4.1.3 Adoption Planning for Children

This chapter was included in the manual in February 2011 and replaces the previous chapter 'Placement for Adoption'.

RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND GUIDANCE

Adoption and Children Act 2002

Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005

Restrictions on the Preparation of Adoption Reports Regulations 2005

Chapters 2 and 4, Adoption and Children Act 2002 Guidance, (issued February 2011)

National Minimum Standards for Adoption 2011

AMENDMENTS

As well as the updating of the legislative references, this chapter was amended in September 2011 as a result of the Adoption Guidance and the National Minimum Standards which became effective from 1 April 2011. In particular, 5.2 has been added to set out new requirements on ethnicity and matching and 7.5 was added to set out the areas of support to be provided to the prospective adopters as set out in the National Minimum Standards.

Introduction
Permanency Planning at the 2nd Child Care Review
Meeting 1 - Early Consultation Meeting
Meeting 2 - Family Finding Meeting
Meeting 3 - Initial Matching Meeting
Meeting 4 - Matching Meeting
Process Following a Match at Adoption Panel
Planning of Introductions

1. Introduction

1.1

Whilst it is acknowledged that the links between Adoption Agencies Regulations, National Minimum Standards, PLO care proceedings and the Adoption and Children Act 2002 present social workers with considerable challenges with regard to timescales, achieving permanence for children must remain the key consideration from the day that they become looked after.

2. Permanency Planning at the 2nd Child Care Review

2.1	The child's social worker must prepare and provide a clear articulated plan to achieve permanence by the 2nd Child Care Review (4 months after becoming Looked After). However, in cases where it is clear that the most likely outcome is permanence outside the immediate family, the child's social worker can present a permanence plan at the 1st Child Care Review (20 working days) to avoid unnecessary delay. It is likely that at the 4 month stage the permanency plan will be a parallel plan. The Permanence Plan will form the basis for discussion at the Child Care Review. The plan can be altered through general discussion. The Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) should consider all the options for best meeting the child's welfare, including the child's needs for permanency. These options may include: To look in more detail at the plans for permanency, as outlined in the social workers draft Permanence Plan. To ensure all other options for permanent placements have been explored; returning the child home, permanent placement with the wider family, long term placement with foster carers, residential placement and placement for adoption To identify timescales of any outstanding work / reports. To plan how an independent social worker will be offered to both birth parents. To identify timescales for achieving permanency. These timescales should link directly with Court proceedings. To ensure the social worker has begun organising information for the child's Life Story. To consider the needs of the child and their birth family for current contact and future contact with parents / siblings post adoption. Post adoption contact will only be a preliminary view at this stage as assessments will be in the process of being completed. Following the 2nd Child Care Review where adoption has been agreed as one of the options of the permanence plan, it is the responsibility of the child's social worker to refer the child to the adoption central admin business support team within 7 working days. At this stage, the child's social worker should begin gathering all relevant information and materials such as photos and mementos should be gathered for inclusion in the child's life story.
2.2	When the referral form is received by the adoption central business support team, ADMIN will: Enter the child's details on the adoption module database, opening a new RAISE adoption file for each child. Enter the child's details on the Family Finding database Create a paper child's adoption file Send an email to alert the adoption team manager that a new referral has been received from the child's social worker, thus enabling the adoption team manager to allocate a family finding social worker for the child Send the CPR (Child's Permanence Report) PERMANENCE PACK to the child's social worker.
2.3	CONTENTS OF THE CPR PERMANENCE PACK BAAF CPR - Notes for Guidance BAAF CPR - Parts A-G Information sheet - Planning for adoption in care proceedings Birth Parent Certificate Permission for publicity (following a SBPFA recommendation by the Adoption Panel - direction from the Court following presentation at Panel is needed.). Example Notice - Restrictions on parental responsibility Independent Counselling Service BAAF - Consent Form for medical enquiries BAAF - Medical Form PH - Report on health of birth parents BAAF - Medical Form M & B - Obstetrics & Neonatal reports BAAF - Initial Health Assessment (child) Letter to doctor / hospital with form M & B Letter to doctor / hospital with IHA BAAF - Carers Report.
2.4	When the child's social worker has received the CPR permanence pack they should contact their team manager to make arrangements for an Early Consultation Meeting. This meeting should take place within 14 days of the 2nd Child Care Review
2.5	The child's social worker has two months following the 2nd Child Care Review decision where adoption has been identified as the permanence plan to present to the Adoption Panel for recommendations on whether a child 'should be placed for adoption' (subject to Court timescales). During this period an adoption medical should be undertaken. Where this timescale is not met, the Adoption Panel should record the reason. During this period an adoption medical should be undertaken.

