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Contents

1.	Planning for Permanence
2.	Obtaining Agency Approval to Adoption Plan
3.	Preparation of the Child for Adoption
4.	Counselling and Support for Parents
5.	Child Adoption Medical
6.	Identification of Adoptive Parents (including Inter Agency Placements)
7.	Approval for child to be placed with particular adopters
8.	Planning the Placement
9.	The Placement
10.	Progress Reports: Children Approved for Adoption
11.	Adoptive Placements Abroad

1. Planning for Permanence

Every Looked After Child must have a Permanence Plan by the date of his or her second (four month) Looked After Review.

Parallel planning should be considered at the earliest opportunity, including whether to seek the Adoption and Permanence Panel’s advice about the Parallel Plan. In these circumstances, the Panel may only advise and will not be able to make a conditional or in principle recommendation about whether the child should be placed for adoption.

In cases where the Social Worker considers it may be appropriate to seek the advice of the Panel in advance of adoption becoming the preferred plan for the child, a discussion should be held with the Agency Adviser.

Where adoption has been part of twin track/parallel planning, there has been a lot of discussion regarding when it is most appropriate to present cases to Panel for a decision that a child should be placed for adoption.  The Adoption and Children Act 2002 clearly states that the Panel cannot make any in principle decisions and therefore the matter can only be referred to Panel when the agency is clear that the plan for the child should be adoption. This does not mean that all court instructed assessments etc. need to have been fully completed (although this will usually be the case) - purely that a return home or placement with relatives is, in light of the information already known, assessments completed and the assessment of the Social Worker, not considered by the local authority to be in the best interests of the child. It will be for the social worker to ensure that sufficient information is presented to Panel to evidence that the child should be placed for adoption.  If this is not the case it is just not possible for Panel to recommend that a child should be placed for adoption.

Once adoption is the preferred plan for the child, as well as arranging for the presentation of the plan to the Panel, the child’s Social Worker should make an early referral to the Practice Manager with responsibility for Family Finding within the Adoption and Permanence Team. The Practice Manager will plan for the appropriate timing of the Permanence Planning Meeting and the allocation of a Family Finding Social Worker. The Permanence Planning Meeting will consider the timing of the family finding having regard to the child’s legal status. The Family Finding Social Worker will take the lead role in working to identify a potential adoptive family that can best meet the needs of the child (See: Section 6, Identification of Adoptive Parents).

In relation to an unborn child or a child relinquished for adoption by the parents and not yet Looked After, the initial agreement to an adoption plan should be discussed at an early planning meeting and subsequently be confirmed in the child’s Care Plan, once the child becomes Looked After.

Click here to view Flowchart - Planning for Permanence.

2. Obtaining Agency Approval to Adoption Plan

2.1 Social Worker's Responsibilities

As soon as adoption is the Permanence Plan for the child, the child’s Social Worker must:

• Present the case to the Adoption and Permanence Panel within 2 months of the Looked After Review that ratified the adoption plan. See: Arranging to Present Cases to the Adoption and Permanence Panel Guidance.
• Continue to provide counselling and support for the child - see Section 3, Preparation of Child for Adoption

The child’s Social Worker must open an Adoption Case Record for the child. Where the plan relates to a group of siblings, there must be a separate Adoption Case Record for each child.

If not already obtained, the child's Social Worker should obtain 2 certified copies of the child's full birth certificate. These will be required for future Court applications and for the prospective adopters.

The child’s Social Worker should give both birth parents a copy of the leaflet ‘ A Parent’s Guide to the various options for children who cannot live with their birth parents’ together with a covering letter. The birth parents should be asked to sign confirmation of receipt, a copy of which should be kept on the child’s Adoption Case Record. If either or both of the birth parents refuse to accept or do not receive the leaflet and letter, this should be recorded, including the reasons, on the child’s Adoption Case Record. 

Where the parents’ address is known, the child’s Social Worker should personally deliver, or arrange for delivery by hand, a copy of the above information to the address and record this on the Adoption Case Record. See also Section 4 below, ‘Counselling and Support of Parents’.

The consent of the birth parents to disclose their medical history will usually have been obtained when the child first became Looked After. However, if this was not the case, the child’s Social Worker must seek the birth parents’ written consent to the disclosure of information on their medical history to facilitate the Adoption Medical for the child - for detailed procedures, see Section 5, Child’s Adoption Medical.

The child’s Social Worker must discuss with the parents their views on the adoption plan, and arrange the necessary counselling and support for both of the birth parents and any other significant relatives. For the detailed procedure, see Section 4, Counselling and Support for Parents. If either or both of the parents decline or refuse counselling and/or support, then this should be recorded, including the reasons, in the child’s Adoption Case Record.

The birth parents’ legal representative should be informed in writing that they have declined counselling and support and given details of how such support can be accessed.

Where one or both of the birth parents cannot be found, the child’s Social Worker must make extensive enquiries as to their whereabouts. The Social Worker should write to the parent’s last known address and contact the Benefits Agency and other agencies as appropriate. Consideration should also be given to the need to place advertisements in the local and national press and legal advice should be sought as to any additional steps that should be taken.

The child’s Social Worker must contact the child’s health visitor or school nurse for current information in relation to the child’s health and development.

The child’s Social Worker must contact the child’s school or the relevant local education authority for current information in relation to the child’s educational needs.

The child’s Social Worker must ask the child’s carer to complete a report on the child. (This will be required for the Child's Permanence Report)

The child’s Social Worker must ensure that the adoption plan addresses the issue of post-placement and post-adoption contact. This will include a possible meeting between the parents and the adopters, and whether there may be ongoing direct contact or indirect contact via a letterbox system.

