Adoption of Children Looked After

There are two routes to placing a child for adoption. Since 1st September 2012, children subject to care proceedings have had their cases presented directly to the Agency Decision Maker for consideration regarding their suitability for adoption.

Children who are relinquished for adoption will continue to be presented to the Adoption Panel, who will make a recommendation to the Agency Decision Maker regarding the child's suitability for adoption. This recommendation is then considered by the Agency Decision Maker, who confirms their final decision regarding the appropriateness of the adoption plan.

See Working with Birth Parent - Relinquished Babies Procedure for additional information.

1. The social worker must explain fully what adoption means and what the local authority plans for the child. Birth parents must be offered independent counselling which is currently commissioned by OASY via PAC (formerly After Adoption Yorkshire). For further information see the PAC UK website;
2. Birth parents must be helped to understand that they have a right to oppose the plan for adoption.

The child needs to be well prepared for permanent placement, especially if they have had little stability in the past. Adoption and what it means should be explained using a variety of materials, books, puppets, play-people, photographs and Life Story work. Even a very small child can grasp the concept of a "keeping safe" family. The sort of family they would like should also be discussed. You will need to consider the many different family compositions and explain these to the child.

Every child is required to have a pre-adoption health assessment. It is necessary for the pre-adoption medical to be completed before the Agency Decision Maker can consider a permanence plan of adoption.

Form PH provides basic background information on the child's parents and should be completed in conjunction with the parent in preparation for the pre-adoption medical. It is essential the social work team allow up to 6 weeks between the medical and the date the child is due to be considered as suitable for adoption by the Agency Decision Maker or the Adoption Panel. The medical information needs to have been completed within the 6 months prior to the information being presented to the Agency Decision Maker or Adoption Panel. If the information is older than 6 months, an up-dated pre-adoption medical will be required.

The reports and process for both routes to adoption are broadly the same and are composed of 3 parts:

1. Reports
   A Child Placement Report (CPR) must be completed on the child and presented to either the Agency Decision Maker or the Adoption Panel with all relevant specialist reports. When matching is proposed, an Adoption Placement Report (APR) must also be prepared. An up to date copy of the child's pre-adoption medical will need to be completed prior to the meeting.
   All reports must be QA’d and returned 14 working days before the panel meeting;

2. Presentation
   The social worker will be required to attend the Adoption Panel meeting to answer any questions about the reports they have prepared when the child is relinquished. Social workers with less than 3 years post qualifying experience should always be accompanied by their team manager;

3. Placements
   The Family Finding Team will work with the social worker regarding suitable placement options for the child.

There is a legal requirement to inform the birth parent of the Agency Decision Maker’s decision.

1. Letters for the child's parents should be personally delivered by the child's social worker;
2. Court Reports
   1. If a Placement Order has been recommended by the Agency Decision Maker, it will be necessary for an application to court to be made by Legal, in conjunction with an Annex B report completed by the social worker.

The family finder will have been working with the child’s social worker as soon as adoption is identified as a potential permanence plan. It is important the family finder is notified when a placement order has been made see: Family Finding Role and Procedure.

One Adoption South Yorkshire will identify up to 3 suitable adoptive placements and a summary of the strengths and vulnerabilities alongside the Prospective Adopter's Report (PAR) will be forwarded to you. Close liaison with the relevant family finder is essential. Any proposed 'match' should be considered as a matter of urgency as adopters can be suggested for more than one child at a time. It is important to choose one family to visit initially. The decision to visit a family should be made within 5 working days.

A Placement Planning Meeting should be arranged. This will be chaired by a Team Manager or the family finder who will prepare an Adoption Placement Plan in conjunction with the child’s social worker. The contents of this will need to reviewed and agreed by all parties. The Meeting will give attention to:

• Planning introductions;
• Setting timescales;
• Provisions of support and contact;
• On-going work.

a) Child b) Adopters c) Birth Parents

1. The child's social worker must visit the child within the first week of the adoption placement.
   
   Thereafter visits should be weekly for 4 weeks as agreed by Placement Planning Meeting until the first review, when the level of future support visits can be discussed.
   
   The child must have full information about their family of origin and background. This is presented in the form of a Later Life Letter for the child, completed by the social worker, to read when the adoptive parents feel it is appropriate and a Life Story book. The adoptive parents must be comfortable with discussing the contents of both these sources of information, so it is important they have viewed them and are aware of the contents.
   
   A child care review must be held within 28 days of placement. Thereafter child care reviews must be held within 3 months and then at least every 6 months until the Adoption Order is granted;
   
   
2. Adoptive parents - support should be given to the adoptive parents during visits to the child. They may well need time to speak with the child’s social worker The adoption social worker will also offer continuing support visits.
   
   One Adoption South Yorkshire offer support to adopters from the assessing social worker for 12 months following the granting of the Adoption Order.
   
   
3. Birth Parents
   
   The social worker should visit the birth parents to inform them of the placement and to give general non-identifying information on the family, if this has not already been done.
   
   No identifying information should be given, birth parents must be kept informed/counselled if needed and usually until the adoption order is made. They should be encouraged to seek support from PAC-UK, either individually or as part of a birth parent programme. They should be advised of the completion of an adoption order unless they have decided they do not wish to be notified of the final adoption hearing.