3. Meeting 1 - Early Consultation Meeting

3.1

The purpose of this meeting is to:

Develop and create a first draft child's profile for the purpose of family finding
Identify any obvious adoption issues (attachment, behaviour, additional needs, siblings, current and future contact arrangements etc) and commence early planning so that the adoption team can consider what sort of placement may be realistic and achievable
Confirm a timescale for the sibling checklist to be completed. This assessment should be completed for all sibling groups and presented to the Adoption Panel when a 'Should Be Placed for Adoption' decision is being considered.

3.2

The Meeting should be chaired by a team manager and the following people need to attend:

The child's social worker
The children's team manager
The adoption family finding social worker.

4. Meeting 2 - Family Finding Meeting

4.1	The allocated family finding social worker will present the child at the next adoption team meeting. The team will discuss the child's identified needs and consider the following: All in-house approved adopters waiting a match All prospective adopters currently undertaking the assessment process All adopters who have expressed a wish to be consider for a second / third adopted child All initial visits currently being assessed for their viability as prospective adopters and the likely timescale for assessment to be completed.
4.2	If the adoption team are able to offer a short list of in-house adopters as a suitable match for the child's needs, the allocated family finding social worker will arrange for the child's social worker to view the proposed PARs (Prospective Adopter's Reports).
4.3	A record will be maintained of the adopters short-listed for the child. The adopters wishes will have already be ascertained as to whether they wish to be informed every time their report (PAR) is presented to a social worker as a potential match, or whether they only want to be informed when the social worker has placed them as the first choice and wishes to meet with them to discuss their child in detail.
4.4	A record will also be maintained of the date when the social worker was presented with the PARs.
4.5	If no in-house match has been identified, or where a child's needs are known to be harder to place (e.g. those with additional health needs, Learning Disabilities, birth family genetic factors, large sibling groups or older children) the adoption team manager will escalate the resource shortfall to the responsible service manager who will consider whether funding for an inter-agency is required.

5. Meeting 3 - Initial Matching Meeting

5.1	The purpose of this meeting is for the social worker to evidence their first choice selection of prospective adopters and further evidence their decision to reject proposed prospective adopters. This meeting will normally be held within two weeks after panel and a Should Be Placed for Adoption decision.
5.2	Ethnicity must not be placed above everything else when identifying potential adopters for children. It is unacceptable for a child to be denied adoptive parents solely on the grounds that the child and prospective adopter do not share the same racial or cultural background. If a prospective adopter can meet most of the child’s needs, but, for example they do not share the child’s racial or cultural background, the core issue is what qualities, experiences and attributes the prospective adopter can draw on and their level of understanding of the discrimination and racism the child may be confronted with when growing up.
5.3	Timescales should be agreed as to when the child's social worker and the assessing social worker for the adopters will jointly visit the prospective adopters at their home, having first presented them with the Child's Permanence Report (CPR).
5.4	The Meeting should be chaired by a team manager and the following people need to attend: The child's social worker The children's team manager The adoption family finding social worker.