If the child has siblings, the plan must analyse the relationship between each child in the sibling group and, if the decision is to place siblings separately, address the issue of post-placement and post-adoption contact between them.

The child’s Social Worker must also carry out an assessment of the likely needs for adoption support services in relation to the child (including the likely need for financial support), the birth parents and any other person with a significant relationship to the child. For the detailed procedures, see Adoption Support Services Procedures.

Using all the information obtained in relation to the above, the child’s Social Worker must prepare the Child’s Permanence Report. The Child’s Permanence Report must be written by a qualified Social Worker with suitable experience (see Section 17, Adoption and Permanence Panel Procedure).

.The following areas must be included or addressed in the Report:

• Profile of the child, based on a report from the child’s current carer as well as other information about the child’s personality, nationality, racial origin, religious persuasion, legal status and relationship with his/her birth family
• A chronology of the child’s life since birth
• The preparation work, undertaken and planned, with the child and the views of the child in relation to the adoption plan and future contact with his or her birth family
• The views of the Children’s Guardian (where possible)
• The views of the birth family and significant others in relation to the adoption plan and contact
• A chronology of the birth parents' history
• A report of the child’s educational history and current needs, including the Personal Education Plan (PEP)
• A summary written by the Medical Adviser on the child’s health, health history and any need for health care which might arise in the future
• Any other relevant specialist reports on the child
• An assessment of the child’s emotional and behavioural development
• An assessment of the child’s needs for post-placement and post-adoption contact, including with siblings, and the child’s and birth relatives’ needs for adoption support services
• An analysis of the options for the child’s future care and the alternatives to adoption considered. This must include details of the consideration given to the availability/suitability of other family members to care for the child on a permanent basis
• Where the child has siblings, whether the decision is to place siblings separately or together and the rationale for the decision.
• The Welfare Checklist must be fully addressed - see Welfare Checklist - Adoption and Children Act 2002 Guidance

A copy of the Child's Permanence Report or the relevant sections of the Report should be provided to the parents and the child where appropriate. The parents should be asked to sign the Report and provide any written comments they wish to make.

2.2 Presentation to the Adoption and Permanence Panel:

This must take place within 6 weeks of the completion of the Child’s Permanence Report.

To enable the Adoption and Permanence Panel to consider whether the child is suitable to be placed for adoption, the child’s Social Worker must present the following reports to the Panel Administrator by the required deadline - see Arranging to Present Cases to the Adoption and Permanence Panel

1. A completed Panel paperwork checklist
2. The Child’s Permanence Report including all other attachments as per the checklist.  The Child’s Permanence Report must be signed by the child’s Social Worker, the Practice Manager, the child (if appropriate) and the parents (if willing).
3. The Medical Adviser’s report on the health history and needs of the child (this must be provided to the Panel before Panel is able to make a recommendation).

The child’s Social Worker together with his or her supervisor will attend the Panel meeting during consideration of the matter. If the child’s Social Worker considers that it may be appropriate for the child to attend the Panel, the Agency Adviser should be consulted before a final decision is made. If it is agreed that the child should attend the Panel meeting he/she should be given a leaflet about the Panel process before attending. .

The Children's Guardian should be notified of the date of the Panel meeting.  Should he/she wish to attend as an observer, this must be discussed with the Agency Adviser prior to the Panel meeting.

(N.B. Where the Social Worker is seeking a recommendation in relation to a proposed placement of the child with particular prospective adopters at the same time, the procedure set out in Section 7, Approval for a child to be placed with particular adopters must also be followed.)

The Panel will consider the written reports and any additional information presented verbally. The Panel will make a recommendation to the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption). Where the Panel recommends that the child should be placed for adoption, it must consider and may give advice as to future contact arrangements for the child and whether an application for a Placement Order should be made.

The recommendation and advice will be recorded in writing, together with reasons, in the Panel’s minutes. A copy of the relevant minute must be held on the child’s Adoption Case Record.

2.3 After the Adoption and Permanence Panel

The child’s Social Worker will convey the recommendation of the Adoption and Permanence Panel to the birth parents, the child (if appropriate having regard to his or her age and understanding) and the foster carer within one working day of the Panel meeting.

The Agency Adviser will arrange for the minutes of the Panel meeting, together with the reports considered by the Panel, to be sent to the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption). The Agency Adviser will meet with the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) to clarify any relevant issues within five working days of the Panel meeting. The Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) will make a decision based on written information provided to him/her within 7 working days of the Panel meeting.  The decision will be recorded in writing, with reasons.

Where the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) is minded to disagree with the Panel recommendation, he/she must first discuss the case with another senior officer with relevant experience, who must not be a Panel member. This discussion must be recorded and placed on the child’s Adoption Case Record.

The Agency Adviser will communicate the decision to the child’s Social Worker within one working day; the child’s Social Worker will convey the decision orally to the parents and foster carers within 2 working days, and to the child as appropriate according to his or her age and understanding.

The Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) will write to the parents informing them of the decision and pass the letters to the child’s Social Worker for forwarding to the parents within 5 working days. The child’s social worker will hand deliver the letter to the birth parents or, when necessary, send it by recorded delivery.

Where the decision is different from the Panel’s recommendation, a copy of the Panel recommendation should also be sent to the parents.

Where the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) decides that a Placement Order should be sought in relation to the child, the child’s Social Worker should consult Legal Services in order to prepare the Court application. See also: Court Reports in Adoption/Special Guardianship for a detailed list of contents of the Court report.

