3.11.7 Assessment and Approval of Domestic Adoptive Parents

RELEVANT GUIDANCE

For additional guidance see "Preparing and Assessing Prospective Adopters", Practice Guidance issued by the Government in 2006.

This chapter was substantially amended in February 2012 and should be re-read.

Responding to Initial Enquiries
Requests for Written Information: Information Pack
Information Meeting
Initial Visit /Counselling
Application Forms
Case Records
Police and other Statutory Checks
Preparation Groups
References
Health
Assessment
Prospective Adopters Report
Presentation to the Adoption and Permanency Panel
After the Panel Recommendation
Representations Independent Review Procedure
Eligibility Criteria for Prospective Adopters

1. Responding to Initial Enquiries

Enquirers should not be turned away on the basis that their ethnicity and culture is not shared with those children waiting to be placed with adoptive parents or because of age. There is no regulatory upper age limit on applying to be adoptive parents.

NB The adoption agency has a strategy to recruit and assess prospective adopters who can meet most of the needs of those children for whom adoption is the prime or only plan. The strategy is reviewed annually with the recruitment officer to make sure those applicants who meet the needs of local children awaiting adoption are given priority. When staff capacity permits, the agency also accepts applications from people who can meet most of the needs of looked after children nationwide.

People who are interested in becoming adoptive parents must be be treated fairly, without prejudice, openly and with respect. The adoption duty worker should ensure that they are kept informed on a regular basis of the progress of their enquiry. If allocated to an adoption social worker that worker must ensure that the applicants are kept informed of the progress of their application throughout the adoption process. This information should be given in a manner which meets their individual communication needs. Prospective adopters should begin and regular opportunities to raise any specific concerns or questions which should be answered as directly and fully as possible and if necessary referred to the adoption team manager.

All enquiries about adopting information made by telephone, email, letter in person or through the RKBC adoption website should be entered on the FPU data base as soon as they are received and followed up immediately by telephone (or by email where no telephone number is provided) by the Adoption Duty Social Worker. If enquirers meet the eligibility criteria for age, and residence or domicile and have not committed any criminal offences specified under Adoption Agency regulation 23 the duty worker should take a full referral. This should take the form of a semi structured discussion with the enquirer during which the duty worker will encourage the enquirer to discuss their motivation to adopt and give them information about:

The needs of looked after children seeking adoptive homes;
The eligibility criteria;
The characteristics people need to become adopters;
The date of the next information meeting;
If no local information meeting is taking place within two months enquirers will be given details of the next information meeting taking place within the West London Adoption Consortium (WLAC);
When the agency has sufficient resources to meet the needs of RBKC children waiting or has reached its capacity to take on more assessments suitable prospective applicants can be referred to another agency if they wish to proceed;
Enquirers should be informed about the data protection procedures.

The duty social worker will enter the referral on the FPU data base ensuring they complete all the fields with basic personal and contact information and as much personal information as the prospective adopter is prepared to give over the telephone. The worker then starts the application progression tab.

After taking a referral if the enquirer wishes to proceed, the adoption duty social worker will send an Adoption Information Pack within 5 working days, (see Section 2, Requests for Written Information: Information Pack) and a letter of invitation to the next information meeting.

There are no set geographical constraints on where prospective adopters live but priority is given to those living within the M25 or within an hour’s traveling distance, who are prepared to travel for preparation group meetings, be available for home visits and are able to offer a resource which is needed. Exceptions can be made for those offering an exceptional resource for a looked after child. Foster carers who are requesting to adopt a child they are currently looking after should be visited by the child’s social worker and an adoption social worker and should be asked to put their request in writing. The request should specifically outline how they would meet the child’s long-term needs.

People enquiring about adopting form overseas will be referred to the Inter country Adoption Centre - see Assessment and Approval of Inter-Country Adoptive Parents Procedure.

If the prospective adopter has already attended an information meeting and already has an information pack, they may be making their initial enquiry by sending in a response letter saying they wish to proceed to an initial /counselling visit. In that case the duty worker should telephone them and take a full referral as described above.

All referrals are discussed at the following fortnightly team meeting and a decision is made whether to proceed (see Section 4, Initial Visit / Counselling and Section 3, Information Meeting).

2. Requests for Written Information: Information Pack

The information pack will be sent within 5 working days of the initial enquiry. It will include information about:

Eligibility criteria (including habitual residence and domicile);
Preparation, assessment and approval procedure and timescales, (Including checks and references;
The prospective adopters’ right to make representation to the adoption agency or apply to the Secretary of State for an independent review if the adoption agency considers them unsuitable to adopt; (see Section 15, Representations/Independent Review Procedure);
Children who need adoptive families locally (including their age ranges and characteristics).;
Matching, introduction and placement process, including the Adoption Register;
Adoption support;
The adoption agency’s expectation of prospective adopters;
Placement Orders.

