Adoption Tees Valley

What Adoption Tees Valley does

Adoption Tees Valley (ATV) is a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) operating in the Tees Valley area of North East England. It was established in 2018 to consolidate the adoption functions of five local authorities under a single operating model, and it is run by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, which acts as parent entity and registered data controller. The agency recruits, assesses, and supports prospective adoptive families; delivers Early Permanence (foster-to-adopt) placements; and provides a three-tier post-adoption support system spanning peer groups, themed training, and therapeutic interventions, supplemented by a dedicated Education Support Worker and Pupil Premium Plus guidance.

The service is delivered through standard web-based digital channels rather than proprietary technology: an information-led website, online enquiry and call-back forms, downloadable information packs, monthly virtual and in-person information evenings, social media, and YouTube video storytelling. No APIs, mobile apps, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Adoption services are free to families at the point of use; revenue flows from public-sector commissioning by the five Tees Valley authorities and from grant-funded pilots such as the Department for Education-backed North East Secure Start Package, which provides £10,000 one-off grants to eligible adopters. Early Permanence foster carer fees start from £159 per week.

ATV operates a 9-person team and has cumulatively placed 500 children with families since launch. It holds the Early Permanence Quality Mark (2023) and was named the No.1 RAA nationally for matching times (January 2026) and top agency for customer service in the North East (May 2025). Customer-facing segments include prospective adopters, Early Permanence foster carers, adopted young people, birth families, and schools, with the underlying paying customer being the small, fixed set of five commissioning local authorities.

Name

Adoption Tees Valley

Legal name

Adoption Tees Valley

Website

https://adoptionteesvalley.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Adoption Tees Valley is a Regional Adoption Agency run by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, delivering recruitment, assessment, matching, and post-adoption support across North East England on behalf of five commissioning local authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional 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)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Regional adoption agency
• Post-adoption support
• Early permanence placement
• Adoption assessment services
• Public sector adoption

Headquarters

HQ city

Tees Valley

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. Public Sector Commissioning: Adoption Tees Valley operates as a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) commissioned by five local authorities in the Tees Valley area to provide adoption services. As a public sector entity under Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, the organization is funded through public expenditure rather than direct client fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Adoption Tees Valley is a Regional Adoption Agency delivering statutory adoption services across the five Tees Valley local authorities. Its core offer covers the full adoption pathway, including recruitment, assessment and approval of prospective adopters, family-finding and matching, placement support, an Early Permanence service, tiered Post Adoption Support (Universal, Targeted and Specialist), Educational Support for adopted children, and ongoing support for adopted young people and birth families.

Product overview

Adoption Tees Valley is a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) operated by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, bringing together five local authorities in the Tees Valley area of North East England. The organization offers a comprehensive adoption service portfolio including core adoption recruitment and assessment, Early Permanence (foster-to-adopt) services, and extensive Post Adoption Support organized through a 3-tier system (support groups and resources at Tier 1, themed training at Tier 2, and therapeutic interventions at Tier 3). Additional services include Educational Support with a dedicated Education Support Worker, the Adopter Hub (CATCH) online platform provided in partnership with PACT, Preparation Groups for prospective adopters, and a Young People's Service with monthly social groups. The organization also participates in the North East Secure Start Package pilot providing £10,000 financial grants to eligible families. The service is not a technology platform but a government-funded social services organization delivering adoption support through human services professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adoption Services (assessment, matching and placement)

Quantifiable outcome

• No.1 Regional Adoption Agency for matching times nationally (January 2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PACT (Parents and Children Together)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll Adoption Tees Valley families or families who have adopted in the region can access CATCH (a service provided by PACT) for a year. PACT provides The Adopter Hub - a platform with one-to-one live webchat with Adopter Peer Supporters, an Introduction to Attachment 12 module eLearning course, webinars, and resources.
• Adopt Coast to CoastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional adoption agency partner in the North East Secure Start Package pilot project, working together with Adoption Tees Valley, Adopt North East, and ARC Adoption North East to provide financial support to eligible families.
• Adopt North EastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional adoption agency partner in the North East Secure Start Package pilot project, working together with Adoption Tees Valley, Adopt Coast to Coast, and ARC Adoption North East to provide financial support to eligible families.
• ARC Adoption North EastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoluntary adoption agency partner in the North East Secure Start Package pilot project, working together with Adoption Tees Valley, Adopt Coast to Coast, and Adopt North East to provide financial support to eligible families.
• Department for EducationcoreOthersFunder of the North East Secure Start Package pilot project. The pilot is a pilot project funded by the Department for Education and supported by Adoption England, working with regional agencies.
• Adoption EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational adoption organization supporting the North East Secure Start Package pilot project, working with regional agencies including Adoption Tees Valley.
• Institute of Public CareminorOthersConducts learning and evaluation from the North East Secure Start Package project, with findings to inform future adoption support nationally.
• Local Authorities (Tees Valley)coreOthersAdoption Tees Valley is commissioned by five local authorities in the Tees Valley area to provide adoption services. The organization brings together the expertise of these five local authorities.
• Stockton-on-Tees Borough CouncilcoreOthersStockton-on-Tees Borough Council is the parent organization that runs the Adoption Tees Valley website and serves as the registered data controller. They manage the digital services and data governance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Adopt North East: A Regional Adoption Agency covering the northern part of North East England. Direct peer of ATV - both are publicly commissioned RAAs delivering core adoption recruitment, family finding, and post-adoption support, and they co-deliver the North East Secure Start Package pilot.
• Adopt Coast to Coast: Another Regional Adoption Agency in the North East, co-delivering the Secure Start Package with ATV. Direct peer operating the same RAA model under the same national Adoption England framework, with overlapping territorial reach and a comparable service portfolio.
• ARC Adoption North East: A voluntary adoption agency operating across the North East of England, also delivering the Secure Start Package pilot alongside ATV. Direct peer - both share the same end-customers (prospective adopters and looked-after children) and the same commissioning and policy environment.
• PACT (Parents and Children Together): A UK voluntary adoption agency and charity that provides The Adopter Hub and CATCH service used by ATV families. Direct peer in adoption and post-adoption support delivery, with broader national reach compared to ATV's regional scope.

Regional players

• Adopt London South West: A Regional Adoption Agency covering boroughs in South West London under a consortium model similar to ATV. Regional peer - comparable RAA operating model, multi-borough local authority consortium, and equivalent service portfolio, but serving London rather than North East England.

Broad incumbents

• Barnardo's Adoption Service: One of the UK's largest children's charities running adoption services and post-adoption support through regional hubs. Broad incumbent - operates widely across England with overlapping post-adoption support functionality but at national scale rather than a single regional mandate.
• Coram (Coram Children's Charity): National children's charity providing adoption support, including Coram BAFA (formerly British Association for Adoption and Fostering). Broad incumbent in the same adoption sector but operating as a national charity rather than a regionally commissioned RAA like ATV.
• Adoption England: The national umbrella body coordinating Regional Adoption Agencies across England, of which ATV is a member. Broad incumbent - it shapes national policy, training, and frameworks that ATV operates within, rather than competing with ATV directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adoption-tees-valley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adoption Tees Valley