Where there is Parental Consent to the Adoptive Placement and/or advance Parental Consent to the Adoption, and the child is more than 6 weeks old, the child’s Social Worker must arrange for a written request to be sent to CAFCASS to appoint an officer to witness the consent. Where there is Parental Consent to the Adoptive Placement and the child is less than 6 weeks old, the child's Social Worker should ask the parents to sign a written agreement with the adoption agency in the prescribed form to facilitate an early adoptive placement.

The child's Social Worker should send to the CAFCASS office closest to the parents’ address, a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate, the name and address of the parent, a chronology of the actions and decisions made by the local authority and confirmation that the parents have received counselling and written information on the legal implications of giving consent to the placement/adoption.

Where the child lives in Wales, the request should be forwarded to the Welsh National Assembly.

On receipt of the parent’s consent witnessed by the CAFCASS officer, the original must be placed on the child’s Adoption Case Record; the original will be required for the future adoption application and therefore must be stored securely and safely.

3. Preparation of the Child for Adoption

The child’s Social Worker will ensure that Life Story Work with the child continues with the aim as far as possible that:

• The child has an understanding of the reasons for the adoption plan and what adoption will mean,
• The child has an opportunity to express his or her wishes and feelings about the future, and
• The child has information on his or her birth family, which is kept safe and provided to the adopters and the child at the appropriate time

As part of the above, the child will be given a booklet about adoption as soon as adoption becomes part of the child’s Care Plan.  This will be either “Understanding Adoption” or ‘A Younger Child’s Guide to Adoption’ dependent on his/her age and level of understanding.  Any discussions with the child should be fully recorded.  An interpreter should be arranged where necessary to ensure that there is effective communication with the child. The Family Finding Social Worker can provide consultation and books for children to assist with this process.

The child’s social worker should specifically ensure that the child’s wishes in relation to adoption, religious and cultural upbringing and contact with his or her birth family are ascertained and recorded in the Adoption Case Record and in section E of the Child’s Permanence Report.

Where a child’s wishes are not acted upon, for example a child’s wish to be placed with his or her siblings, the reason for this should be explained to the child and be fully recorded.

The foster carers’ Supervising Social Worker will support the foster carers in playing their part in the implementation of the plan, including careful recording by the foster carers of any changes in the child’s behaviour.

Once an adoptive placement has been identified and approved, the child’s Social Worker is responsible for ensuring the child is properly prepared for the first meeting with the prospective adoptive family and is appropriately counselled during the period of introductions - see Section 8, Planning the Placement.

The child’s Social Worker will encourage the parents to write a ‘Later Life’ letter for the child, and to provide information to enable the Social Worker to write a ‘Later Life’ letter for the child.

4. Counselling and Support for Parents

Both parents must be offered counselling and support irrespective of whether they have Parental Responsibility unless there are exceptional circumstances for not doing so. In such situations, legal advice should be taken and the reasons for not arranging counselling recorded.

It may also be appropriate for members of the extended family to receive counselling or support, where they have played a significant role in the child’s life.

The child’s Social Worker must explain to both parents (including a parent without Parental Responsibility) the reasons for the adoption plan and the key stages of the adoption process, including the likely time-scales and possible contact arrangements. In addition the social worker should provide them with a copy of the booklet ‘A Parent's Guide to the various options for children who cannot live with their birth parents’.  The details of the information provided to parents, and when it is provided, must be recorded.

The child’s Social Worker must also seek to ascertain the parent’s views on the matters set out in the list later in this section.

If either or both of the birth parents refuse to accept or do not receive the written information, this should be recorded, including the reasons, on the child’s Adoption Case Record.

Where the parents’ address is known, the child’s Social Worker should personally deliver or arrange for delivery by hand of a copy of the information to the address and record this on the Adoption Case Record.

From the time adoption is identified as the plan for the child, the child’s Social Worker should offer to arrange access to an independent support worker for both birth parents (including unmarried fathers). The child’s social worker should forward the contact details for the birth parents to the Birth Parents Support and Information Service who will send the relevant leaflet to the birth parents and contact them directly.  Birth parents will also be informed of the services they could access from other agencies such as the Post Adoption Centre.

The purpose of the independent support is to ensure that the alternatives to adoption have been explored and the implications of adoption fully discussed. It also offers the parents the opportunity to express their views in relation to the plans for the child, and to be involved in planning for the child’s future wherever possible.

The worker offering independent support may need to be consult with a specialist worker, for example where the parent has poor mental health or learning disabilities, or arrange for a specialist worker to attend with the birth parent. If so, the child's Social Worker should ensure that an appropriate resource is identified.

The specific needs of parents arising from their ethnicity must always be taken into account. An interpreter must be arranged where English is not their preferred language.