The pack will also include information about the role of the Adoption Contact Register and the Complaints Procedure.

The duty social worker will enter the date the application pack was sent in the appropriate field in application progression screen of the FPU data base.

The procedure for any enquirer requesting a second placement will be the same as for new applicants. A new referral should be opened on the FPU database.

Follow Up Letter

The progress of enquiries is monitored through the weekly team meeting. Four weeks after the request for information, if no further contact has been made by the prospective adopters a follow up email, telephone call or letter will be sent to anyone enquiring who may match the profile of children waiting or likely to be referred.

Where there has been no response after eight weeks the request will be regarded as closed on the FPU data base. All the recorded information in relation to the request will be retained for a minimum period of 2 years and then stored in the database archive.

3. Information Meeting

Those who confirm they wish to proceed with their interest will be invited to attend an information meeting. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea as part of the Tri Borough Family Placement Service holds an information meeting approximately every six weeks. If there is no Kensington and Chelsea / Tri Borough information meeting within two months enquirers will be referred to attend an information meeting elsewhere in the West London Adoption and Permanence Consortium.

The information meeting will expand on the information sent in the information pack.

This will include:

The type of children waiting to be placed for adoption and their parenting needs including general information such as likely age ranges and backgrounds;
Information about the type of adoptive families that can best meet the needs of the children and the legal requirements for adoption including statutory eligibility requirements;
Information about the adoption Home Study and the associated procedures including the checks and references required;
Information about the preparation training;
Legal aspects of adoption and Placement Orders or other routes to permanency if relevant, i.e. Special Guardianship Order or Residence Orders;
Information on how to make an application and the time scales for assessment;
Information about Adoption and Permanency Panel approval, matching and the Independent Review Mechanism;
Information about adoption support available;
The right to make complaints.

There will be an opportunity to talk to practitioners and hear about the experiences of someone who has already adopted. People who have adopted through RBKC will attend at least two of the advertised information meetings in person. Adopted people will also attend two of the information meetings. At the smaller meetings enquirers are given the opportunity to be contacted by telephone after the meeting by an RBKC adopter. There is also a film shown that features adopters talking about their experiences adopting with RBKC.

If possible prospective applicants who wish to do so may be put in contact with birth parents whose children have been adopted. This is a sensitive issue for birth parents and prospective applicants and birth parents will be supported by an adoption support social worker before making contact.

Applicants interested in adoption from overseas will also be asked to attend an information day presented by The Inter country Adoption Centre. See Assessment and Approval of Inter-country Adoptive Parents Procedure.

Prospective applicants will be asked to reflect on the information they have received at the meeting for at least a week before proceeding with their interest. All those attending will be provided with a standard letter to return to the Adoption team if they wish to pursue an application.

4. Initial Visit/Counselling

Those who confirm they wish to proceed with their interest will be assigned a home visit, usually with two workers who will offer an appointment within 14 days of receipt of the confirmation. A home visit must take place within 2 months of the initial contact with the agency even if there is no information meeting within that time.

The purpose of the first home visit is to provide additional information about the adoption process in relation to the potential applicants’ individual circumstances, to offer counselling and give potential adopters an opportunity to explore their questions and concerns in more detail. This will include preliminary advice about the eligibility of the prospective applicants to adopt.

Prospective applicants will be advised not to pursue an application where they have recently faced significant challenges within their family, such as serious illness, pregnancy, separation or bereavement, or where there appear to be unresolved fertility issues or other significant life issues affecting their preparedness for adoption.

If there appear to be issues of concern in relation to the prospective applicants’ health, the Medical Adviser should be consulted for advice before a decision is made. Where advised by the Medical Adviser, the prospective applicants should be requested at this stage to obtain a medical report from their G. P.

5. Application Forms

Following the first home visit, where prospective applicants confirm their interest in pursuing adoption, the Adoption and Permanency Team will decide whether to pursue an assessment. This will depend on medical advice about any health issues, the current priorities of children waiting, or likely to be referred, and the number of suitable prospective adoptive families awaiting preparation. Applicants will be informed of the agency’s decision by telephone and in writing, with reasons, within two weeks of the home visit.

If there are reasons for not inviting an application, the Adoption Manager will write to the enquirers within two weeks setting out the decision not to proceed and the reasons. Advice should be given of any steps they may take in order to meet the criteria or of how they might pursue their interest elsewhere, if appropriate, or of steps they may take if they disagree with the decision.

