Learning Objectives: 

• Overview of International Surrogacy
• International Surrogacy among UK intended parents
• Practice framework
• Children’s rights and principles
• Duties of Local Authorities
• Stage One and Stage Two Assessments
• Matching and the process overseas
• Entering and Securing a child’s status in the UK
• Commercial DNA testing
• Key debates in donor conception
• Implication for donor-conceived people, donors and their families
• Implications for policy and practice
• Legal framework in England and Wales

About the speakers: 

Marilyn Crawshaw, BSc(Soc) MA CQSW DipApplSocStud PhD 

Now an Honorary Fellow at University of York and chair of BASW PROGAR, Marilyn has worked over many years in the field of assisted conception as, variously, a social worker, social work academic and researcher, lay inspector (with the HFEA) and policy adviser.  She also draws on related experience in children’s and adoption services.   For ten years, Marilyn was the national adviser to UK DonorLink - the government-funded DNA-based voluntary information exchange and contact register for adults genetically related through donor conception. Marilyn works closely with the Donor Conception Network and is in regular contact with parents, donor-conceived adults and donors.

Susie Blamire, Improvement Manager and Peer Practice Specialist on Assisted Conception at Cafcass

After qualifying as a social worker in 2001 with a Master of Arts in Social Work with Distinction gained from the University of Nottingham, Susie initially held a number of social work and senior practitioner roles in two Midlands local authorities.  She joined Cafcass as a Family Court Adviser (FCA) in 2008, where she practised within both public and private law, including HFEA work (domestic and international Parental Order cases).  She was appointed to her current role of Improvement Manager within Cafcass’ National Improvement Service (NIS) in 2016, where she leads on ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’.  Susie has been Cafcass’ Peer Practice Specialist on Assisted Conception, which encompasses surrogacy, since 2017.