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1. The Adoption and Permanency Team and their users can access advice and services from:

a.	The Medical Adviser to the Adoption Panel, a Consultant Paediatrician
b.	The Community Medical Adviser to RBKC
c.	The Community Paediatricians based at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, SW3 and St. Mary’s Hospital, Praed Street W1
d.	Child Psychologists based in Parkside Clinic, Family Services Consultation Service
e.	The Looked After Children’s Support and Review Team, provides the following advisers:-  a qualified paediatric nurse the education officer for looked after children and LAC teachers. clinical psychologist
f.	Multi-disciplinary CAMHS teams based in the North and South of the Borough, Parkside Clinic, Family Resource Project and the Family Services Consultation Service.  These services provide psychiatric services, psychological services, social workers and family therapists
g.	The Special Educational Needs Section
h.	The Principal Education Welfare Officer
i.	The Children with Disabilities Team in the Family Service Department
j.	The Children’s Resource Team.
k.	The Little House, the Family Service’s respite facility for children with disabilities
l.	The Social Services legal team of the Department of Law and Administration of Kensington and Chelsea.

2. Protocol and Procedure for the appointment of the Consultant Paediatrician as Medical Adviser to the Adoption Panel

1. The retiring Medical Adviser will advise the Panel Chair and Panel Adviser of a suitable nomination from the Primary Care Trust
2. The Chair of the Adoption Panel will interview the prospective Medical Adviser with the Deputy Chair and Panel Adviser, ensure that Criminal Records Bureau checks are in place and the Panel confidentiality agreement signed before appointing the Medical Adviser as a member of the Panel
3. The Panel Adviser will ensure that the new Medical Adviser is given the opportunity to observe the Panel, provide a folder of written information containing procedures, policies and expectations of Panel members and arrange for an induction meeting to take place
4. As with all other Panel members it is expected that the Medical Adviser will attend a minimum of 75% of Panel meetings per annum
5. The appointment will be confirmed in a letter from the Chair clarifying the times of Panel meetings monthly and expectations as to attendance
6. The Panel Administrator will ensure that the Medical Adviser receives all reports on children and prospective adopters as they are submitted and at least a week before the Panel meeting in order to allow time for reading, feedback and comment to the Panel
7. The Medical Adviser will advise Panel members of any significant medical issues noted and how much weight should be given to them in making decisions about approval of adopters and planning for children.

3.  Prospective Adopters Preparation Groups

All prospective adopters are required to attend a Preparation Group to gain all the information needed to make an informed choice. These are held two or three times per annum and bring together prospective adopters to provide an introduction to adoption.  Each group takes place before an assessment is initiated and runs for four days in total.  It provides intense training on a number of issues relating to becoming an adopter who can meet the needs of a child.  The group provides specialist information to prospective adopters on health and child developmental issues and legal matters.

1. The Medical Adviser always attends the group
2. CAMHS provide advice on specialist issues as required
3. The Looked After Children’s Support and Review Team provides advice on specialist issues as required
4. The Family Services legal team of the Department of Law and Administration of Kensington and Chelsea may be asked to provide advice to support  implementation of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and The Adoption Support Regulations and Guidance
5. Social workers will endeavour to give ample notice of the preparation groups  to the advisers.

4. Advice in respect of children placed for adoption with complex histories often involving health and mental health.

1. Prospective adoptive families are encouraged to communicate with the Medical Adviser to discuss any concerns they may have about a child
2. Medical advisers will have dealt with individual cases in many different settings and Panel meetings, and may well have on ongoing view over many years
3. Social workers must ensure that each individual case is referred in good time to the Medical Adviser in order to allow time for the necessary information to be accessed
4. Social workers must also ensure that the Medical Adviser is given regular updates on individual cases as well as asking for updated information from the Medical Adviser.

5. The CAMHS multi-disciplinary services for children and families in Kensington and Chelsea are available for all Looked After Children including children placed for adoption or adopted and their families.

