Psychological support for adopted children, young people and families

We know that some adopted children and young people may need extra support to help them deal with their early experiences. Our team of clinicians are specialists in working with adopted children, young people and their families. We provide a variety of services to support adoption and Special Guardianship Order placements, including assessments of therapeutic need, therapy, therapeutic parenting support and training.

Assessments of therapeutic need

Also called ‘assessments of therapeutic need’, our assessments for adopted and SGO children help to identify what type of therapeutic support is necessary to help the child or young person. We use a range of assessment methods tailored to the individual circumstance to help understand the best way to provide support to the child and their family.

Therapy for adopted children

Our team of highly qualified clinical psychologists and associates are experienced in the unique and sometimes complex challenges and difficulties that can arise in an adoption or SGO situation. In addition to many years of experience, our clinicians are trained in a range of trauma-informed therapeutic approaches to help support adopted and SGO children.

Therapeutic parenting support

Parenting children or young people who have experienced trauma often requires a therapeutic approach, which can be at odds with more ‘typical’ ways of parenting. It can also be a stressful experience. Our therapeutic parenting support sessions are designed to help parents and carers cope with the demands of parenting adopted/SGO children and teens.

Training for adopters

We offer a range of parenting programmes for parents and carers of adopted/SGO children. From foundational training to advanced therapeutic reparenting techniques, our training for adopters and special guardians provides both theory and practical techniques to support parents’ individual situations. Our programmes are available both online and face-to-face.

Important information

‘Outstanding’ adoption support service

As a registered adoption support service, we are regularly inspected by Ofsted for our work with adoptive families and were rated ‘Outstanding’ in our 2022 inspection.

The Gateway Psychology team are specialists in working with adopted/SGO children and young people, their families and the system surrounding them. We understand that these situations can be challenging and complex, particularly when there may be a risk of family breakdown. We aim to always provide a non-judgemental, compassionate and highly qualified service to help support the child, their family and anyone else involved around them.

As well as providing a range of services to help support parents, carers, children and young people, our adoption services often extend to the professional network surrounding the child. This arch of support is essential for helping achieve positive outcomes for children and young people, which is why we provide training and consultation to schools, social workers and anyone else involved.

Who is Gateway Psychology?

Gateway Psychology is an independent psychology service for children, young people and families. We operate in the Stoke-on-Trent area, as well as the wider region. We provide specialist assessments, highly qualified therapeutic interventions, consultations and training programmes.

We offer a range of specialist child psychology services to meet individual needs. We can help with various difficulties, including emotional, behavioural, relational and developmental issues that may underlie or contribute to an overall lack of well-being.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund

The Adoption and Special Guardian Support Fund (ASGSF) was developed to provide help for adopted/SGO children and their families after the adoption/placement has taken place. It helps to pay for therapeutic support, assessments and training, helping families access the services they might need.

Many of the services we provide at Gateway Psychology are funded by the ASGSF. Please talk to your Local Authority or Regional Adoption Agency directly if you think you might be eligible for ASGSF funding, as your social worker will need to assess the level of support you might require and make an application to the Fund.

Testimonials

Our goal is to provide a high-quality, flexible and timely service that really makes a difference in the lives of the children, young people and families we work with.

“Been a god-send in helping [child] understand her past and prepare her for the future.”

“Very welcoming and caring, and they listen to what you have to say.”

“At Gateway, I felt welcomed and safe and felt I could trust to talk about anything.”

FAQs

You do not need a GP letter or special referral to access our services. Please contact us about your situation, providing as much detail as possible. We will get back to you with more information about working with us.

Please note that if you think your sessions will be funded by your Local Authority, Regional Adoption Agency or another organisation, you will likely need to speak with them first.

Therapeutic interventions and assessments may be accessible through your Local Authority or Regional Adoption Agency if you are an adoptive parent or special guardian. These are often funded under the Adoption Support and Special Guardianship Fund. You will need to speak with your post-adoption social worker to discuss this.

We are a registered Adoption Support Agency and regularly provide trauma-informed therapeutic interventions and complex psychological assessments. As such, we are inspected by Ofsted for our work with adoptive families.

Please contact us for our most up-to-date pricing structure.

We understand that it is not always possible to fund sessions yourself. Our fees reflect the many years’ experience and training our clinicians undertake to provide an expert and high-quality clinical service.

If you are an adoptive parent, special guardian or foster carer, you might be able to access our services through your Regional Adoption Agency or Local Authority. Please speak to your social worker to discuss this.

Some organisations, such as schools or charities, may help fund sessions with a clinical psychologist. It is best to speak to the organisation directly to find out if this is possible.

We occasionally work with insurance companies to provide sessions for children or young people. Please talk to your insurer to see if this would be a possibility.

We tailor our sessions to suit the specific needs of you and your child or young person. Your clinician will talk with you about the plan before we get started. Please browse our website for more detailed information about working with Gateway Psychology. You can also get in touch with us with any specific questions you might have.