Our work, in writing.
Every submission and report we publish is grounded in lived experience and led by adoptees. Browse, download and share the documents behind our campaign.
From evidence to action
All of SAAM's work is rooted in our original Circumstances and Recommendations paper — created by adoptees, for adoptees, in collaboration with birth parents, adoptive parents and professionals across the UK. That foundational work shaped our three core rights: Truth, Identity, and Justice.
Below is a growing archive of consultation responses, policy submissions and research — each one free to read, download and use in your own advocacy.
"This is how we speak truth to power. Together." — SAAM
Consultation responses and policy submissions
Formal evidence submitted to UK and Scottish Government processes on adoption, care experience and safeguarding.
A formal human rights submission to the UK Joint Committee on Human Rights concerning adoption law and the lifelong rights of adopted people, setting out evidence that current adoption frameworks breach fundamental rights under the ECHR and UNCRC.
Written evidence to the UK Parliament's Education Committee examining how adoption is treated within care, education and safeguarding policy, and why it is consistently excluded from care reform and rights frameworks despite its permanence.
Download PDFEvidence to Scotland's proposed Child Protection Authority highlighting the systemic exclusion of adopted people from safeguarding, exploitation and accountability mechanisms once an adoption order is made.
A submission to the Department for Education's consultation on a UK-wide Child Protection Authority, setting out how adoption law sits outside ordinary child protection frameworks and why that gap must be closed.
Download PDFSAAM's response to the Scottish Government's consultation on a Universal Definition of Care-Experienced, arguing that adoptees are care-experienced and calling for legal recognition of adoption as a form of state care.
Download PDFSAAM's detailed contribution to the Scottish Government's scoping study on historic adoption practices, drawing on lived experience to call for recognition, redress and reform. Published as part of the Government's official final report.
Read the official reportWhere the campaign began. Developed by adoptees, for adoptees, and in collaboration with birth and adoptive families, this is the foundational paper behind everything SAAM does — setting out core concerns and recommendations across identity, autonomy, records access and legal protection.
Download PDFAdoptee-led research
SAAM extends its thanks to Paul Brian Tovey, an adoptee and long-time advocate whose lay surveys have helped ensure adoptee voices are heard.
In the first UK adoptee-led study of its kind, Paul worked with fellow adoptee Suzann to capture the voices of adult adoptees through a lived-experience lens, offering insight into the lifelong impacts of adoption, identity loss and structural exclusion. He later embarked on a global study, connecting with adoptees internationally to explore shared themes of displacement, silence and resilience across diverse adoption systems.
Survey findings from the first UK-wide, adoptee-led lay survey of adult adoptees.
View survey resultsA cross-border study extending this work internationally to adoptees beyond the UK.
View survey summaryIn the press
Adoptees have long used their voices to raise awareness of the harms caused by adoption. A selection of that coverage is below.
Adoptees: the family void in our medical history
On why adopted people should be entitled to access medical information from their biological family, and how a simple checkbox on medical records could address a catalogue of problems adoptees face.
Read on healthandcare.scotWhen adoption has no happy ending
Family and child law specialist Garry Sturrock on the myth of the infallible adoption fairytale ending, and the reversal of adoption in Scotland.
Read on healthandcare.scotAdult adoptees call for care records recognition
On why plans for a National Care Service for Scotland create an important opportunity to flag adoptee-specific issues on medical and care records for the first time.
Read on healthandcare.scotForced adoption: a mother forced to give up her baby reveals a lifetime of silent suffering
Coverage of Scotland's forced adoption scandal and the lifelong impact on the mothers affected.
Read on The Sunday Post