Historic forced adoption - scoping study: final report
Research to scope the support needs of people affected by historic forced adoption in Scotland.
Appendix 2: Research tools
We have included our interview topic guides here.
Discussion guide – stakeholders
Background
1. Can you tell me a bit about your role and organisation?
2. What is your understanding of historical adoption, and what involvement/interest do you have in relation to it?
The needs of people affected by historical adoption
3. What do you understand to be the support needs of those affected by historical adoption?
a. How do they differ across parents, adoptees and other family members affected by historical adoption?
b. Which of those represents the most significant area of unmet need currently?
i. Why do you say that?
Services and support currently available
4. What support and services does your organisation provide?
a. Which of these do you feel are suitable and relevant to the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
i. Why do you say that?
b. What experience do you/your organisation have in supporting people affected by historical adoption?
i. What needs do they commonly present with?
ii. What services and support do they tend to access/receive?
c. What has been the key learning from working with people affected by historical adoption?
5. What post-adoption services and support are you aware of for people affected by historical adoption? (exploring)
a. Who provides
b. Where it is available
c. Accessibility and availability
d. Type of support
e. Needs it meets
f. Are there areas that are better served than others?
i. Are you aware of any areas where there is no support available at all?
6. What are the challenges in meeting the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
a. How can those challenges be overcome?
7. What are your perceptions of the suitability and effectiveness of available post-adoption support services in meeting the needs of people affected by historical adoption? (exploring weaknesses, strengths, limitations and benefits)
8. What wider services and support are available that can meet the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
a. Who provides
b. Where it is available
c. Accessibility and availability
d. Type of support
e. Needs it meets
f. Are there areas that are better served than others?
i. Are you aware of any areas where there is no support available at all?
9. What are your perceptions of the suitability and effectiveness of wider services and support in meeting the needs of people affected by historical adoption? (exploring weaknesses, strengths, limitations and benefits)
10. What is your perception of the challenges and barriers that people affected by historical adoption face in finding and accessing the services and support they require to meet their needs?
GP and Mental Health services (if not covered in responses above)
11. What services can people affected by historical adoption access through their GP or mental health professionals?
a. How suitable and appropriate are these in terms of the needs of those affected by historical adoption
b. What is your perceptions of how effective they are in meeting the needs of those affected by historical adoption?
c. Where are the most significant gaps in service?
12. What guidance, training and professional development materials and/or opportunities are available to GPs and Mental Health Professionals to equip them to meet the support needs of people affected by historical adoption?
a. How effective are they in equipping GPs and mental health professionals?
i. Why do you say that?
b. What gaps or weaknesses exist in relation to guidance, training and professional development opportunities?
c. How can those gaps best be addressed?
13. Are you aware of any best practice examples in relation to services and support provided by GPs or mental health professional in meeting the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
Future service provision
14. What could be done to enhance the current provision of services and support that are available to meet the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
15. What new or additional services and support is required to meet the needs of people affected by historical adoption? (exploring)
a. How does this differ across parents and adoptees?
b. Types of support
c. Availability and accessibility
d. Locations
e. Providers
16. How can that best be provided? (what models – eg national service, local provision, hub and spoke, single point of access, virtual/in-person etc)
Other comments
17. Do you have any other comments you’d like to make?
Discussion guide – parents and families
Background
1. Can you tell me a bit a little bit about yourself and why you wanted to take part in the study?
Would you be happy to share some information about your circumstances in relation to historical adoption – it is to ensure that we understand if and how needs and experiences of support differ across different people. We would be asking you to confirm:
- Whether you: had a child who was adopted; or had another family member (eg a sibling) who was adopted
- The decade the adoption took place
- Whether contact has been established between parent and adoptee
- Local authority area where you live now
Confirm responses to the above if participant is happy to share.
Services and support currently available and experience of accessing and using
I’d now like to discuss your awareness and experience of services and support available to help people affected by historical adoption.
Help to find adopted child/family member
2. Have you accessed any services or support to help you find your child/family member?
a. If yes, what has your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What services and support have you accessed and received?
i. When?
ii. Why did you want to access this service? How did you hope it would help?
iii. What support did they provide?
iv. What difference did it make?
v. To what extent did it help with everything you wanted it to?
3. Have there been any other services that you’ve tried to access to help find your child/family member but have been unable to?
a. Why was this?
4. What other services are you aware of that are currently available that could help parents/family members to find their adopted child/family member? (exploring)
a. Who provides the service/support?
b. Type of support offered
c. Where and how is it accessed?
d. Which of these do you feel are suitable and relevant to the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
i. Why do you say that?
Help to make contact with adopted child/family member
5. Have you accessed any services or support to help you make contact with your child/family member?
a. If yes, what has your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What services and support have you accessed and received?
i. When?
ii. Why did you want to access this service? How did you hope it would help?
iii. What support did they provide?
iv. What difference did it make?
v. To what extent did it help with everything you wanted it to?
