About us
Adopt North East was established in December 2018 in response to the legal requirement that local authorities regionalise their adoption services.
It is a partnership of five Local Authorities and provides adoption services on their behalf:
Gateshead Council
Newcastle City Council
Northumberland County Council
North Tyneside Council
South Tyneside
Whilst based in the North East of England, Adopt North East welcomes interest from prospective adopters from all over the country and also supports children throughout the country.
In joining their adoption services together and forming a Regional Adoption Agency, the vision and ambition of the five partner Local Authorities is for Adopt North East to achieve ‘excellent adoption services that transform children’s and families lives for the better’.
Annual reports
Objectives
To recruit the right forever families for children needing adoption
To deliver a positive experience for those wanting to adopt
To provide effective help and care to adopters, those adopted and those affected by adoption
To develop a passionate, skilled group of specialist staff, committed to best practice
To meet the needs and ambitions of our partner Local Authorities
Values
The values of Adopt North East are a set of beliefs that have been written down in statement form to guide the attitudes and actions of the Agency. These statements of intent inform the way in which the Agency does all that it does and enables the Agency to hold itself and be held to account.
Everyone:
Will be treated with respect and not experience discrimination or disadvantage because of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other unjustifiable reason.
Children:
Will always be at the centre of the work of Adopt North East
Will be listened to and have their wishes and feelings taken into account
Will have their welfare, safety and needs given absolute priority
Will be adopted as quickly as possible without unnecessary delay
Will not be separated from their siblings unless it is in their best interests to do so
Adopters:
Will be valued, listened to and respected and treated with dignity throughout their adoption journey
Will be assessed without delay
Will be provided with help, care and support which meets their needs
Will have decisions about them made with care, transparency and which are fair, evidence-based, reasonable and proportionate
Will have records written about them which are clear, timely and easy to understand
Birth Families and Relatives:
Will be valued, listened to and respected and treated with compassion
Will be provided with help, care and support which meets their needs
Our Staff:
Will be ambitious for children
Will work to the highest professional standards
Will ensure that information is recorded, stored and used in compliance with information governance best practice
Will be supported to develop their passion and expertise in adoption work
Will be encouraged to be innovative and creative in the interests of children
Will be provided with high quality, regular, reflective and directive Supervision
Our Partner Local Authorities:
Will provide effective oversight, challenge and scrutiny regarding the operation, performance and financial management of the Agency
Will be committed to actively supporting the Agency to meet the aims and objectives of the partnership for children and families
Our team
Nik Flavell
Head of Service
Nik joined us in July 2020 as our Head of Service. Having qualified as a Social Worker in 2002, he has worked in Local Authority Children’s Social Care in a number of senior roles. He’s a member of the Adoption England governance board too. He’s married and has two adult daughters. He’s the proud uncle of three amazing, adopted children too.
In his spare time, you’ll find Nik spending time outdoors, watching films or curled up with a good book in front of the fire.
Sarah Bulman
Business Support Manager
Sarah joined our team in November 2021 bringing with her over 17 years of experience in working with children and young people. She worked in a high school supporting children with additional needs before moving to a local authority in Fostering and Early Help. She’s a passionate believer that every child has the right to group up in a secure, loving environment and that’s her main motivator. She provides empathetic support and guidance to all of our service users including adopters and first families.
Sarah is a proud mum to two boys and her dog who she loves taking for walks. In her spare time she enjoys going to Speedway, football and spending time with her family. She’s a first responder too covering events and working frontline.
Heather Martin
Advanced Social Work Practitioner, Recruitment
Heather joined us in December 2018 and has been working in adoption for 18 years. She describes herself as something of an ‘adoption geek’ as she could talk adoption all day long. She’s passionate about preparing grown-ups to meet the needs of children and believes this can be done from the first contact we have with people interest in adoption. She’s open about the challenges and the support they can access to ensure they’re parenting the child they have rather than the child they expected.
When she’s not working, she’s parent to two teenagers. She loves to be outdoors, particularly at the seaside.
Maddy joined us in December 2018. She started her Social Work career 25 years ago and has worked in adoption for 22 years now. She’s experienced as a Panel Advisor and in adopter recruitment and assessment. She’s part of the Adoption England national matching group and uses this work to inform practice here at Adopt North East.
Maddy is married and has both birth and adopted children. She enjoys family activities and is a proud member of her local choir.