For requests for Inter Country Adoption, see Assessment and Approval of Inter- Country Adoptive Parents Procedure.

Where the Adoption and Permanency Team decides the applicant may be suitable to adopt, the prospective applicants will be sent an application form and assigned an adoption social worker.

Prospective applicants will also be asked to complete forms for statutory checks (see Section 8, Preparation Groups), references (see Section 9, References) and Health Checks (see Section 10, Health). The allocated worker may assist the prospective adopter to complete the application form.

Applicants will be invited to attend a Preparation Group either with the Tri Borough service or one of the Consortium agencies (see Section 3, Information Meeting).

6. Case Records

Once a completed application form has been received, a new electronic case record (file) should be opened for the prospective applicant. The electronic record should contain sub folders and include the following information:

Prospective adopters application form - this is also retained in hard copy;
Records of requests for checks and dates and responses received (held by the business support team until the application is presented to the adoption panel) and filed in hard copy at the time the adoption record is archived;
A record of all meetings and contacts with the prospective adopters and notes of the content all the home visits and interviews that form part of the assessment;
Correspondence including significant email correspondence;
The Prospective Adopter's Report (PAR) and the prospective adopters’ observations on it. The report should be signed and dated by the adopters, the assessing social worker and the adoption manager. The original signed copy of the PAR must be retained for archiving when the adoption record is made;
Minutes of the Adoption and Permanency Panel, its recommendation, the reasons for the recommendation and any advice given by the Panel to the agency - both for approval and matching;
The agency decisions - both for approval and matching;
Where the prospective adopter applies for a review by an Independent Review Panel, the recommendation of that Panel, the review report and prospective adopters observations;
Any other documents or information obtained by the agency;
A record of all information given to the adopter about any prospective match with a child;
A copy of the court report for the Court hearing the adoption application;
A record of supervision notes;
A financial section;
A restricted section containing privileged legal documents and personal references;
Before archiving, a copy of the adoption order.

7. Police and other Statutory Checks

When submitting their Application Form, all applicants will be asked to complete and return to the Adoption Service a letter giving permission for statutory checks to be made for all members of the household aged 18 years or over.

On receipt of completed application forms, business support staff in the Adoption Recruitment and Assessment Team will take up checks with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) (to obtain an enhanced criminal record certificate). Checks will also be made with the NSPCC, Early Years OFSTED, the relevant health trust, the Probation Service, education authority, Children’s Services Department and local authority for the relevant area, employer, accommodation agency or mortgage provider and their personal referees to ascertain their suitability to adopt.

Where the applicants live outside the tri borough area, the checks must be made with the local authority and health trust where the applicants live.

The Criminal Records Bureau may provide additional “soft information” to the agency, known as “additional information” (i.e. where there is no conviction). This is information that a chief police officer has authorised for disclosure to the agency under section 115(8) of the Police Act 1997. This information needs to be considered in those cases where it is disclosed to the agency.

Where applicants have moved to the UK within the last 10 years) they will be asked to obtain checks through International Social Services or the relevant Consulate for themselves and all members of the household aged 18 and over.

Where it is not reasonably possible to conduct police and other background checks, for example if the prospective adopter has lived abroad for extended periods, then a decision should be made whether other checks or additional references should be pursued. A record of the decision and the reasons for it should be placed on the prospective adopters’ case record.

A person would not be considered suitable to adopt a child if he or any member of the household has been convicted of a specified offence committed at the age of 18 or over or has been cautioned by a constable in respect of a specified offence, which, at the time the caution was given, he admitted.

A “specified offence” means:

An offence against a child;
An offence specified in the Adoption Agency Regulations Part 1, Schedule 3 - this is a list of the sexual activities which are relevant;
An offence relating to imported prohibited goods including indecent photographs of children under the age of 16 (Section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and section 42 of the Customs Consolidation Act 1876);
Any other offence involving bodily injury to a child, other than an offence of common assault or battery.

This applies even though the statutory offences specified in Adoption Agency Regulations Part 1, Schedule 3 have been spent.

Where an offence does not fall within the above (Adoption Agency Regulations, Assessment and Approval of Domestic Adopters 23.2 or 23.4), the agency must exercise its discretion and decide whether to proceed with the adopters application. Reasons for this decision must be recorded on the adopters case record. This could involve a meeting with the Adoption Manager who may make the decision to seek advice from the Panel.