6. Meeting 4 - Matching Meeting

6.1	The matching meeting should address the following: Pre and post adoption support plans Financial support Contact agreements Counselling / Therapy.
6.2	Timescales for presenting the proposed match to the Adoption Panel: It is regarded as good practice to present a proposed match to Panel within 8 weeks of the matching meeting. During this time the prospective adopter(s) should be given the opportunity to meet the agency medical advisor and foster carer(s).
6.3	The Adoption Placement Report should be written by someone with at least three years post qualifying experience in child care social work including direct experience of adoption work or be supervised by someone who has.
6.4	The Adoption Placement Report should include the reasons for proposing the placement and the views of the prospective adopters.
6.5	The Adoption Support Plan must be written at this stage and presented alongside the Adoption Placement Report. Responsibility for compiling this report is shared between the child's social worker and the social worker for the adopters.
6.6	The Adoption Support Plan must detail all financial arrangements in respect of the placement. The child's social worker will attend PCC's Finance Panel and present the finance panel's decision as part of the Adoption Support Plan. This stage only needs to apply when the Adoption Support Plan contains a financial element.
6.7	A copy of the Adoption Support Plan must be made available to the prospective adopter(s). The adopter(s) must also be notified in writing that the proposed placement is to be referred to the Adoption Panel and sent a copy of the Adoption Placement Report and at the same time asking for their views on the report. The adopter(s) must have 10 working days to respond from the date on which the notification is sent.
6.8	It is good practice to inform the parent or guardian of the child that the Adoption Panel will be considering the proposed placement.
6.9	Papers should be signed off by the adoption team manager (5 weeks prior to Panel) and counter signed off by the Service Manager (3 weeks prior to Panel) before being handed over to the adoption panel administrator (2 weeks prior to Panel). A copy of the papers should be provided to the Agency Decision Maker.

7. Process Following a Match at Adoption Panel

7.1	Where the match is recommended by panel and subsequently endorsed by the Agency Decision Maker the agency must send notification letters to the prospective adopter(s) and birth parent(s) and to anyone else who holds Parental Responsibility (PR).
7.2	Consideration must be given to how best inform the child of the outcome of the panel being mindful of their respective age and understanding.
7.3	Before introductions begin the child should be fully prepared not only for joining a new family but for joining the particular family with whom he/she has been matched. This preparation should not be rushed as it will be a key contribution to the future stability and success of the placement.
7.4	Consideration should be given to holding a Life Appreciation Day to assist the adopter(s) in becoming fully aware of the child's history, needs, behaviour and potential areas of difficulty. Even if this results in the prospective adopter(s) deciding to withdraw, it is preferable that they do so at this stage rather than the child experiencing further rejection.
7.5	Discussion with the prospective adopters will include the support to be provided to them to promote the child’s educational achievements and participation in leisure activities; to help the child develop positive relationships; and to manage any challenging behaviour which the child may display, The Adoption Support Plan will include arrangements for contact including how to deal with unauthorised or unmediated contact through online social networking sites.

8. Planning of Introductions

8.1	A placement planning meeting should be convened following the Agency Decision Maker endorsing the panel's recommendation.
8.2	This meeting should be chaired by an experienced member of staff.
8.3	The placement planning meeting should be attended by the prospective adopter(s), the social worker for the adopters, the child's foster carers, the foster carers supervising worker and the child's social worker.
8.4	The meeting should agree a plan of introductions between the child and the prospective adopter(s) which must include at least one formal midway review prior to placement. It will also identify what others meetings should take place during the introductory period and what information is outstanding (Life Story Book, Later Life Letter, Contact Agreements etc and the timescales for their completion).
8.5	The agreed placement plan and plan of introductions should be copied for all parties, the adopters and foster carers must have a copy of the plan prior to the introductions commencing.
8.6	It should be considered that prospective adopter(s) meet birth parents and/or significant members of the child's birth family where appropriate. The child's social worker is responsible for setting up any meetings and for supporting the birth family before, during and after any meeting. The prospective adopter(s) will be supported by the adoption team.
8.7	Meetings should be scheduled for any other significant people e.g. teachers, therapists etc
8.8	The supervising social worker for the foster carers should take a lead in helping to prepare the foster carers for the placement and in assisting them to support the child to move on to the care of his/her new family. This is a vital area of work which should not be overlooked.
8.9	The agency may only place the child with the prospective adopter(s) when the prospective adopter(s) have notified the agency in writing that they wish to proceed with the placement.
8.10	Prior to the placement being effective the prospective adopter(s) should be provided with the following: The Child's Permanence Report Medical reports including psychological and /or psychiatric reports (if these are court documents then permission of the court is required) Education details including PEP, school reports Copy of birth certificate Copy of court orders (where appropriate) Letter of medical consent Placement Letter Copy of the Adoption Placement Plan Medical card and red book Information about relevant financial benefits Information about how and when to access support including out of hours Life Story Book Later Life Letter Any other information the agency considered appropriate including exercising Parental Responsibility Adoption Support Plan.

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