6. Have there been any other services that you’ve tried to access to help make contact with your child/family member but have been unable to?
a. Why was this?
7. What other services are you aware of that are currently available that could help parents/family members to make contact with their adopted child/family member? (exploring)
a. Who provides the service/support?
b. Type of support offered
c. Where and how is it accessed?
d. Which of these do you feel are suitable and relevant to the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
i. Why do you say that?
Help to access records related to the adoption
8. Have you accessed any services or support to help you access records related to the adoption?
a. If yes, what has your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What services and support have you accessed and received?
i. When?
ii. Why did you want to access this service? How did you hope it would help?
iii. What support did they provide?
iv. What difference did it make?
v. To what extent did it help with everything you wanted it to?
9. Have there been any other services that you’ve tried to access to help access records but have been unable to?
a. Why was this?
10. What other services are you aware of that are currently available that could help parents/family members to access records about the adoption? (exploring)
a. Who provides the service/support?
b. Type of support offered
c. Where and how is it accessed?
d. Which of these do you feel are suitable and relevant to the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
i. Why do you say that?
Counselling/mental health support to deal with the psychological or emotional impact of the adoption
11. Have you accessed any services or support to help you deal with the psychological or emotional impact of the adoption? This might include peer support and mental health services accessed through your GP or other organisations such as counselling, psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy.
a. If yes, what has your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What services and support have you accessed and received?
i. When?
ii. Why did you want to access this service? How did you hope it would help?
iii. What support did they provide?
iv. What difference did it make?
v. To what extent did it help with everything you wanted it to?
12. Have there been any other services that you’ve tried to access to help deal with the psychological or emotional impact of the adoption?
a. Why was this?
13. What other services are you aware of that are currently available that could help parents/family members to deal with the psychological or emotional impact of the adoption? (exploring)
a. Who provides the service/support?
b. Type of support offered
c. Where and how is it accessed?
d. Which of these do you feel are suitable and relevant to the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
i. Why do you say that?
[If not covered above] GP and Mental Health services
If we could now discuss any experiences you have of accessing your GP or local mental health team for support to meet your needs, and explore your perceptions of how suitable and effective the support they provide is.
14. Have you accessed your GP or local mental health team for support?
a. If yes, what has been your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What support were you hoping they could provide?
i. How did you hope this would help?
d. What support was actually provided?
i. How did it help? What difference did it make?
15. In your view, how effective and useful are the services and support provided by GPs and mental health professionals for people affected by historical adoption? (exploring weaknesses, strengths, limitations and benefits)
Thinking about the services we have discussed:
16. In your view, how effective and useful are the services and support available to help people affected by historical adoption? (exploring weaknesses, strengths, limitations and benefits)
a. What works well?
b. What works less well?
c. What could be improved?
17. [If not covered above] What have been the main challenges and barriers you have faced in finding help with your experience of historical adoption?
Future support provision
We’d like to hear your views about any additional services or improvements that are needed to support people affected by historical adoption.
18. Are there any issues related to historical adoption that you would like support with but have not been able to access so far?
a. If yes, what kind of things do you need support with?
b. Why have you not been able to access this support so far?
c. Which of those has the greatest impact on you and your overall quality of life?
d. How would you like to access this support?
i. Type of support required (eg counselling, coaching, cognitive behavioural therapy, peer support, befriending, financial, help to find a child/parent)
ii. Availability, accessibility and format (eg virtual/in-person, one-to-one etc)
iii. Locations (eg national service, local provision etc)
iv. Providers
v. Any specific skills, experience, knowledge, practice that support providers need to be equipped with
19. Do you have any other comments on how best to support people affected by historical adoption?
20. [If not covered above] What do you feel the challenges are in meeting the support needs of people affected by historical adoption?
a. How can these challenges best be overcome?
Other comments
21. Do you have any other comments you’d like to make?
Discussion guide – adoptees
Background
1. Can you tell me a bit a little bit about yourself and why you wanted to take part in the study? (Gently probe re circumstances of adoption – can you tell me anything about the circumstances around the adoption?)
Would you be happy to share some information about your circumstances in relation to historical adoption – it is to ensure that we understand if and how needs and experiences of support differ across different people. We would be asking you to confirm:
- The decade the adoption took place
- Whether contact has been established between parent and adoptee
- Local authority area where you live now
Confirm responses to the above if participant is happy to share.
Services and support currently available and experience of accessing and using
I’d now like to discuss your awareness and experience of services and support available to help people affected by historical adoption.
Help to find parents/family
2. Have you accessed any services or support to help you find your parents/family?
a. If yes, what has your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What services and support have you accessed and received?
i. When?
ii. Why did you want to access this service? How did you hope it would help?
iii. What support did they provide?
iv. What difference did it make?
v. To what extent did it help with everything you wanted it to?