1. The CAMHS Service provides assessment, counselling, and therapeutic services to adopters and children as appropriate. This includes assessment (including psychiatric assessment), cognitive behavioural therapy, individual and group psychotherapy, creative arts therapies, and family therapy. Workers can be available to attend reviews and planning meetings for Looked After Children
2. Social workers will ensure that referrals are made in accordance with the procedures of the individual CAMHS service
3. Where a child still receiving a service is placed for adoption outside Kensington and Chelsea, the CAMHS service will liaise if necessary with the other Local Authority to identify a suitable substitute service
4. The Adoption and Children Act 2002 and The Adoption Support Regulations and Guidance state that the responsibility for ensuring adoption support services are provided remains with the placing authority for three years post Adoption Order.  This includes all support services involving Health, Mental Health and Education
5. Looked After Children have been identified as a priority within the CAMHS service in Kensington and Chelsea.  CAMHS will try to ensure a speedy response to a referral, paying particular attention to the network around the young person for information and support
6. Children and Young People coming into care for the first time may be screened using the ‘Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’, to give some indication of their emotional and mental health needs. On the basis of this questionnaire, and any other available information, the Psychologist for Looked After Children will give advice to carers and social workers about which service will be best able to help the child and the family in which they are placed.
7. Every effort will be made to find appropriate CAMHS support for children who move out of RBKC.  However, not all localities are equally well resourced, and it may on occasion be necessary to buy in specialist services. The Psychologist for Looked After Children, and the link CAMHS worker, will offer advice and assistance regarding accessing CAMHS for children and young people placed out of borough as required.  The social worker retains the overall responsibility for ensuring that the child receives the service required. Advice and support in liasing with services including CAMHS in other local authorities can be obtained from the ASSA (Adoption Support Services Adviser) in the Adoption Team.
8. Adopted children moving into Kensington and Chelsea will be entitled to adoption support services from the PCT and CAMHS with responsibility for ensuring these are provided reverting to Kensington and Chelsea adoption service after three years post adoption order.

6. Children’s Resource Team

In situations where an independent assessment of parental difficulties in an adoptive family becomes necessary, experienced social workers in the Children’s Resource Team who are also trained Family Therapists can be called upon by the adoption service.  Individual work with the parent or family work will be offered in appropriate cases, normally for up to a maximum of six sessions.  Social workers will refer directly to the team giving full information.  A planning meeting will normally follow this referral.

7. Access to the Looked After Children’s Support and Review Team

The Looked After Children’s Support and Review Team is a multi-disciplinary team with a remit to support and promote good outcomes for Looked After Children. The Team includes a paediatric nurse, education advisors/teachers, a psychologist and independent reviewing officers. The service is available to all Looked After Children placed for adoption by Kensington and Chelsea. 

1. When making an assessment for an Adoption Support Plan social workers will ensure that the appropriate Health and Education Services are consulted for individual children and families as required
2. The Looked After Children’s Support and Review Team may be asked to meet with prospective adopters at Adopters Preparation Groups to provide advice on health and education related issues
3. Where there are cross-boundary education issues for children Looked After by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea the education adviser will be asked to provide advice to adopters
4. The education adviser will also provide advice and information for workers to include establishing links with appropriate education departments.

8. Children with Special Educational Needs

1. Looked After Children placed for adoption or adopted who have significant special educational needs may be referred for statutory assessment.  This process will involve the gathering of reports from all relevant agencies including previous or current schools, parents/carers, Family Services, the Educational Psychology Consultation Service and health professionals. The assessment is necessary to decide if a Statement of Special Education Needs (SEN) should be issued.  This Statement must be completed before any decisions about special schooling can be made by the SEN Section.
2. Prior to referring a child for a specialist assessment the relevant Family Services Team Manager must liaise with the Head of the Special Educational Needs Section who will advise as to what information is needed, and identify who will attend the meeting concerning the child. Further advice can be obtained from the Education Officer for Looked After Children in the Looked After Children Support and Review Team.

9. Education

All Looked After Children placed for adoption or adopted in Kensington and Chelsea are entitled to attend local schools.  However, particularly at secondary level, this will include schools in neighbouring local authorities as there are only four secondary schools in RBKC, three of which are voluntary aided RC schools and only two are mixed schools.  Pressure on waiting lists may lead to limited choice at certain times of the year.  The Education Department must be informed of any child requiring a school place whether a looked after child placed for adoption or adopted.  It is important that adopted children moving into the borough have their needs for stability and continuity of education recognised and are given the same priority as any other vulnerable child. The Head of Special Education Needs must be informed when a Looked After child who is the subject of a full statement of special educational needs is adopted by a family in another local authority in order to ensure the appropriate budgetary arrangements are made.

10. Legal Services

The constitution of the Adoption Panel requires the presence of a Legal Adviser for recommendations regarding placement for adoption. The Department of Law and Administration will provide an appropriately qualified Legal Adviser at each Panel. The Legal Adviser will attend in an advisory role and will be a non-voting member of the Panel.  Panel papers will be sent to the Legal Adviser at least one week before each Panel.  The Legal Adviser will inform the Panel of any relevant legal matters relating to the child or family being presented to Panel.  They will also provide legal advice to the Chair of the Panel as and when requested.  In addition Family Services legal team of the Department of Law and Administration will offer advice and consultation to the Adoption and Permanency Team on all matters pertaining to adoption and Looked After Children either in writing on the telephone or by attending meetings. They will also conduct any appropriate legal proceedings requested by the Adoption and Permanency Team.

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