The counselling and support will cover the following areas:

1. Explaining the key stages of the adoption process and likely time-scales
2. Explaining, where appropriate, the procedure for seeking a Placement Order
3. Explaining the parents’ legal rights, including the right of the unmarried father to seek a Parental Responsibility Order or a Residence Order in relation to the child
4. Explaining the role of the Adoption and Permanence Panel
5. Explaining the role of CAFCASS in witnessing consent or acting as the Children’s Guardian
6. Explaining the way the Adoption Contact Register works and how an adopted adult may seek information about the birth family in the future or register a wish not to be contacted
7. Explaining how prospective adoptive parents are assessed
8. Ascertaining the parents’ views on the adoption plan, including the selection of the adoptive family, any specific ethnic, cultural or religious needs of the child, and any plan to separate a sibling group. Their views on these issues should be recorded.
9. Dealing with grief and loss
10. Where there is Parental Consent to the Adoption, explaining the process for giving their written consent to an adoptive placement or advance consent to the adoption (including the role of CAFCASS), their right to state that they do not wish to be informed of an adoption application, and that they have the right to withdraw their consent to an adoptive placement at any time up to the making of an adoption application, but the restriction of their rights to do so after an adoption application has been made.
11. Ascertaining the parents’ views on post-placement and post-adoption contact including whether they would wish to meet the adoptive family and if so, how they might prepare for this
12. Providing information to the parents on national and local support groups, and other possible sources of help
13. Explaining how the parents may be able to provide information to be passed to adopters, for example, on the child’s birth and early life, which may be of benefit to the child

The parents should be encouraged to seek legal advice particularly where they are opposed to the adoption plan. Where there is an unmarried father without Parental Responsibility, the child's Social Worker should also ascertain if he intends to apply for a Parental Responsibility Order and a Residence Order.

The parents and their solicitors, if appropriate, must be sent copies of any written consents and/or recording of their views.

Where the parents refuse or decline to accept counselling and/or support, the child’s Social Worker must record the attempts made to persuade the parents and the reasons for their refusal in the child’s Adoption Case Record.

Where the parents are seeking to have an expected child adopted, the counselling must start before the baby’s birth.

5. Child’s Adoption Medical

The child’s Social Worker should send the BAAF Forms B and M (requesting an obstetric report on the mother and neo-natal report on the child) to the Agency Medical Adviser who will forward them to the relevant hospital or medical practitioner. This should be done whenever possible before the child’s first Looked After Review.

As soon as the adoption plan becomes part of the child's Care Plan, the child's Social Worker should write to the Medical Adviser to request an adoption medical for the child. The Medical Adviser should be asked for advice on whether a full developmental medical is required and if so, who should conduct the medical and whether any tests or opinions are required. (In some cases, the Medical Adviser may consider that there is already sufficient up-to-date health information on the child and a further medical examination is not required).

The Medical Adviser’s summary report on the health history and needs of the child must be completed before the child’s plan for adoption can be considered at the Adoption and Permanence Panel. Therefore the Medical Adviser should be consulted at least eight weeks prior to the Panel meeting.

Where the parents have refused to consent to disclose their medical history, the Social Worker must provide as much medical information as possible to the Medical Adviser in the covering letter sent with the relevant BAAF forms (see next paragraph).  The child’s social worker should record the attempts made to engage the parents and the reasons for refusal in the child’s Adoption Case Record, and inform the Medical Adviser of the position.

The child’s Social Worker should send the relevant BAAF Form for completion after the medical (BAAF Form C for children of 5 and under, BAAF Form D for children aged 6 to 10 and BAAF Form YP for children of 11 and above) to the Medical Adviser together with a covering letter. 

.The foster carer should attend the medical with the child and, if appropriate, the child’s Social Worker should also attend.

The information on the child’s medical report must be kept up to date if a placement is not immediately forthcoming. The Medical Adviser may, however, make specific recommendations in relation to particular children.

6. Identification of Adoptive Parents

Click here to view Flowchart - Family Finding Procedure

The following timescales should generally be adhered to during this part of the adoption process:

A proposed placement with a suitable prospective adopter should be identified and approved by the Adoption and Permanence Panel within 6 months of the agency deciding that the child should be placed for adoption except in the following cases:

• Where the agency considers that in a particular case complying with this timescale would not be in the child’s interests – the paramount consideration must always be the welfare of the child.
• Where a parent requests adoption for a child of less than six months of age, the placement is to be identified, recommended by the Adoption and Permanence Panel and approved within 3 months of the agency’s formal approval that the child is suitable to be placed for adoption.

Following the identification of the Family Finding Social Worker (see Section 1, Planning for Permanence), the timing of the start of the family finding will depend on the legal position and will be agreed between the child’s Social Worker and the Family Finding Social Worker.

A Placement Co-ordinator will also be appointed for each proposed adoptive placement. The Placement Co-ordinator must be a Service Manager or an off-line Practice Manager (i.e. not the social worker’s supervisor) who has a significant level of experience and understanding of adoption and permanence issues and experience of chairing complex meetings. The role of the Placement Co-ordinator will only cease when it is agreed with the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer that the future reviews of the placement will take place via the Adoption Plan Review Procedure.

The Placement Co-ordinator’s role is to:

• Chair and arrange for the minute taking of Adoption Placement Meetings, Placement Planning Meetings and Review of Placement Planning Meetings
• Have oversight of the action plans agreed at such meetings and take responsibility for ensuring that the actions agreed have been taken forward within agreed timescales
• Coordinate the work of the professionals involved ensuring adequate preparation of the child and adopters
• Ensure all the arrangements and notifications have taken place in relation to the placement
• Ensure that the Independent Reviewing Officer is kept informed and that the responsibility to review the placement is transferred at the appropriate time.

REFERRAL TO ADOPTION & PERMANENCE TEAM

Referrals should always be made in writing on the template referral form and sent by e-mail to the co-ordinating Practice Manager in the Adoption and Permanence Team.

CONSULTATION

All referrals will be acknowledged by e-mail and a Practice Manager will offer an initial telephone consultation. The purpose of this consultation is to agree timetabling for key aspects of the process such as the presentation of the Child's Permanence Report to the Panel and the Permanence Planning Meeting.

Consultation can also be offered on issues such as: the planning options; contact plans; preparation of the child; the likely time-scales for identifying a placement and advice on any other relevant issues.