In the circumstances where there is a joint application, the social worker should only inform the applicant who is convicted or cautioned of the specific reason for terminating the application and should explain that the agency may not inform the other applicant of the conviction or caution, but will inform them that as a consequence of information obtained from the checks, the joint application cannot proceed.

Where the checks lead to the agency obtaining information about another adult member of the household that indicate that the application should be terminated, the agency is restricted from disclosing to the applicants the conviction or caution that prevents the application proceeding. The social worker can inform the other adult member of the household and suggest they inform the applicants. In such a case the social worker will need to tell the applicants that checks received indicate the agency cannot proceed.

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) information is received by staff in Human Resources (HR) and may be read there and notes taken. The HR officer will send a letter for the adopter’s file saying this information has been received. Information obtained from the Criminal Records Bureau may be retained by the agency on the adopters’ case record for a limited time only and destroyed once a decision or Review decision is made that an adopter is suitable to adopt a child (under Adoption Agency Regulation 27.3 and 27.8) The social worker should note on the adopters’ file that this information has led the agency to form a particular decision without citing the information itself.

See Section 9, References.

The replies to the checks should be placed in the confidential section of the applicants case record.

8. Preparation Groups

All prospective adopters are to attend a Preparation Group.

The group is an integral part of the application and assessment process, and all applicants are expected to attend all sessions.

The objectives of the group are:

To prepare prospective adopters to become adoptive parents in a sensitive way, which addresses and give them skills, knowledge and practical techniques to manage the issues they are likely to encounter. This will include information to enable them to understand the purpose and importance for the child of maintaining contact with the birth family;
Give encouragement to prospective adopters, showing them the positive aspects of caring doing a child as well as helping them to understand the challenges that adoption can bring;
Identify the strengths and competencies prospective adopters have or will need to develop To raise awareness and understanding of the key issues which need to be addressed by all prospective adopters;
To assist applicants to determine the type of resource they can offer to the children needing adoptive placements;
To provide an opportunity for the Adoption Service to find out more about the prospective applicants and have a clearer idea of their strengths, areas for further work and any concerns, which need to be clarified as part of the assessment process;
The preparation groups are also aimed at self-assessment in that they enable prospective applicants to find out more about adoption and consider more thoroughly the implications of adoption and to decide whether or not adoption is right for them.

The preparation course will include information about:

The difficulties some children experience, such as the traumas of neglect and abuse, and their effect on their development and the capacity to form secure attachment;
The key parenting skills and parenting capacity is prospective adopters need to care for children who have experienced neglect and abuse;
An understanding of the significance of the child's identity, their birth family, the need for openness to help the child to reflect on and understand their history according to their age and ability;
The role of contact including how to manage an authorised contact including through online social networks and the importance of significant memorabilia.

Organisation and Administration

The Tri Borough Adoption Service will set up at least two preparation groups a year which will provide a rolling programme of preparation. The groups will be held at various times to ensure convenience for applicants with differing personal needs and commitments.

The group will be arranged over a period of four days (not consecutive). There should be at least two named workers who will lead on facilitating. Individuals and specialists will be invited to attend and give information. These would normally include the Medical Adviser to the Panel, the Adoption Manager, an adopted adult and parents who have adopted.

Attendance may be arranged at a group arranged by a Consortium member if no Tri Borough group is available in the near future. Applicants for a specific child who have already been approved but may need some additional preparation may prepare by one-to-one sessions with their assessing social worker. Examples where this may be acceptable are approved inter country adopters who may be a match for a domestic child with a placement order and second time applicants adopting a sibling close in age to a child already adopted by them.

Inter country applicants are prepared with the Inter country Adoption Centre - see Assessment and Approval of Inter-country Adoptive Parents Procedure.

Preparation Groups will usually be planned to enable prospective applicants to have at least 4 weeks’ notice of their date and venue.

Written invitations will also be sent out and replies co-ordinated by an identified worker so that any decisions to postpone can be made and groups rescheduled promptly.

Prospective applicants attending the groups will be asked to complete evaluation forms.

Those running the preparation groups will arrange a time for debriefing shortly after the groups take place. Information from the meetings, including the applicants’ evaluation forms, will be shared and form part of the assessment. A report by the facilitators of the meetings will be included in the assessment report presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel.

Following attendance at the preparation groups, the applicants will meet with the social workers facilitating the group for feedback to confirm they wish to continue with their assessment.

Where issues emerge during the Preparation Groups as a result of which the Adoption Manager decides that it is not appropriate to proceed with the application, the applicants should be visited by a member of the Adoption Service and notified in writing of the decision, with reasons. Advice should be given of any steps they may take in order to meet the criteria or of how they might pursue their interest elsewhere, if appropriate.

