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Board of Trustees
Adoption UK is a charitable trust, the work and management of which is overseen by a Board of Trustees. A minimum of three Trustees is required by the Trust Deed, which does not restrict the maximum number of Trustees in office at any one time. Trustees can serve for two consecutive periods of three years, before having to resign from the Board for at least one year. Trustees are not paid for carrying out their duties.
The Board of Trustees meets four times a year to review the organisation’s work and services, and to agree strategic goals for the charity. The Board also reviews its own operation, effectiveness and governance.
A Finance Committee, comprising three Trustees, has specific responsibility for the organisation’s strategic financial planning and development and for monitoring the charity’s financial situation. It meets at least quarterly, with the Director, Finance Manager and Adoption Support Services Manager in attendance.
A Human Resources Committee, comprising two Trustees, has specific responsibility for:
- Ensuring the organisation’s compliance with human resources legislation; and
- Developing, monitoring and reviewing strategy and policy in all matters relating to the recruitment, selection, reward, retention, terms and conditions of employment, motivation and training/development of Adoption UK’s staff.
An annual review of the recruitment needs of the Board of Trustees is carried out under the leadership of the Chair, including an audit of the current knowledge, experience, skills and abilities, and how they will be affected by any Trustee departures in the future.
Any Trustee vacancies are advertised nationally, including as a minimum Adoption Today magazine and Adoption UK’s Online Community. Applicants are shortlisted against the criteria in the person specification for the role of Trustee, including any specific qualities highlighted during the above audit. Shortlisted applicants are invited for interview by at least two Trustees, one of whom will be the Chair. Shortlisted applicants are only appointed where they have the necessary skills and qualities to contribute effectively to the charity’s management and development.
Trustee Profiles
Peter Seymour – Chair and Finance Committee member
How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK?
My wife and I started our adoption journey in 1996 - a journey that saw us take delivery of a sibling group of four pre-school children in December 1997 and a birth daughter in 2002. A journey that after many years of trying to progress the support we needed for our family via our local authority, eventually brought us to the services provided by Adoption UK.
Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK?
My years of adoptive parent experience (contested adoption, local authority adoption services, life story, school statements/appeals, CAHMS, etc), along with my business experience (12 years with Marks & Spencer followed by the last eight years in a business development role across parliament and government departments) provide a useful mix of practical adoption and business experience and expertise to support Adoption UK.
This adoption and business experience is particularly valuable, as it encompasses things that have worked well and things (as they say) that have worked less well.
How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years?
I would like to see Adoption UK championing some specific adoption areas on top of its broader agenda (eg, in education getting “adopted” children included in the same category as “looked after children”) as well as seeing the charity increasing its profile across both the wider population and also government, so that more people are aware of the services that it offers.
Charlie Chester – Finance Committee Chair
How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK?
I adopted a 19-month-old boy in October 2008 after a two-year process. I also have a birth daughter, aged five. I joined Adoption UK as a member in September 2006; using the Helpline and website during our adoption process, and knew people who attended the South West London Adoption UK support group. In September 2008 I became a Trustee.
Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK?
In my 20 year career with Shell International I have worked in 24 different countries and operated in senior general management, sales, marketing and strategy roles. I ran the Shell Lubricants business in India and most recently in the UK and Scandinavia. This has given me the experience of Chief Executive Officer responsibilities and accountabilities. My specific skills are in the areas of:
- Strategy and business planning.
- Marketing.
- Sales.
- Organisation and people change management.
- Knowledge management.
How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years?
If Adoption UK is to realise its vision of becoming not just an effective supporter but also an active campaigner, then it will need to grow further its organisational capacity and effectiveness. Adoption UK should not stand still, but plan to be bigger and more effective in what it does. This will require proactive support from all Trustees and a strong/empowered leadership team under the Director.
Felicity Collier OBE – Finance Committee member
How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK?
I was Chief Executive of BAAF from 1995-2006. I therefore worked alongside Adoption UK on a number of issues and wanted to continue to make a contribution to promoting the interests of adopted children and their families post retirement. I became a trustee in September 2006.
Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK?