An e-mail outlining the agreed timetable will be sent to child’s Social Worker and Practice Manager by the Practice Manager, Adoption and Permanence Team.

PERMANENCE PLANNING MEETING

Permanence Planning Meetings (PPMs) are convened, chaired and minuted by a Practice Manager, Adoption and Permanence Team.

PPMs are single agency meetings and the following people may be invited to attend:     

• Social Worker, Fieldwork
• Practice Manager, Fieldwork
• Foster Carers’ Supervising Social Worker
• Children’s Guardian

The primary objective of the PPM is to agree the family finding strategy and the timetable for implementation. Before the family finding strategy can be implemented, the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) must have decided (following consideration by the Adoption and Permanence Panel) that the child should be placed for adoption.  When a placement is needed outside of Brighton & Hove Children and Young People's Trust resources, Court agreement to advertising will be required if the agency does not have Authority to Place for Adoption (either via a Placement Order or with the formal Parental Consent witnessed by a CAFCASS officer).

ALLOCATION OF A FAMILY FINDING SOCIAL WORKER

Once the family finding strategy has been agreed at the PPM, a Social Worker from the Adoption and Permanence Team will be allocated to take the lead role in family finding. Where allocation is delayed, a named Practice Manager, Adoption and Permanence Team, will take responsibility for family finding.

FAMILY-FINDING PROCESS

The role of the Family Finding Social Worker, in cooperation with the child’s Social Worker is to:

1. Assemble evidence of the child’s needs.
2. Assess the child’s readiness  to move to an adoptive placement.
3. Analyse the child’s needs in relation to the placement of his/her brothers and sisters.
4. Draw up agreed matching criteria and a profile of the adoptive family needed (See BAAF Practice Guidance on the Preparation of Child Profiles) 
5. Explore the availability of adopters against this profile.
6. Offer consultation, in liaison with the Adoption Support Services Adviser (defined in the Keyword Appendix), in the formulation  of the Adoption Support Plan (including a contact and  financial support) where appropriate - for further detail, see Adoption Support Services Procedure.

Responsibilities of the Family Finding Social Worker

In order to assemble the information needed to draw up the matching criteria and profile, the Family Finding Social Worker will:

• talk to the child’s Social Worker, foster carer, therapist, birth parent, teacher or child as appropriate.
• draw up agreed matching criteria and copy this to the child’s Social worker
• complete a profile and circulate / place features as agreed including referral to the South East Adoption Consortium and the National Adoption Register as appropriate
• respond to all initial enquiries received, undertake initial discussions with social workers for the prospective adopters  and arrange for the exchange of  the Child’s Permanence Report and the Prospective Adopters’ Reports
• read and shortlist the Prospective Adopters’ Reports and forward these to the child’s Social Worker with an analysis of strengths and risk factors
• arrange and attend visits to prospective adopters with the child’s Social Worker and agree issues for clarification or discussion beforehand.
• co-ordinate further meetings for prospective carers (e.g. with foster carers, Medical Adviser, therapist, school, to view file). See: Full Information for Prospective Adopters and Long-term Foster Carers Guidance.
• attend legal planning meetings, Placement Reviews, liaise with Children's Guardians, provide information for Court statements and contribute to Care Plans as required.
• liaison with foster carers and the Fostering Team where foster carers require guidance on moving a child to an adoptive placement.
• meet with the child’s Social Worker to review the family finding strategy at three monthly intervals.
• maintain written records of work undertaken and decisions made.

Responsibilities of Child’s Social Worker

The responsibilities of the child’s Social Worker are:

• to ensure that the Family Finding Social Worker is provided with updates on any changes in the child’s situation – e.g. progress of Care Proceedings; medical and education reviews; contact plans; birth family’s wishes and views. Also to provide copies of relevant reports – e.g. Child's Permanence Report, expert reports, medical assessments.
• to progress the child's adoption medical and the presentation of the Child's Permanence Report to the Adoption and Permanence Panel according to the agreed timetable.
• to return feedback promptly on Prospective Adopters’ Reports (i.e. within10 working days) and reasons for proceeding or not proceeding
• to prioritise visits to prospective adopters and subsequent meetings between the prospective adopters and key people – e.g. foster carer, Medical Adviser and school.
• where the child is or has been the subject of Court proceedings, to liaise as necessary with Legal Services to seek the Court’s leave to disclose any relevant Court documents
• to attend meetings with the Family Finding Social Worker to review the child's Permanence Plan and family finding strategy at three monthly intervals.
• to ensure their Practice Manager is consulted as appropriate with regard to reading Prospective Adopters’ Reports, and as to whether the Practice Manager, Fieldwork wishes to attend visits to or meetings with prospective adopters
• to ensure the appropriate preparation of the child - see Section 3, Preparation of the Child for Adoption. Children should be well prepared before joining a new family and this will include clear and appropriate information on their birth family and their life before adoption. The Family Finding Social Worker can provide consultation and books for children to assist with this process.

Where it is considered that a placement of the child with overseas adopters would be appropriate, see Section 11, Adoptive Placements Abroad.

Adoption Placement Meeting

Where a suitable approved adoptive family has been identified, the child’s Social Worker will arrange an Adoption Placement Meeting involving his/her Manager, the Family Finding Social Worker and the Supervising Social Worker for the potential family. The Placement Coordinator will chair the meeting.

The Adoption Placement Report will be used as guidance for the agenda of the meeting.

