Adults of 18 years of age or older in England and Wales who were adopted in the U.K. are able to apply to the Registrar General for access to the original record of their birth. The law states that those people adopted in England and Wales before 12th November 1975 have to attend an interview with a counsellor / social worker before they can be given this information. In this case, the adopted adult has the right to an 'intermediary service' which we provide within our Adoption Service in Cheshire. The social worker will be able to do the following:

- preparatory work with the adopted person: the 'applicant'

- obtaining information about the adoption from files and records

If the adopted adult then wishes to take these enquiries further, possibly to meet a birth relative, then an intermediary service can be offered. The next steps could be:

- using the information found above to trace and contact a birth relative: the 'subject'

- acting as an intermediary between the applicant and the subject and facilitating contact

- providing counselling, support and advice

If the adopted person was adopted on or after 12th November 1975, they can request an intermediary service from us and we hope to be able to offer such a service. However those adoptions that took place before 12th November 1975 will be prioritised. For those adopted on or after 12th November 1975, counselling is optional although it is still advisable to have a talk with an experienced social worker who knows the process and can give advice. The purpose of the counselling interview is to help and prepare the adopted adult to find out information about their birth and what such information may mean to that person. The counsellor can obtain birth records and information about the adoption on the adopted person's behalf. The birth certificate will show the date and place of birth, the applicant's mother's name (and possibly her occupation), the informant's name and address, the date of registration and the name of the Registrar. The father's name and occupation may or may not be shown. Information is also provided on the Adoption Contact Register. The Adoption Contact Register is run by a government agency called the General Register Office and you can find out more information from them. See our resource page for their contact details. Alternatively, Cheshire's Adoption Service can be approached directly if a person was adopted through a Court in Cheshire. The social worker should be able to access the adoption file immediately and then arrange to see the adopted person.