What Adoption in Merseyside does

Adoption in Merseyside (AiM) is a Regional Adoption Agency formed in 2018 as a joint shared service among four Merseyside local authorities: Liverpool City Council, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sefton Borough Council, and Wirral Borough Council. Operating under the Adoption and Children Act 2002, it delivers statutory adoption services across the four-council footprint, including adopter recruitment, suitability assessment, family finding, placement matching, Early Permanence (Foster for Adoption) routes, and post-placement adoption support. To date the agency reports 530+ children placed in adoptive homes, with 42 children currently waiting, an average 12-month timeframe from enquiry to approval, and over 25% of 2023/2024 approved adopters drawn from the LGBTQ+ community.

The agency operates on a publicly funded, managed-services revenue model. There are no fees charged to service users (prospective adopters, adopted adults, birth families); funding flows from the four partner councils and potentially the Department for Education's Adoption Support Fund. Knowsley Council serves as the administering authority, hosting the Liquid Logic electronic case management and records system, IT infrastructure, and the Customer Liaison Team. Operational technology is modest: a third-party case management system, standard Microsoft Teams for online information sessions, and a website (adoptioninmerseyside.co.uk) serving as the primary information hub, supplemented by LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channels.

The go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: prospective adopters are reached through online information sessions, real-adopter storytelling, community outreach, and referrals from the four partner councils. The service is led by an Interim Head of Service (Kath Drescher, as of 2025), supported by a lean team of 12 staff. Strategic partners include the National Adoption Register (Linkmaker) for cross-regional family finding and voluntary adoption agencies for information sharing. As a public sector joint arrangement, the entity has no external shareholders, no venture backing, and reports to the Department for Education on performance.

Name

Adoption in Merseyside

Legal name

Adoption in Merseyside

Website

https://adoptioninmerseyside.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adoption in Merseyside is a publicly funded Regional Adoption Agency jointly serving Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, and Wirral councils, delivering statutory adoption recruitment, assessment, family finding, placement, and post-placement support to residents of Merseyside, England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adoption Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Adoption services
• Regional adoption agency
• Family finding
• Foster for adoption
• Post-adoption support

Headquarters

HQ city

Huyton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Publicly Funded Adoption Services: Adoption in Merseyside is a Regional Adoption Agency funded through partnership arrangements with four local authorities: Liverpool City Council, Wirral Borough Council, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and Sefton Borough Council. Services are provided at no direct cost to service users (prospective adopters, adopted individuals, birth families). The agency also reports to the Department for Education and may receive government funding for adoption support services including the Adoption Support Fund.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Adoption in Merseyside is a Regional Adoption Agency delivering statutory adoption services across Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, and Wirral under the Adoption and Children Act 2002. The agency recruits prospective adopters, assesses their suitability, matches them with children, places children for adoption, and provides ongoing adoption support including therapeutic services and letterbox contact coordination. It also operates Early Permanence (Foster for Adoption) routes enabling faster placements of babies and young children.

Product overview

Adoption in Merseyside (AiM) is a Regional Adoption Agency providing a unified service for the local authorities of Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, and Wirral. The core offering is a comprehensive adoption service encompassing adoption recruitment, assessment and approval of prospective adopters, family finding for children with an adoption plan, placement matching, and ongoing adoption support. Key service components include Early Permanence (Foster for Adoption/FFA) for faster placement of babies and young children, adoption support services for families and birth relatives, and information sessions for those considering adoption. The service is delivered through their website and internal Liquid Logic records management system, coordinating with adoption registers such as Linkmaker and the National Adoption Register. They serve children requiring adoption, prospective adopters, adopted adults, and birth families within the Merseyside region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adoption Services Comprehensive adoption services covering the full journey from initial enquiry through assessment, approval, matching, placement, and post-adoption support for prospective adopters across Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, and Wirral.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 12 months from enquiry to approval as an adopter
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Knowsley CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowsley Council is a core partner local authority in the Regional Adoption Agency. It hosts the shared service and provides IT infrastructure (Liquid Logic system) and the Customer Liaison Team for handling complaints and data protection enquiries. The council controls adoption data for residents in its area.
• Liverpool City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiverpool City Council is a core partner local authority in the Regional Adoption Agency. Contributes to adoption recruitment, family finding, and adoption support services for the Liverpool area.
• Sefton Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSefton Borough Council is a core partner local authority in the Regional Adoption Agency. Contributes to adoption recruitment, family finding, and adoption support services for the Sefton area.
• Wirral Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWirral Borough Council is a core partner local authority in the Regional Adoption Agency. Contributes to adoption recruitment, family finding, and adoption support services for the Wirral area.
• Voluntary Adoption AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformation sharing and coordination with voluntary adoption agencies for adoption services, family finding, and support services.
• National Adoption Register (Linkmaker)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdoption register used for family finding to help match children with suitable adoptive families across agencies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• After Adoption: UK voluntary adoption agency providing adoption support, intermediary services for adopted adults, and birth-family contact arrangements. Comparable post-placement support and intermediary functions offered by Adoption in Merseyside.
• Adopt North East: Regional Adoption Agency serving local authorities across North East England. Same statutory RAA model, with comparable services in adopter recruitment, assessment, family finding, and adoption support.
• Adopt London: Regional Adoption Agency coordinating adoption services across London boroughs. Equivalent RAA structure and statutory mandate under the Adoption and Children Act 2002, with similar pooled-council operating model.
• Adoption West: A Regional Adoption Agency covering 13 local authorities across Western England. Directly comparable as a UK RAA delivering statutory adoption recruitment, assessment, family finding, and post-adoption support under the same national framework.
• Adopt South: Regional Adoption Agency covering local authorities in Southern England. Directly comparable RAA delivering statutory adoption services with a shared-service governance structure across multiple councils.

Regional players

• Family Adoption Links Wales: Welsh adoption support and intermediary service for adopted adults and birth families. Comparable intermediary and adoption support service, but operates under devolved Welsh government legislation and serves a different territory.

Broad incumbents

• Adoption UK: National membership charity supporting adoptive families and influencing adoption policy. Provides peer-support and resources comparable to AiM's family-facing services, but operates nationally without a regional statutory mandate.
• Barnardo's Adoption Service: One of the UK's largest voluntary adoption agencies operating nationally as part of a broader children's services charity. Comparable adoption recruitment, assessment, and support services, with significantly wider geographic reach.
• Coram (Coram's Fields / Coram Adoption): Long-established children's charity offering voluntary adoption services alongside broader children's welfare programs. Comparable statutory and non-statutory adoption support work, with a national remit and historical brand strength.

Emerging players

• PAC-UK (Post Adoption Centre): Specialist charity offering post-adoption support, counselling, and intermediary services for adopted adults, adoptive families, and birth relatives. Comparable post-placement therapeutic and letterbox contact support offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@adoptioninmerseyside
• Facebookfacebook.com/adoptmerseyside
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adoptioninmerseyside
• Instagraminstagram.com/adoptioninmerseyside

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Adoption in Merseyside