Where they disagree with the decision and/or are not willing to withdraw, a brief Prospective Adopter's Report on the application should be presented to the Adoption Panel and the procedure to be followed should be the same as if the report was a full report on the Prospective Adopters (see Section 12 to Section 15).

The effectiveness of preparation groups should be reviewed by the Adoption Manager and be workers running the preparation groups at least once a year, taking into account feedback given by applicants who have attended the groups.

9. References

When submitting their Application Form, applicants will be asked to provide the names of two personal referees, who are adults and have known the applicant for at least two years. The referees must not be related to the prospective applicant. Referees must have known the prospective applicant during different periods of his or her life. Where there is a joint application, referees should know both applicants, or additional referees will be required.

A third reference from a member of the prospective applicants wider family should also be taken up.

A written reference must also be obtained from the applicant's employer where the applicant is or has been employed to work with children in any capacity.

Where the prospective applicant has made a previous application to foster or adopt, the relevant agency must be asked to confirm in writing the outcome of the application and provide a written reference.

All references received will be treated as confidential.

There is a checklist for the content of referee visits in the templates folder in the adoption team area.

The referees should be asked to comment on the following:

The length of time the referee has known the applicant, in what circumstances, how they met and how regularly they are in contact;
Where there is a joint application, the couple's relationship including its stability and quality, the couples strengths and ways of coping with stress and how mutually supportive the couple is;
The applicants’ general physical and emotional well being;
How the applicants relate to children, with examples, and what experience the applicants have of caring for children;
How the applicants have adjusted to childlessness if this is the case, how they have prepared to become adoptive parents, how much they have shared with the referees and how open they are in talking about the issues surrounding adoption;
If the applicants have children of their own, how the referee thinks a child from a different ethnic background will impact on the other children in the family;
Any reservations the referee has and whether the referee wholeheartedly supports the application.

As well as providing a written reference, referees will also be interviewed personally no later than midway through the assessment process, (see Section 11, Home Study/Assessment) - a pro-forma is available and should be used for this purpose. At the start of the interview, the referee should be informed that the written report of the interview will not be shared with the applicants but that any issues arising during the interview may be discussed with them.

Unless there is a significant risk to personal safety, the assessing social worker should also contact the previous partners of the applicants, if the relationship was significant and where there were any children of the relationship. The social worker will arrange to interview them face-to-face wherever practicable. All adult children of the applicant(s) living away from home will also be contacted. If an interview is not possible a letter should be sent asking for confirmation that the applicant has no history of violence or abuse to children or ex partner and requesting their view as to whether the applicant could safely care for a child.

In addition, as part of the assessment, where the applicant has school age children, the relevant school(s) will be contacted, with the permission of the applicant, for information regarding the applicants ability to promote the child’s education.

10. Health

All applicants must have a full medical examination and agree to a written report being obtained from the GP on their health and any other relevant health issues. The GP must be specifically requested to review the applicants’ full medical history and address any matter relevant to the applicants’ parenting or caring capacity. The applicants are expected to meet the cost of the medical in inter country adoption.

The applicants should have been seen in the three months prior to the medical report having been completed, and the report must have been written within the 6 months prior to the Adoption and Permanency Panel meeting considering the application.

Written advice from the Agency Medical Adviser should be obtained and referred to in the report on the application.

Where the applicant's GP has expressed concerns or where clarification of the implications of any health issues is required, detailed advice must be sought from the Medical Adviser at an early stage and the implications fully discussed with the applicant and in the report. It may be necessary for reports from other health professionals also to be obtained and presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel.

Where there are concerns about an applicant's circumstances as a result of the information received from references, statutory checks or health examinations the applicant may be advised not to proceed with the application. Where the applicant does not agree to withdraw and still wishes to proceed with the application, it may be considered appropriate in consultation with the Adoption and Permanency Team Manager to present the matter at this stage to the Adoption and Permanency Panel for consideration. If that is the case, a brief Prospective Adopter's Report on the application should be prepared and presented to the Panel seeking a recommendation as to the future of the application. The prospective applicant should be given a copy of the report 10 working days before Panel in order to respond with their written views, which should be presented to Panel with the report. The procedure for the presentation of the Report to the Panel, the agency decision and the right to make representations or request a review will be the same as for a full Prospective Adopters Report - see Sections 13 to 15.

