What search and mediation services does Birthlink offer?

Updated

Birthlink offers two connected services for people affected by adoption with a Scottish connection: a volunteer-led search to trace a birth relative, and mediation that lets the people involved exchange letters and photographs until they feel ready to proceed. Both are aimed at adopted people, birth parents and relatives, and the entry point for either is the After Adoption Information Line on 0131 225 6441, open Monday to Friday, 9am–4pm.

Who the services are for

Birthlink's stated aim is to enhance the well-being and promote the welfare of all people affected by adoption with a Scottish connection. In practice, that covers three groups:

  • Adopted people looking for someone, some information, or just someone to talk to.
  • Birth parents and relatives trying to trace a family member or understand what happened.
  • Professionals connected to adoption who need information or advice.

If your adoption link is to Scotland — as a child, parent or relative — these services are designed for you.

The search service

Birthlink describes its search service as using experienced volunteers to conduct a search to trace a birth relative on your behalf.

The practical sequence is:

  1. Make contact through the After Adoption Information Line and explain what you are looking for.
  2. Establish the records you hold or need. Birthlink can help you sort out which records relate to your adoption and which ones are which — many types of records exist, and part of the work is working out what each one contains.
  3. The search is carried out by volunteers on your behalf.
  4. You are contacted with the outcome and can then decide whether to take things further.

One point worth knowing before you call: Birthlink's website notes that post-adoption work is being processed after a temporary pause, with outstanding communication and Adoption Contact Register requests being worked through. If you have already been in touch and haven't had a reply, the guidance is that there is no need to contact them again — you will be contacted once your request is processed. Monthly updates are posted on the website. If your personal details have changed since you first made contact, or you no longer wish to use the service, tell them so your records can be updated.

The mediation service

Mediation is the step that follows a search, or that can be used when contact details are already known. Birthlink describes it as facilitating an exchange of letters and photographs until the people involved feel ready to proceed.

The mechanism matters more than the label. Rather than putting two people in direct contact straight away, mediation creates a controlled channel:

  • Letters and photographs pass through Birthlink.
  • Each side can take the pace that suits them.
  • Direct contact happens only when both feel ready.

For example, a birth parent who has been traced may want to acknowledge the adopted person's existence but not yet share identifying details. Mediation allows an exchange to begin on that footing, with the option to move further later. The same applies in reverse — an adopted person may prefer to test the water before a phone call or meeting.

Other routes Birthlink points to

Search and mediation sit alongside several related services on the site, and knowing about them helps you ask for the right thing:

Service What it covers
National Records of Scotland Locating your original birth extract, adoption certificate and court process papers
Accessing records Help working out which records relate to your adoption and what each contains
Care Connect Adults who have been in care finding information about their past or tracing estranged family members, in partnership with Future Pathways
Redress services Listed as unaffected by the post-adoption pause

If your goal is a document — an original birth extract, for instance — the National Records of Scotland route is the relevant one. If your goal is a person, search and mediation are the relevant ones.

How to make initial contact

Call the After Adoption Information Line on 0131 225 6441, Monday to Friday, 9am–4pm. The line is for everyone connected to adoption: the adopted person, birth relative or professional.

Before you call, it helps to have ready:

  • Your date of birth and, if relevant, the adopted person's date of birth.
  • What you already know about the adoption and where it took place in Scotland.
  • Which records or certificates you already hold.
  • What outcome you are hoping for — information, contact, or an exchange through mediation.

Expect the call to be a starting point rather than an instant answer. The site acknowledges that reaching out can bring up many emotions, and the search and mediation work is paced accordingly.

Common sticking points

  • Assuming silence means a closed door. The current processing backlog means a delayed reply is not a refusal. The site explicitly asks people not to re-contact while a request is in progress.
  • Confusing records help with tracing. Locating an original birth extract through the National Records of Scotland is a records task; tracing a person is the volunteer search service. Ask for the one that matches your goal.
  • Rushing to direct contact. Mediation exists precisely so that letters and photographs can be exchanged first. Using it does not commit either party to more.
  • Outdated contact details. If your details have changed since you first got in touch, say so — otherwise the response may not reach you.