The Adoption Placement Meeting will consider:

• A summary of the family finding undertaken and the reasons for wishing to proceed with the proposed placement.
• The profile of the chosen family and their ability to meet the needs of the child
• The strengths and vulnerabilities of the proposed placement
• The views of the child, birth parents/family and current carer about the proposed placement
• The preparation work that has been undertaken with the child and the progress of life story work
• The arrangements for contact between the child and significant relatives/persons. This should include contact post placement and post adoption order.
• The assessed adoption support needs of the prospective adoptive family and the child.
• Any restrictions on the exercise of Parental Responsibility by the prospective adopters and the birth family if the proposed placement goes ahead
• The views of the prospective adopters about the proposed placement, contact plans, any proposed restrictions on their exercise of Parental Responsibility and their adoption support needs
• An outline of the transition and introduction plan and the arrangements for preparing the prospective adopters for this as well as a date for the Adoption Placement Planning Meeting
• Reaffirm the name that the child will be known by post placement ensuring that the adopters are aware of the expectation to keep the child’s given name. Surnames should not be changed until the making of the Adoption Order. Leave from the Court is required to change either a first name or a surname unless agreement is given by all those with Parental Responsibility.
• The timescale for the completion of the Adoption Placement Report and plan to refer the proposed placement to the Adoption and Permanence Panel plus a date for the Adoption Placement Planning meeting (See: Section 8, Planning the Placement ).
• Completion in draft of the Adoption Placement Plan
• The need for the Social Worker to keep Legal Services informed of developments and seek the Court’s leave to disclose relevant Court documents to prospective adopters where Court proceedings are ongoing (if not already done). See: Full Information for Prospective Adopters and Long-term Foster Carers)

The minutes of the Adoption Placement Meeting will be prepared by a Team Administrator and a copy sent to the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer.

Following the Adoption Placement Meeting, where a decision has been made to refer a proposed placement to the Adoption and Permanence Panel, the child’s Social Worker in conjunction with the Family Finding Social Worker and the prospective adopters’ Supervising Social Worker will complete the Adoption Placement Report and a proposed Adoption Support Plan.

The Adoption Placement Report must be written by a qualified Social Worker with suitable experience (see Section 17, Adoption and Permanence Panel Procedure) and must include the prospective adopter’s views on the proposed placement, contact arrangements (including meeting with the birth parents), adoption support and any proposed restrictions on their exercise of Parental Responsibility after the placement.

The Supervising Social Worker for the prospective adopters (if it is a placement with Brighton & Hove adopters) or the Social Worker for the child (in inter-agency placements) will need to notify the prospective adopter(s) of the outcome of the Adoption Placement Meeting and send them a copy of the Adoption Placement Report including the draft Adoption Support Plan. The prospective adopter(s) should then be allowed 10 working days to submit their views on the reports to the Social Worker before they are presented to Panel.

The child’s Social Worker will keep the parents and child informed of progress (unless the parent has stated that he or she do not wish to be kept informed).

7. Approval for child to be placed with particular adopters

The following timescale should generally be adhered to:

A proposed placement with a suitable prospective adopter should be identified and approved by the Adoption and Permanence Panel within 6 months of the agency deciding that the child should be placed for adoption except in the following cases:

• Where the agency considers that in a particular case complying with this timescale would not be in the child’s interests – the paramount consideration must always be the welfare of the child.
• Where a parent requests adoption for a child of less than six months of age, the placement is to be identified, recommended by the Adoption and Permanence Panel and approved within 3 months of the agency’s formal approval that the child is suitable to be placed for adoption.

Presentation to the Adoption and Permanence Panel:

To enable the Adoption and Permanence Panel to consider the proposed placement, the child’s Social Worker should ensure that the following documents are sent to the Panel Administrator (See: Arranging to Present Cases to the Adoption and Permanence Panel Guidance):

1. A Panel paperwork checklist stating the recommendations sought and who will be attending the Adoption and Permanence Panel
2. The Child’s Permanence Report
3. The Prospective Adopter’s Report, updated as necessary, on the chosen adopters. The medical report and Criminal Records Bureau check must have been obtained within the last 2 years
4. The Adoption Placement Report
5. The proposed Adoption Support Plan.
6. The views of the prospective adopters on the Adoption Placement Report and the proposed contact arrangements

The Panel Administrator will arrange for the Panel minutes in relation to the recommendations that the child should be placed for adoption and, where in-house approved, that the prospective adopters are suitable to be adopters, to be circulated to Panel members, with the reports. Where there is a proposed inter-agency placement, the child’s Social Worker must obtain the relevant Panel minutes and forward them to the Panel Administrator for circulation.

The child’s Social Worker, the prospective adopters’ Supervising Social Worker, together with their respective supervisors will attend the Adoption and Permanence Panel during consideration of the matter. The prospective adopters will also be invited to attend and must be provided with written information about the Panel process in advance of the meeting.

The Adoption and Permanence Panel’s recommendation as to whether the child should be placed for adoption with the particular prospective adopters will be recorded in writing, together with reasons, in the Panel’s minutes. The Panel must also consider and may give advice in relation to the proposed adoption support, the proposed arrangements for contact and any proposed restrictions on the exercise of Parental Responsibility by the prospective adopters and/or the birth parents. A copy of the relevant minute must be placed on the child’s and the prospective adopters’ Adoption Case Records.

The child’s Social Worker will convey the recommendation of the Adoption and Permanence Panel to the birth parents, foster carers and the child (if appropriate having regard to his or her age and understanding) within one working day of the Panel meeting.

The prospective adopters’ Supervising Social Worker will convey the Panel’s recommendation orally to the prospective adopters within one working day, if the prospective adopters are not in attendance.