11. Assessment

The assessment must be carried out by a qualified social worker with suitable experience (see Section 5, Reports of Adoption Panel Procedure). The allocated worker/supervisor must meet the qualifications and experience criteria set out in The Restrictions on the Preparation of Adoption reports Regulations 2005. If the applicants are applying to adopt a child already known to them or the Tri Borough assessment format for friends, family and other people connected to a child should be used as an alternative to BAAF Form F2 or Form C. BAAF Form F3 is used for inter-country adoption.

The assessment will comprise a series of interviews, the many of which will take place in the applicants’ home. Applicants should be interviewed at least once both individually and with their partner, and all other members of the household will also be interviewed, including the children.

The assessment will cover the areas specified in the Prospective Adopter's Report and will follow the subject areas:

Individual profiles of all members of the household, including racial origin and religious persuasion;
Information about the home, the local community and the neighbourhood;
Details of education and employment - past and present;
Income and expenditure;
Details of past and present relationships;
Motivation to adopt/childlessness;
Parenting capacity, experience of being parented and experience with children;
Support network, including wider family network;
Expectations of the placement, including understanding of issues from the preparation course;
Attitudes to birth families and approach to openness in adoption;
A family tree and chronology of key events in the applicants life must be compiled, showing his or her educational, employment, marital and/or relationship history and addresses for the previous 10 years; any gaps and/or unusual patterns should be explored;
Consideration should be given to the stability or permanence of the relationship where the applicants are a couple;
All information provided by the applicant must be independently verified where possible
Where an applicant has been divorced or separated, factors contributing to the breakdown of the relationship must be verified. This applies equally to significant relationships between couples who are not married.
The adequacy and safety of the prospective adopters home and transport will be assessed.

The time taken to complete the assessment and present the report to Panel after a formal application has been received must be no more than eight months from the receipt of the application unless the need for additional work with the prospective adopters is identified or recommended by the Adoption and Permanency Panel. Where the timescale is not met the Panel should record the reason.

If the assessment is of foster carers wishing to adopt a child in their care, the assessment should be completed by the social worker and the draft Prospective Adopter's Report submitted to the manager within four months of the application prior to being submitted to Panel.

The assessment can run in parallel with the applicants’ attendance at Preparation Groups.

The assessment will also cover the applicants’ willingness to notify the adoption agency if the adopted child dies during childhood or soon afterwards, their views on post-adoption contact and their willingness to pass on information to birth parents about the progress of the adopted child. These issues should be specifically reported to the Adoption and Permanency Panel. The possibility of a supervised meeting between prospective adopters and birth parents should also be discussed.

The assessing social worker should also explain the agency's policy on safety for children in the prospective adopters’ home and in vehicles used to transport them. Prospective adopters should be given a copy of the policy. The assessment will also include a health and safety check of the prospective adopters’ home and the assessing social worker should ensure that the home can comfortably accommodate all who live there. In addition the home should be adequately furnished and decorated and maintained to a good standard of cleanliness and hygiene the assessing social worker should ensure that outdoor spaces which are part of the premises are safe, secure and have been well maintained.

The assessment will consider the likely need for Adoption Support services (see Adoption Support Services Procedure) of the prospective adopters and any member of their family, including:

Advice and counselling, for example with managing a child’s behaviour and/or helping the child to deal with racism or any other discrimination;
Health, education, leisure and cultural services;
Practical and financial help, including respite and family support;
Information from records (subject to age and understanding);
Information about local and national support groups and services;
Assistance with post-adoption contact and helping the child to explore his or her birth heritage.

As part of this, the family's finances and the criteria for financial support should also be discussed.

Where the prospective adopters live outside the authority, the social worker should ascertain the extent of any support services identified as necessary in their local area.

The initial Adoption Support Plan can be completed and attached to the Prospective Adopter's Report. This will need up-dating at the time of matching with a child when it must be presented to the Panel.

12. Prospective Adopters Report

The information gathered during the assessment, the preparation groups and the checks and personal references, will form the basis of the Prospective Adopters Report. The report will also include a summary by the Medical Adviser of the health report obtained on the applicant/s.

Reports should address anti-discriminatory practice issues. It should contain a summary of the assessed strengths and weaknesses of the applicants, together with an opinion of the type of placement likely to be provided successfully. Potential risk factors should be highlighted.

As the report is nearing completion and has been seen by the applicants, the Adoption and Permanency Team Manager will meet with the applicants in their home or arrange for another suitably experienced adoption social worker to do so to offer a second opinion on any issues of concern raised in the assessment or there are issues which require clarification. The manager will also discuss the applicants’ view on the assessment procedure and report, give information about the Panel and answer any questions that arise. The second opinion will be written and incorporated into the prospective adopters report when it is presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel.

