Part 1Adoption
Chapter 3Placement for adoption and adoption orders
Disclosure of information in relation to a person’s adoption
63Counselling
1
Regulations may require adoption agencies to give information about the availability of counselling to persons—
a
seeking information from them in pursuance of this group of sections,
b
considering objecting or consenting to the disclosure of information by the agency in pursuance of this group of sections, or
c
considering entering with the agency into an agreement prescribed for the purposes of section 57(5).
2
Regulations may require adoption agencies to make arrangements to secure the provision of counselling for persons seeking information from them in prescribed circumstances in pursuance of this group of sections.
3
The regulations may authorise adoption agencies—
a
to disclose information which is required for the purposes of such counselling to the persons providing the counselling,
b
where the person providing the counselling is outside the United Kingdom, to require a prescribed fee to be paid.
4
The regulations may require any of the following persons to provide counselling for the purposes of arrangements under subsection (2)—
a
a local authority, a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) or a Health and Social Services Board established under Article 16 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 (S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14)),
b
a registered adoption society, an organisation within section 144(3)(b) or an adoption society which is registered under Article 4 of the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 (S.I. 1987/2203 (N.I. 22)),
c
an adoption support agency in respect of which a person is registered under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000 (c. 14).
5
For the purposes of subsection (4), where the functions of a Health and Social Services Board are exercisable by a Health and Social Services Trust, the reference in sub-paragraph (a) to a Board is to be read as a reference to the Health and Social Services Trust.