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How to be a Good Intermediary: Advice and Guidance for Intermediary Support

4 November, 2025 at 10:00am - 4:00pm

Online

Expert-Led Session delivered by Mike Hancock and Emma Crowther-Duncan from PAC-UK

6 hrs
CPD
Book now

Who this is for

Intermediaries, adoption practitioners and managers (Voluntary Adoption Agencies, Regional Adoption Agencies, Local Authorities, and independent social workers)


Details

“Intermediary.” One word to describe such a massive event! The bringing together of parents and their adult children and their siblings, mostly separated from very young, in a way that  supports all their high emotions, wants and fears and can hope to build for a future relationship. No wonder it’s a glorious minefield of uncertainty, legality, best practice, individual experience and big complex emotions. Its not all Long Lost Family…

Through personal testimony from adopted people and birth relatives, clear and precise examination of practice and the law, case studies and discussion we’ll look at the differing perspectives involved, the  legal framework and changes to it, the challenges and risks of intermediary with historic and contemporary adoption and making contact, mediation and building relationships.


Learning outcomes

  • Understand the differing perspectives and needs of adoptees, birth family and adoptive family in intermediary
  • Understand the legal framework governing intermediary and changes over the years including Pre and Post Commencement and Descendants of Adopted people.
  • Best practice in support, making contact, mediating , reunion and building relationships
  • Risks and safeguarding in historic and modern adoption
  • Intermediary in a digital world of social media and DNA

About the trainers

Mike Hancock 

Mike is the National Strategic Lead and Head of Adult Services (Leeds) at PAC-UK, supervising social workers and counsellors who work with birth relatives and adopted adults. Mike worked with contemporary birth parents for a number of years in Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Halifax seeing them at community bases and at home. He has run groups for these service users as well as presenting training for professionals around adoption issues. Mike has a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and is an accredited member of the BACP.

Emma Crowther – Duncan

Emma is the North Adult Services Regional Manager at PAC-UK. Emma has worked predominantly within Local Authorities including Derbyshire and Manchester as a Social worker and Senior Practitioner within Child Protection teams. Most recently Emma has worked with an adoption and permanence team progressing children’s adoption plans and preparing children for adoption which included life story work with children and birth parents. Emma has also worked as a Social Worker within a residential assessment centre undertaking court directed PAMs Assessments for parents with learning difficulties.


Instructions

A member of staff will be in touch with attendees one week prior to the event to share a pre-event delegate pack.

If you have any questions regarding this webinar, please contact us at info@cvaa.org.uk. We will aim to answer your query within two working days.

CVAA accept online payments only. In case you do not have instant access to your company card, we suggest using your personal card instead to book a training event and claim it back with your agency in your expenses. Requesting an invoice to pay for our standard practice events is not possible.

Book a place

CVAA Members

£129.00
+

CVAA Subscribers

£139.00
+

Non-members

£159.00
+

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