When the Prospective Adopters Report is finalised, a copy should be sent to the applicants. The applicants should be asked to sign and return the report, if agreed, and/or send their comments in writing to the assessing social worker. It should be explained to them that they have 10 working days to do this, (or they can be asked to sign a disclaimer stating they do not wish to take 10 days to comment) and that any written comments they make will be circulated to Adoption Panel members, with the report.

The completed Prospective Adopters Report should be signed and dated by the manage who will check that the report is accurate, up to date and contains evidence-based information before it is presented to the Adoption Panel. It should contain a report on the outcome of the assessment (including from the preparation groups). The report should be concise, narrative sections brief and the emphasis should be on analysis based on information in the report of the capacity of the prospective adopter/s to care for a child or children and reasons for the recommendations of the adoption worker carrying out the assessment.

The applicants should always be invited t to attend the meeting of the Adoption and Permanency Panel, which considers their application. They should be provided with written information about the Panel process, its membership, who will attend and their respective roles. If the applicants know a particular Panel member, the applicants may request that the Panel member stand down. (Panel members are in any event expected to declare an interest in these circumstances - see Adoption Panel Procedure).

Applicants should not be shown any comments made by referees or any other third party information.

The social worker will then send the Prospective Adopters Report, the applicants’ written comments (if any), the second opinion report, a full health report, the report on the interviews with the referees, the report from the local authority for the area where the applicant lives (if outside the borough) and any other relevant documents, to the Panel Administrator at least 15 working days before the relevant Adoption Panel meeting.

The date of the Adoption Panel meeting will be communicated to the applicants as soon as possible, together with an invitation to attend the Panel during consideration of the report.

13. Presentation to the Adoption and Permanency Panel

The report together with the applicants’ comments, the health report, report of referee visits and any other relevant information must be submitted to the Panel within six weeks of completion.

Information to be presented

The following should be sent to the Panel Administrator 15 working days before the date of the Adoption and Permanency Panel, which will consider the application.

Front Sheet with no more than a 200 word summary of the case and itemising what the panel is requested to do;
The Prospective Adopters Report;
The applicants' comments;
The second opinion report;
References with a full report on visits to the referees;
Full information about all the statutory checks;
The Medical Advisers report;
Photographs of the applicant/s;
The adoption support plan if relevant.

The adoption worker should also complete all the application progression fields in the applications tab on the FPU database including the date the assessment was concluded, the date the case was heard by the adoption panel, the date of the panel's recommendation and when the adopters were informed already, the date of the agency’s decision and the date when the adopters were informed of it in writing.

The Panel Meeting

See Adoption Panel Procedure.

The information will be presented by the adoption worker responsible for the assessment or, if the worker is unable to attend, I a substitute with adequate knowledge of the applicant and the assessment.

The decision to attend rests with the applicants and a wish not to attend will not prejudice consideration of their application.

Applicants who decide they wish to attend should be fully prepared as to the procedure prior to their attendance (see Section 8, Preparation Groups and second opinion report).

Whether or not the applicants attend Panel, their views and wishes must be presented fairly and accurately within the documentation before the Panel and verbally. They should also have a copy of all the reports, and any medical reports.

The Panel will consider the written report together with all the supporting documentation and any additional information presented verbally, and make a recommendation to the Agency Decision Maker who is the Head of Family Services, regarding the outcome of the assessment.

The Panel may ask the social worker to obtain further relevant information considered necessary and may obtain legal advice as necessary.

The Panel may also give ADVICE on the number of children, age range, likely needs and background. The agency is not restricted by such advice as it would be if given as a formal recommendation. The Agency Decision Maker may express a view on such advice.

Reasons for the recommendations and any advice given by the panel will be recorded in the Panels minutes.

The Panel may not make “in principle” recommendations. It is therefore essential that all checks and medicals are complete.

The Chair of the Panel will see the applicants to tell them the Panel's recommendation immediately the Panel has come to a decision. In circumstances where the applicants have not attended the Panel, the adoption worker undertaking the assessment will advise the applicants of the Panel recommendation within 48 hours of the Panel meeting. This will be verbally, by telephone or, where appropriate, a home visit.

The Adoption and Permanency Panel recommendation should be within 8 months of the signed formal application.

14. After the Panel Recommendation

After the Adoption and Permanency Panel has considered the report and made a written recommendation, this will be sent to the Agency Decision Maker who will make a decision based on the Panel’s recommendation. The decision must be made within 7 days of the Panel meeting.

The Agency Decision Maker must not be a member of the Panel. The Agency Decision Maker should consider the Panel reports, minutes and recommendation of the Panel before reaching a decision.