Maddy Reed
Team Manger, Family Finding
Clair joined us in May 2019 after spending 16 years working with vulnerable groups. She took the jump to return to full time study in Social Work back in 2016 and knew straight away that adoption was where she wanted to work. She’s worked in all areas off the service, offering her insight into the lived experience of our service users, our children, prospective adopters and adoptive families.
She’s an aunt to three adorable nieces and nephews and in her spare time she likes to keep fit and get lost in her Kindle.
Clair Lormor
Team Manger, Post Adoption Support Front Door Team
Helen joined us from our formation in December 2018. She qualified as a Social Worker in 2019 and worked in Children’s Safeguarding before moving into adoption in 2015. She’s been an advanced practitioner since 2023.
Helen Tate
Advanced Practitioner, Family Finding
Anna joined us in March 2021 after spending eleven years as a Social Worker. She became an Advanced Practitioner before becoming a Team Manager and has a personal interest in therapeutic interventions. She’s trained in several of these.
Anna is married and is a mother to an amazing son. She enjoys running, eating cake and listening to podcasts.
Anna Cavanagh
Team Manager, Post Adoption Support Team
Jennifer joined us in 2020 after working in Safeguarding, Children in Care, Fostering and Adoption Teams. She’s been a Social Worker since 2008 and has a keen interest in adoption. She’s passionate about achieving permanency for children too.
She’s married and a mother to three young boys. She enjoys spending time with her family, particularly being outdoors at the beautiful North East coastline and she likes running.
Jennifer Hamilton
Team Manager, Recruitment, Assessment and Support Team
Jade joined us in April 2019 after spending three years working as a Social Worker in Children’s Safeguarding. She’s always been interested in adoption, particularly the importance of therapeutic parenting, sibling relationships, and life story work.
Outside of work Jade enjoys travelling, reading, and exploring new places to eat.
Jade Stephens
Team Manager, Recruitment, Assessment and Support Team
Hannah joined us in October 2022 and has since become an Advanced Practitioner. Before working with us, Hannah spent five years working as a Social Worker in a Children’s Safeguarding team.
Hannah Ellison
Advanced Practitioner. Assessment
Barbara joined us in December 2018 bringing with her 16 years of experience in Children’s Services including Fostering, Adoption and Safeguarding. She’s passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children and has a keen interest in Therapeutic Life Story Work.
She’s a mother of three wonderful adult children and has three grandchildren which keep her busy. Barbara liked to keep fit too by going to the gym and running and practices meditation for her health and well-being.
Barbara Hodgson
Team Manager and Agency Advisor to Adoption Panel
Dave joined us in June 2021. He qualified as a Social Worker in 2002 and worked in Children’s Safeguarding and Youth Offending before moving into adoption. It’s an area of social work he’s always had an interest in and before joining us, Dave was an Adoption Panel member for three and a half years.
When’s he not working, he enjoys going for trips in his campervan with his wife and two dogs.
Dave Tefler
Advanced Practitioner, Training
Statement of Purpose
The Agency is required by law to maintain an up-to-date Statement of Purpose. The Statement of Purpose explains in writing what the aims and objectives of the Agency are and provides a description of the services it provides. It is written so that children, young people, families and professionals can use it as a guide to what they can and should expect from Adopt North East. It is reviewed and endorsed on an annual basis.
A copy is available by the Agency upon request.
It is also available at: Adopt North East Statement of Purpose 2024
Services
Adopt North East has responsibility for recruiting, assessing and supporting prospective adopters, for non-agency adoption work including partner adoptions and inter-country adoptions.
Adopt North East has primary responsibility for family finding for all children with a plan of adoption, but the five partner Local Authorities retain overall responsibility for children in their care.
Adopt North East provides support to all parties affected by adoption, including adopters, adoptive families, adopted children, adopted adults and birth relatives, through the provision of Post Adoption Support and Post Box arrangements.
Adopt North East is based in modern office accommodation situated to the east of Newcastle City Centre. The offices include team rooms, interview rooms, meeting rooms, a training room, a therapy space and a room which is able to accommodate Adoption Panel. The offices have access to car parking and are a 10-minute walk from the Four Lane Ends public transport interchange, which includes a Metro station, bus station and car parking.
Partners
We provide adoption services on behalf of the following councils:
