3.11.11 Concurrent Placements

Background
Preparation of Prospective Applicants
Presentation to Panel
Matching and Placing a Child in a Concurrent Placement
Concurrent Placement Changing to an Adoption Placement

1. Background

The Adoption Team have considered approving suitable prospective adopters both as foster carers and adopters in order to enable workers to minimise delay in the placement of young children, usually caused by pro-longed Court proceedings or rehabilitation plans.

When considering the viability of this other schemes for concurrency were researched – Coram, Brighton and Hove and Manchester Adoption Society.

In all these agencies specialist teams were set up in order to provide the intensive support considered necessary. Families who had put themselves forward for concurrency and were assessed as suitable were expected to act as foster parents in the first instance for children aged 0 – 2 with a view that if the children did not return home then they would adopt. This involved all the tasks involved in foster-care including meeting with birth parents at contact, taking children to and from contact and being prepared to work with the birth parents towards a re-habilitation plan where requested. Special contact centres were provided and support from social workers, often 3 – 4 times a week following contact etc.

Most of the children and adopters involved were white which simplified the matching process.

It was not considered cost effective or viable for this authority to set up a scheme along similar lines. The numbers put forward for adoption are low, often in an older age group and from a variety of ethnic backgrounds so that matching was likely to be difficult.

It was decided that we would identify a limited number of suitable candidates who could be assessed both as foster carers and adopters but because the level of intensive support could not be made available we would need to limit concurrent placements to those children where there was a very strong likelihood that they would remain in this placement, i.e. 75 – 80%. The advantage for them would be fewer moves and early bonding but it would not necessarily be possible to place straight from hospital where significant further enquiries were necessary.

If the department is aware of a pregnancy in advance and the mother has stated her intention to place the baby for adoption then it is imperative that all enquiries of extended family are made as soon as possible if known and a pre-birth planning meeting held. No agreement signed by mother within the first six weeks of birth has any standing.

2. Preparation of Prospective Applicants

Information about concurrency is to be given at Preparation Groups – the difficulties involved to be clarified and applicants informed that the Social worker doing a Home Study would discuss further with anyone interested in pursuing more information.

The Social Worker is to be clear with applicants that only a limited number of people are likely to be considered for this dependant on capacity to deal with uncertainty, loss and stress.

If, during the Home Study it is considered that an applicant might be suitable this to be discussed further with team manager and in team meeting.

When preparing an applicant for concurrency the social worker doing the Home Study must ensure that all Court and re-habilitation processes for Looked After Children are thoroughly explored including contact with parents, likely aggression, uncertainty, stress, loss and trauma etc.

The social worker must also ensure that in addition to all the normal adoption issues the duties and tasks of foster care are covered in detail, including guidelines on safe caring, the foster care agreement and home safety, statutory duties, Reviews and social work visits. Form F1 or the equivalent when available should be used for the assessment. The work on fostering will be an addition in that form and will require extra sessions with the family.

The financial implications of starting the placement as foster carers receiving the fostering allowance and this changing to no allowance or a means tested adoption allowance if criteria are met, at the time of the matching decision for adoption must be very clearly explained and also put in writing to the carers.

The impact on the wider family must be considered – i.e. if there is already a child in the family the likely effect of possible removal of a child placed to return to birth family.

The family will need to be clear about the circumstances in which a concurrent placement is likely to be made and that in this authority we would only consider this if there is a high percentage chance that the child will remain in placement.

Examples of Children who are likely to be placed concurrently are young babies who have been relinquished voluntarily, the mother counselled and clear about her decision after birth and extended family explored if possible. Also children who are in proceedings, extended family have been explored and re-habilitation assessments either community or residential do not appear to be successful or are not happening. Families with a long history of neglect or abuse where all other children have been removed and would be unlikely to be able to parent the child.

Before presentation to panel and after completion of the Home Study a visit to the family should be arranged with the Adoption Team Manager.

3. Presentation to Panel

The Home Study will be presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel. All medicals, statutory checks, Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check and references must be complete. The Business Support Officer in FPU will send out requests for checks on receipt of the completed application form or letter giving permission for checks.

A time and date should be booked with the Panel Business Support Officer in FPU.

The social worker completing the Home Study must attend the panel. While it is not compulsory for families to attend Panel this is very much encouraged and the Panel members appreciate the opportunity to meet the families. It is expected that the social worker will have explained the workings of the panel and the process to the family. An Information leaflet is also sent out with the invitation by the Panel Business Support Officer.

4. Matching and Placing a Child in a Concurrent Placement

As soon as it is known that a child may meet the criteria for a concurrent placement the Locality Social worker for the child should contact the Adoption Team Duty Officer, discuss the situation and arrange a Planning Meeting. The Team Managers for both Locality and Adoption should be present with the social workers for the child and family.

If the child is a Looked After child who is a voluntarily relinquished baby and it is known before birth that adoption is requested, early enquiries should be made with regard to possible extended family or any other placement options within the family. A Form E should be commenced as soon as possible. An early medical must be arranged with the Community Paediatrician using the appropriate BAAF form for the age of the child.

If it is a child in Care Proceedings advice about placement will be needed from the Legal Department. Concurrency is not a viable option for all children for whom parallel planning is requested. Children placed in concurrent placements in this authority are usually very young, 0 – 2, enquiries have been made and there are no extended family options to be explored and no re-habilitation assessments in progress where there is a likelihood that the child will return home or a high degree of uncertainty about future plans. Clearly a degree of careful judgement is needed and carers are informed about the above criteria.

It should be stated that very few adopters applying to this authority are approved as concurrent carers and there may not be one such carer available.

In all placements it is essential that a suitable ethnic and cultural match is a primary consideration in meeting the needs of the child.

If it is decided at a Planning Meeting that a concurrent placement is available and is a suitable option then a plan should be made to include contacting the carer, giving all information available about the needs of the child, without in any way minimising any risk that the placement may end at some time in the future. At this stage the carers must consider themselves as foster carers possibly temporarily caring for the child. This will be under Foster Care Regulations 2002. The normal statutory LAC requirements for a Looked After child should be followed, i.e. the placement visited by the child’s social worker within the first week. The Locality and Adoption workers should liaise about timing of visits. The Adoption social worker remains the link-worker for the family throughout this placement.

The Looked After child will be able to move directly into the placement which will be treated as a foster placement. Looked After Children Placement Plans will need to be completed. A Form E should be presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel within 2 months, stating the current position. This would be to give information to the panel unless by that time all other options had been ruled out when a Best Interest recommendation for adoption could be requested.

FINANCE; The carers will be paid at the long term foster care rate from the Parenting Budget in the Locality. It may be necessary to also include a set-up grant for essential items of equipment such as cot and pushchair.

It should be made very clear to the carers that the fostering allowance stops once a Matching decision for adoption is made for the child with them and any adoption allowance agreed is on a means tested basis. Many prospective adopters will cease to get an allowance or have a much reduced allowance at this stage.

CONTACT with birth family is likely to continue in some cases. This will need to take place outside the carers home – their address and name must be kept CONFIDENTIAL in case the child is eventually adopted by them. If the carers agree to take the child to contact and collect this can happen but contact must be supervised by someone else. If this is not agreed or possible then an escort will need to be provided.

5. Concurrent Placement Changing to an Adoption Placement

While the child is in the concurrent placement any further enquiries or assessments that become necessary or required by the Family Court should be completed.

Once all possible alternative placements have been ruled out and no further re-habilitation assessments are needed or an assessment has clearly stated that the child should not return home then a Form E or up-dated Form E should be presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel requesting a Best Interest Recommendation for adoption.

Once the above decision has been made for a child placed under S.20 of the Children Act 1989 or a Full Care Order, S.31 Children Act 1989 has been obtained, a Matching meeting should take place to confirm that this should become an adoptive placement. This will be attended by the Locality and Adoption Team Managers and Social Workers.

Prior to matching, discussions should have taken place about the level of Adoption Support that might be needed by the family and, if appropriate, an Adoption Support Plan drawn up (see Adoption Support Services Procedure). This should also include discussion about any financial support or adoption allowance necessary. If an assessment for on-going adoption support finance is requested then the family will need to complete the Adoption Financial Assessment Form which can be obtained from the Senior Business Support Officer in FPU. This will then be sent to Finance for assessment. All on-going financial support in adoption is means tested and reviewed annually. It is likely to be a much lower figure than the fostering allowance. The fostering allowance stops once the Matching decision for adoption is recommended by Panel and the decision confirmed by the Designated Manager (Adoption Support).

A Matching Report should be prepared, pro-forma is available in FPU, and presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel together with a copy of the Form E (up-dated as necessary) and Form F (also updated – addendum to comment on the placement to date).

Once the Panel recommend the match for adoption the Designated Manager (Adoption Support) will make a decision and the family will be informed in writing. FPU Panel Business Support Officer will send letter re decision for Director of Family Service to sign and FPU Business Support Officer will then forward this to the family. Copies of the letter and panel minutes will be given to social workers in locality and adoption for Locality and Adoption files.

The Legal Department should be consulted as necessary throughout this process – it may be that a Freeing Order is recommended prior to the final adoption hearing.

The procedures for adoption placements apply from the point of the decision to match.