After the Panel has considered the reports and made a written recommendation, the Agency Adviser will arrange for the Panel minutes and reports considered by the Panel to be sent to the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption). The Agency Adviser will meet with the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) within five working days of the Panel meeting to clarify any issues discussed by Panel. The Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) will make a decision based on the information provided within 7 working days of the Panel meeting. The decision will be recorded in writing. If the Panel has given advice in relation to adoption support, proposed contact and/or the exercise of Parental Responsibility by the prospective adopters and/or the birth parents, the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) may express a view on such advice.

Where the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) is minded to disagree with the Panel recommendation, he/she must first discuss the case with another senior officer with relevant experience, who must not be a Panel member. This discussion must be recorded and placed on the child’s and the prospective adopter’s Adoption Case Record.

The Agency Adviser will communicate the decision to the child’s Social Worker within one working day; the child’s Social Worker will convey the decision orally to the parents and foster carers within 2 working days, and to the child as appropriate according to his or her age and understanding.

The Agency Adviser will communicate the decision to the prospective adopters’ Supervising Social Worker, who will convey the decision orally to the prospective adopters within 2 working days.

The Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) will send written notification of the decision to the parents via the child's Social Worker within 5 working days. The child's Social Worker should hand deliver the letter to the parents or send it by recorded delivery.

The Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) will send written notification of the decision to the prospective adopters within 5 working days, together with the Matching Certificate and the Adoption Support Plan.

Copies of the above letters will also be sent to the child’s Social Worker and the prospective adopters’ Supervising Social Worker and these must be placed on their respective Adoption Case Records.

8. Planning the Placement

Once the match has been approved, the child’s Social Worker will convene an Adoption Placement Planning Meeting to draw up the detailed Adoption Placement Plan, confirming the details of the introductions, placement and post-placement work. The Placement Co-ordinator will chair the meeting. In some cases it may be appropriate to hold a Placement Planning Meeting before the Panel has considered the match where this would avoid unnecessary delay in a child being placed. In such cases it should be made clear that all plans are contingent on the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) deciding that  the match should proceed. The Family Finding Social Worker is able to provide advice and consultation on the timing of Placement Planning Meetings.

The Adoption Placement Plan will include details of:

• whether the placement is to be made under a Placement Order or with Parental consent,
• the proposed date of the placement,
• who will be present when the placement takes place,
• the Adoption Support Plan,
• whether and how the exercise of Parental Responsibility by the prospective adopters and/or the birth parents is to be restricted,
• the arrangements for the monitoring and supervision of the placement (including contact details of key support staff during office hours and out of hours),
• the date when the life story book and any Later Life letters will be passed to the prospective adopters,
• the date and arrangements for the first Adoption Plan Review - see Adoption Plan Review Procedure,
• any post-placement contact between the child and members of his or her birth family and/or the child and the foster Carers, and
• clarification of who will make the necessary notifications of the placement (See: Section 9, ‘The Placement’).
• the steps required leading up to the child’s placement with the prospective adopters, including the first meeting between the child and the prospective adoptive family,
• the programme of and detailed arrangements for their introductions (dates, times, venues, transport and accommodation). If overnight stays are not part of the introduction plan for a child over 3 years of age, the approval of the Head of Service, Fieldwork will be required.
• the reimbursement of any expenses of the introductions,
• any other financial assistance to enable the placement to occur (See: Adoption Support Services Procedure) and,
• where appropriate, a meeting between the parents and the prospective adopters.

The child’s Social Worker must ascertain the child’s views and report these to the Adoption Placement Planning Meeting.

In order to draw up the detailed Adoption Placement Plan, the Adoption Placement Planning Meeting will consider:

• The amount of time the prospective adopters intend to take off work to help settle the child and consider any significant work or family commitments that are likely to put the prospective adopters under any additional pressure. This may affect the detail of the introduction plan or highlight the need for additional support during a certain period.
• The plan for the first introduction meeting - as the Social Worker for the child should always be present and the adopters’ Supervising Social Worker should be available to talk to the prospective adopters after the first meeting. Both Social Workers will then need to have a discussion and agree whether the introduction plan should proceed as planned.
• The name by which the child will be known from the time of placement, which will be their given birth name unless consent is given to change of name by all those persons with Parental Responsibility or leave of the Court has been granted to change the name.
• What the child should call the carers and how others should refer to them when talking to the child.
• Whether there is a need to secure the availability of the child’s current placement throughout and beyond the planned moving date to allow for extension or deferral of the proposed placement if necessary.
• Any forthcoming plans for contact with the birth family. Contact plans will have been addressed in principle within the Adoption Placement Report but need to be developed into a workable plan in consultation with the Adoption and Permanence Team. A contact referral must be made to the Adoption Support Services Adviser to co-ordinate this.
• Detail of contact plans for the current foster carers post-placement.
• Outstanding appointments for the child (i.e. health, education, social etc)
• Written information for the prospective adopters/foster carers in respect of the child’s daily routines (usually prepared by the current foster carers).
• The need for any additional equipment the prospective adopters require and the details of what equipment will go with the child. (The Adoption Support Plan will have already detailed any financial agreement including settling in and introduction expenses).
• Whether there is an appropriate travel bag in which to move the child’s belongings.
• Whether the necessary documents are available for the prospective adopters for the date the child is to move to their care (i.e. copy of Care Order/ Placement Order/birth certificate/passport/health record etc).
• The arrangements for registering the child with the prospective adopters' GP, health visitor or school
• The date of the Adoption Placement Plan Review Meeting will need to be booked. This will usually take place during the second half on the introduction period a few days prior to the planned possible placement date.
• The Matching Certificate (sent to the prospective adopters) with the decision of the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) should be completed with the provisional date that the child will be placed with the prospective adopters. The prospective adopters need to be clear that this date may change at the Adoption Placement Plan Review Meeting.
• Date for the adopters to read the child’s case files, supported by the child’s Social Worker, if this has not already occurred.