3. Have there been any other services that you’ve tried to access to help find your parents/family but have been unable to?
a. Why was this?
4. What other services are you aware of that are currently available that could help adopted people to find their parents or family? (exploring)
a. Who provides the service/support?
b. Type of support offered
c. Where and how is it accessed?
d. Which of these do you feel are suitable and relevant to the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
i. Why do you say that?
Help to make contact with parents or family
5. Have you accessed any services or support to help you make contact with your parents or family?
a. If yes, what has your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What services and support have you accessed and received?
i. When?
ii. Why did you want to access this service? How did you hope it would help?
iii. What support did they provide?
iv. What difference did it make?
v. To what extent did it help with everything you wanted it to?
6. Have there been any other services that you’ve tried to access to help make contact with your parents or family but have been unable to?
a. Why was this?
7. What other services are you aware of that are currently available that could help adoptees to make contact with their parents or family? (exploring)
a. Who provides the service/support?
b. Type of support offered
c. Where and how is it accessed?
d. Which of these do you feel are suitable and relevant to the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
i. Why do you say that?
Help to access records related to the adoption
8. Have you accessed any services or support to help you access records (eg court papers) related to the adoption?
a. If yes, what has your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What services and support have you accessed and received?
i. When?
ii. Why did you want to access this service? How did you hope it would help?
iii. What support did they provide?
iv. What difference did it make?
v. To what extent did it help with everything you wanted it to?
9. Have there been any other services that you’ve tried to access to help access records but have been unable to?
a. Why was this?
10. What other services are you aware of that are currently available that could help people affected by historical adoption to access records about the adoption? (exploring)
a. Who provides the service/support?
b. Type of support offered
c. Where and how is it accessed?
d. Which of these do you feel are suitable and relevant to the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
i. Why do you say that?
Counselling/mental health support to deal with the psychological or emotional impact of the adoption
11. Have you accessed any services or support to help you deal with the psychological or emotional impact of the adoption? This might include peer support and mental health services accessed through your GP or other organisations such as counselling, psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy.
a. If yes, what has your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What services and support have you accessed and received?
i. When?
ii. Why did you want to access this service? How did you hope it would help?
iii. What support did they provide?
iv. What difference did it make?
v. To what extent did it help with everything you wanted it to?
12. Have there been any other services that you’ve tried to access to help deal with the psychological or emotional impact of the adoption?
a. Why was this?
13. What other services are you aware of that are currently available that could help people affected by historical adoption deal with the psychological or emotional impact of the adoption? (exploring)
a. Who provides the service/support?
b. Type of support offered
c. Where and how is it accessed?
d. Which of these do you feel are suitable and relevant to the needs of people affected by historical adoption?
i. Why do you say that?
[If not covered above] GP and Mental Health services
If we could now discuss any experiences you have of accessing your GP or local mental health team for support to meet your needs, and explore your perceptions of how suitable and effective the support they provide is.
14. Have you accessed your GP or local mental health team for support?
a. If yes, what has been your experience of this been?
b. If no, why is that?
c. What support were you hoping they could provide?
i. How did you hope this would help?
d. What support was actually provided?
i. How did it help? What difference did it make?
15. In your view, how effective and useful are the services and support provided by GPs and mental health professionals for people affected by historical adoption? (exploring weaknesses, strengths, limitations and benefits)
Thinking about the services we have discussed:
16. In your view, how effective and useful are the services and support available to help people affected by historical adoption? (exploring weaknesses, strengths, limitations and benefits)
a. What works well?
b. What works less well?
c. What could be improved?
17. [If not covered above] What have been the main challenges and barriers you have faced in finding help with your experience of historical adoption? (eg lack of availability, difficulties in accessing services)
Future support provision
We’d like to hear your views about any additional services or improvements that are needed to support people affected by historical adoption.
18. Are there any issues related to historical adoption that you would like support with but have not been able to access so far?
a. If yes, what kind of things do you need support with?
b. Why have you not been able to access this support so far?
c. Which of those has the greatest impact on you and your overall quality of life?
d. How would you like to access this support?
i. Type of support required (eg counselling, coaching, cognitive behavioural therapy, peer support, befriending, financial, help to find a child/parent)
ii. Availability, accessibility and format (eg virtual/in-person, one-to-one etc)
iii. Locations (eg national service, local provision etc)
iv. Providers
v. Any specific skills, experience, knowledge, practice that support providers need to be equipped with
19. Do you have any other comments on how best to support people affected by historical adoption?
20. [If not covered above] What do you feel the challenges are in meeting the support needs of people affected by historical adoption?
a. How can these challenges best be overcome?
Other comments
21. Do you have any other comments you’d like to make?
Contact
Email: Joanna.Harrold@gov.scot
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