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Charity merger saves adoption support services in West Midlands

Governance | Niki May Young | 31 Jan 2012

One of the largest adoption support charities in the UK has subsumed a West Midlands adoption charity in order to save its services in the area.

The West Midlands' local Adoption Support office will be retained in the merger with national charity After Adoption, as will its staff and its services, said head of marketing for After Adoption, Iain Moore.

Adoption Support's general reserves had been falling steadily since 2007 and the charity had relied upon local authorities for more than 66 per cent of its funding. In its annual accounts for the year end 31 March 2011, the charity noted that funds available were likely to diminish further and declared an intention to merge with a larger charity in order to protect the independent adoption support services within the West Midlands region. 

By that time, staffing the charity had also become a problem. While the charity's staff team remained stable, it had been forced to reduce the number of hours worked due to the reduction in funds. A number of the highly-trained and licensed staff were also close to retirement and financial uncertainty meant trustees were unsure of how replacements would be made.

Adoption Support had already identified After Adoption as a potential merger opportunity at the time of submitting its accounts in 2011 but was concerned about its pensions liability producing a blockade for the plans. Moore advised the issue of liability was settled prior to the merger.

Announcing the merger, which completed on 26 January, Julie McBride, manager of Adoption Support, who retired during the merger process, said: "This merger means that the work we started 30 years ago will continue. We have a great deal in common with After Adoption and we are pleased to entrust the future of adoption support services in the West Midlands to them." 

After Adoption is renowned for its SafeBase parenting scheme, a parenting programme that teaches parents about attachment theory, child development and the impact of trauma and loss. The scheme has demonstrated results, showing that 99 per cent of adoptive families using the service have stayed together.

SafeBase received a £1m donation in March last year from philanthropist John Timpson in a bid to extend the programme nationally. Moore advised that the merger may help assist in this aim. While the charity advised it would be looking towards further partnerships and collaborations across the sector to help expand the SafeBase programme, Moore said "there are no further plans at present" for any additional mergers. 

After Adoption has six regional offices in England and Wales and around 80 permanent staff.

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