I am committed to the importance of permanence through adoption for more children who cannot live safely with their birth families, and have a good knowledge of the obstacles in achieving this. I am familiar with adoption research findings and understand the life-long difficulties experienced by children who have suffered broken attachments, abuse (including parental drug and alcohol abuse while in the womb), and multiple placements. I have experience of managing a complex charity and a good grasp of finance, HR and fundraising.
How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years?
I would like to see Adoption UK more widely recognised as the UK-wide voice for adoptive families and therefore increasing its already positive influence on policy and practice and also on public understanding of adoption issues.
Rosemary Cook CBE – Vice Chair
How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK? Being adopted myself, I have become increasingly aware in recent years of the research evidence demonstrating the impact of early abandonment on children, and the very different needs of adopted children from birth children. This convinced me of the importance of supporting parents as they respond to these needs. I saw an advert for the Trustee position in a newspaper, and I was delighted to be successful in joining the board.
Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK?
I am a charity director, so I have some expertise in charity governance, finances and management. I also enjoy editing and proofreading documents. I have done a lot of public speaking and presentations at national and international conferences, and would be happy to use any of these skills on behalf of Adoption UK.
How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years?
Very much as I see it working now – combining practical support to parents both before and after adoption, with a strong voice influencing Government policy on adoption. It might be good to develop more links with higher education institutions involved in infant mental health/early years research, as this is key source material for both aspects of Adoption UK’s work.
Judith Evans – Wales Advisory Group member
How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK?
I become involved in Parent to Parent Information on Adoption Services (PPIAS) as Adoption UK was then, in 1986, when my husband and I adopted our two sons, half brothers, then five and two years old. We were both social workers and were therefore expected to know what we were doing; we very soon learned this was not the case! We have found the support and advice from other adoptive parents invaluable throughout our adoptive parenting lives.
We became support group coordinators and for some years held regular meetings for adoptive parents new to the process, or ‘old hands’. Gradually it became clear that we and other adoptive parents of some years standing needed a different group where we could share our concerns and worries without burdening others who were only just beginning the assessment to be adopters. We resigned from support group coordination and together formed a new support group, which continued until our children were adults.
Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK?
I was also involved in the founding of a post adoption support agency, at first called After Adoption Wales, which is now part of the UK wide organisation After Adoption. I am now semi retired from my post as a social work trainer and I am a volunteer for After Adoption, where I can use some of my social work skills with people who are seeking to find birth relatives, and a volunteer support group coordinator for Adoption UK. We have now a Development Manager for Adoption UK based in Cardiff, which is wonderful, and it feels as if new developments in terms of support and campaigning for adoptive parents will really improve in Wales.
How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years?
In the next five years, I would like to see Adoption UK build on the work done in the past 30 to 40 years. It is vital that the self-help group ethos remains the foundation of the organisation. Adoptive parents are central and must be consulted and listened to and their ideas about what is needed must be used by the employees of the organisation in their campaigning role to influence social policy.
Mary Greenwood
How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK?
I applied to become a member of the Adoption UK Board to complement my social work knowledge and practice in respect of children and their families, and to inform my more recent role as independent chair of adoption panels. Having spent over 30 years in children’s social work, both in statutory and voluntary agencies, I wished to get an informed perspective, both from adopters and adoptees, through the work of Adoption UK.
Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK?
I have more than 30 years’ experience of social work with children, young people and their families both in a statutory and voluntary setting. My chairing of adoption panels is particularly relevant to the work of Adoption UK. I can therefore bring an understanding of social work and agency practice to the Board, whilst being able to influence adoption practice from my learning of the experiences of adopters and their children from Adoption UK’s work.
How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years?
I am interested in using adopters’ experiences to inform the process of adoption at all levels, from recruitment and preparation to the challenges of parenting and to explore ways of influencing social work practice to improve the outcomes for adopted children and their parents.
Helen Oakwater – Human Resources Committee member
How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK?
I adopted a sibling group of three girls (aged five, four and two) in 1992, and attended Parent to Parent Information on Adoption Services (PPIAS) then Adoption UK support group meetings regularly. I was a support group volunteer coordinator for around a decade, also delivered training and subsequently spoke at various conferences.