Where the Agency Decision Maker is minded not to accept the Panel’s recommendation he or she should discuss this with another senior person in the agency who is not a member of the Panel. The outcome of that discussion should also be recorded on the prospective adopters’ case record.

The applicants will be informed verbally within 2 working days of the decision and the Agency Decision Maker will within 5 working days of the decision send a written notice of the decision to the applicants. Where the decision differs from the recommendation of the Panel, a copy of the Panel recommendation will also be given. A copy of the letter will be placed on the prospective adopters’ case record, together with the Panel minutes.

The business support service must send all approved adopters an Approved Adopters Information Pack and an application form for membership of adoption UK. The agency will pay for the adopters’ membership for the first year after approval and for two years if the adopters adopt a local child.

All successful applicants will be supported by their assessing social worker through the period of waiting for a placement. The worker will help them to consider any potential matches and discuss any such matches with the approved adopters before any formal meetings take place. The adopters will be given written information about actions post approval with regard to identifying a match and introduction processes.

If it is unlikely that there will be a placement with the child in their area or if no can be identified match is being actively pursued prospective adopters’ details must be passed to the National Adoption Register immediately after their approval or at the latest within three months of approval (if they consent).

Prospective adopters will sign a confidentiality agreement about any personal information they may be sent during family finding.

Time scales for Panel recommendations and agency decisions should be monitored and information made available in the annual report to Members. When it is not possible to comply with the time scales the reasons should be recorded on the prospective adopters’ case record.

For the procedure in relation to the review of prospective adopters’ approval, see Review of Prospective Adopters Procedure.

For the procedure in relation to referrals to the Adoption Register, see Adoption Register for England and Wales Procedure.

15. Representations/Independent Review Procedure

If a decision is made to refuse an application, the applicant will be advised that if he or she wishes to challenge the decision, representations should be submitted within 40 working days either directly to the agency or they may request a referral to the Independent Review Mechanism. N.B. Applicants can decide which representation procedure to choose - they cannot choose both.

The Panel Administrator must receive notification of the wish to attend or make written representations to the Adoption Panel within 40 working days of the date of the written notice of the decision. If no written notification or representations are received within this period, the decision to refuse the application can be confirmed.

If the prospective adopter asks their case to be heard again by the Adoption and Permanency Panel:

The Panel Administrator will write to the applicants giving them at least seven days’ notice of the Panel that will consider their representations and invite them to attend.

The applicants may be accompanied by a friend or supporter but may not be legally represented.

Where the applicant decides to represent their case in person the Panel Chair will consider whether a smaller quorate sub group should consider the matter.

The Panel will consider the representations and make further recommendations to the Agency Decision Maker. The Agency Decision Maker should make the final decision within seven days of receiving the Panel recommendations.

Prospective adopters should receive the decision verbally within 2 working days and in writing within five working days of the final decision being made.

A copy of the decision with the reasons and minutes of the Panel meeting will be placed on the prospective adopters’ case record.

If the applicant wishes their case to be referred to the Independent Review Panel:

The Panel Administrator will send the following documents to the Independent Review Panel within 10 working days:

The relevant Panel reports;
The prospective adopters views on the reports;
The Panel minutes and the record of the decision made with reasons;
Notification to the prospective adopter;
Any other information requested.

Any relevant information about the prospective adopters that the agency obtained after the above information and reports were passed to the Adoption and Permanency Panel will also be sent. The independent review panel has the right of access to the information held on the local authority adoption case records.

The procedure for the Independent Review is carried out by BAAF (British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering).

The applicant will be invited to attend the Independent Review.

After considering the representations, the Independent Review may make a recommendation, which the Agency Decision Maker will consider before a final decision is made.

The Independent Review Panel cannot overturn the agency decision, as it does not have the power to do so.

The Agency Decision Maker will make the final decision and record the decision, together with reasons, within 7 working days of the receipt of the Independent Review recommendation. Written notice of the decision, together with reasons, will be sent to the prospective adopters verbally within 2 working days and in writing within 5 working days.

Where the agency decision is different from the recommendation of the Independent Review Panel, the agency must also provide the prospective adopters with information about the Independent Panel’s recommendation.

Where an Independent Review Panel has made a recommendation, the agency must send to the Independent Review Panel Administrator a copy of its decision on the prospective adopters’ suitability to adopt.

A copy of the report to the Panel, the Panel’s recommendation, the Independent Review Panels recommendations and the decision to refuse an application must be retained on the applicant’s case record.

16. Eligibility Criteria for Prospective Adopters

Click here to view Eligibility Criteria for Prospective Adopters.

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