.
That is a shame on my profession.