During the passage of Adoption and Children Bill in 2000, I became involved in lobbying and liaising with the Government. I was a member of the Adoption and Permanence Task Force, am a graduate of the Family Futures two-year Adoption and Attachment course, and have been a member of local authority adoption panels for over eight years.
Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK?
Professionally I have an eclectic background primarily in training and personal development, and also a few years as a professional political campaigner.
I am now an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Trainer and Coach. I specifically train 'advanced communication skills', including non-verbal Intelligence. My coaching clients include adults who experienced significant childhood abuse, so I know there are tools for healing which work quickly, effectively and painlessly.
How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years?
I would like Adoption UK to have a higher media profile and more Government liaison, including being a louder voice about the impact of trauma and how difficult it is for adopters, as the children being parented are increasingly more damaged.
We should be more forceful in speaking out on key issues, especially around funding and expectations. Adopters are often subject to systemic abuse. We need to be hard-line on adopter preparation and the need for ongoing support. We should also stepping into fostering world more – there are many fostered children who would benefit from our knowledge and parenting expertise – and funding might be there. We need to increase the width and depth of the membership base, which will help the charity’s financial security. Adoption UK must maintain the ‘kitchen table approach’ to supporting individual adopters, while having a polished professional front too. We can be both.
Linda Palmer – Vice Chair and Human Resources Committee member
How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK?
A letter from a friend advising that she had adopted two boys was the catalyst for my adoption journey. I had never considered adoption before, although I had recently married and wanted to have a family. This led me to think seriously about adoption for the first time and to discuss with my husband the possibility of adopting a child.
Early on in the adoption process, our social worker advised us to join Adoption UK and BAAF. After a three-year wait to be matched with a child, our daughter was placed with us in 2002, aged eight.
Having been a member of Adoption UK since 1999 and following redundancy in 2006, I was keen to become more actively involved, so applied to be a Trustee and Buddy.
Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK?
I have wide experience and knowledge of lobbying and campaigning work through my 21-year career with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I have past experience of working for a membership organisation, identifying members’ needs and representing their interests, and have experience of parenting and meeting the needs of an older adopted child.
How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years?
I would like to see Adoption UK developing into a major campaigning organisation and promoting its policy work more effectively through a proactive press and PR strategy.
I believe we should conduct regular membership surveys to gauge members’ views on a range of issues. This will help inform our policy and campaigning activities, promote our work on behalf of adoptive families and provide key data and statistics for press releases and responses to media enquiries.
Rosie Webster – Scotland Advisory Group member
How did you become involved with adoption and Adoption UK?
My husband and I adopted two girls in 2002, aged five and two. I had secondary infertility but felt unable to face IVF treatment. Life since then has been the adoption rollercoaster of ups and downs as we have dealt with the unequal levels of support provided in different areas of the UK, and fought for recognition and understanding of the attachment issues our daughters and family faced.
I foolishly let my membership of Adoption UK lapse during our long wait for placement but rejoined in 2006 when we arrived in Scotland. Since then I have really appreciated the shared knowledge and huge support the organisation provides. I started up two local support groups through Adoption UK in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, became a member of the Scotland Advisory Group and latterly a Trustee.
Any specific skills or areas of expertise relevant to the work of Adoption UK?
In my previous life I worked as a veterinary surgeon. My career has had to take a substantial change of direction. I bring my valuable experiences as a parent of both adopted and birth children, and the challenges that we face, empathy, understanding and a desire to drive the whole process of adoption forward and upward.
How do you want to see Adoption UK develop over the next five years?
I strive for the wider recognition of the catastrophic and disabling effects of emotional and physical neglect in a child’s life.
I believe children should be protected from this much earlier in many cases and that too many chances are given for parents to turn their lives around. Adoption is a great option but adoptive parents should be prepared and educated so as to ‘hit the ground running’ with knowledge on therapeutic re-parenting.
I believe that adoptive parents and children should be supported, not only by their peers, but also by enlightened professionals with a working knowledge of the challenges facing them and their children. I hope that over the next five years Adoption UK can continue to grow and, by increased prominence, further promote the interests of our children and our families.