For inter-agency placements (non-Consortium) the Placement Co-ordinator will also need to ensure that the BAAF Form H1 is also completed at the Adoption Placement Planning Meeting, detailing any financial aspects of the proposed placement.

Issues such as financial support to the placement must be agreed by the Designated Manager (Adoption Support) in advance of an Adoption Placement Planning meeting – see: Adoption Support Services Procedure- and the completed H1 form should be sent to this Manager for an authorising signature.

Those attending Adoption Placement Planning Meetings will be the child’s Social Worker, his/her Manager as appropriate, the prospective adopters and their Supervising Social Worker, the foster carers, the foster carers’ Supervising Social Worker, the Family Finding Social Worker, representatives of the health trust (where appropriate), and any other worker engaged in direct work with the child.

All workers involved must be clear about their respective roles and responsibilities in the implementation of the Adoption Placement Plan, and what should happen in the event of difficulties. Changes to the Adoption Placement Plan can only be made with the agreement of the Placement Co-ordinator and must be notified to the prospective adopters in writing, with a copy of the revised Plan.

The child’s Social Worker, the foster carers' Supervising Social Worker and the Supervising Social Worker for the prospective adopters are expected to be in regular and frequent contact with the child, foster carer and prospective adopter(s) during the period of the introductions. Information should be shared by and with all those involved on a regular basis, at the frequency identified at the Adoption Placement Planning Meeting. The Adoption Placement Plan will then be reviewed at an agreed date.

The Adoption Placement Plan Review Meeting should:

• Invite the views of all those present on how the introductory process is progressing and seek the views of all parties to the plan for the child to move to the prospective adopters. The Social Worker for the child and the current foster carer will need to ensure that the wishes and feelings of the child, dependent on their age and understanding, are conveyed to the meeting
• Decide on the timescales and detailed arrangements for the moving in date. The Social Worker for the child will need to be present at the time the new carers arrive at the foster home to move the child to their new home
• Finalise the Adoption Placement Plan and ensure all the key actions agreed at previous meetings have taken place and make any adjustments to that plan as necessary. It will be important to ensure that all the required notifications have been sent out as specified within the plan (See: Section 9, The Placement)
• Specify the detailed visiting schedule of both the social worker and the adopters’ supervising social worker for the placement – See: Monitoring and Supervision of the Placement.
• The prospective adopters need to be reminded that they cannot make an Adoption Application until the child has lived with them for 10 weeks
• Consider any further issues in relation to the Adoption Support Plan. The prospective adopters should be reminded that they can claim child benefit from the date the child is placed with them (a standard letter which protects their identity is available from the Adoption and Permanence Team)
• In liaison with the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer, book the date for the first Adoption Plan Review meeting - see Adoption Plan Reviews Procedure
• Clarify the role of the current foster carer and agree the date for the first visit of the foster carers to the new placement after the moving date
• If all parties are in agreement that the placement can proceed, the meeting should ‘sign off’ the role of the Placement Co-ordinator. (The placement will be the subject of Adoption Plan Reviews)
• If it is decided that the introduction plans need to be extended it would be necessary for the Placement Co-ordinator to remain in role until all parties are agreed that the placement should proceed. In such a situation a further Adoption Placement Plan Review Meeting should be held.
• If the Placement Co-ordinator is to stay in role following the child’s move until the first Adoption Plan Review there needs to be close co-ordination between the Placement Co-ordinator and the Independent Reviewing Officer to ensure clarity of role.

The Placement Co-ordinator will need to ensure that the Adoption Placement Plan Review Meeting is recorded, copies of the record of the meeting are sent to all participants and a copy put on the child’s Adoption Case Record.

A further meeting can be called by any of the parties if issues of concern arise.

Adoption Placement Planning and Review Meetings should have the same people invited and take place at a venue accessible to all parties.

Where the child is to be adopted by his or her foster carers (including Concurrency Carers), whilst there will be no need for a plan for introductions, the Social Worker should still convene an Adoption Placement Planning Meeting, in order to draw up the Adoption Placement Plan to cover the areas other than introductions as set out above and to specify the date when the placement is to be regarded as an adoptive placement.

As soon as the detailed Adoption Placement Plan is finalised, (usually after the Adoption Placement Plan Review Meeting), it will be circulated by the Placement Co-ordinator to the child’s Social Worker and the adopters’ Supervising Social Worker. A copy of the Plan should be given to the prospective adopters by their Supervising Social Worker. The prospective adopters must confirm in writing to the Placement Co-ordinator that they wish the placement to proceed and sign the Adoption Placement Plan. A copy of this written confirmation must be retained on the child’s and the prospective adopter's Adoption Case Record.

A copy of the Adoption Placement Plan should also be given by the child’s Social Worker to the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer.

Where contact is part of the adoption plan, a proposal will already have been outlined in the Adoption Support Plan. At the Adoption Placement Plan Review Meeting, a plan for producing a document outlining the contact arrangements must be agreed, with clarity about who will be responsible for negotiating this with the birth parents/relatives and the prospective adoptive parents (for example, the Letterbox Coordinator). All parties will be  provided with written confirmation of the contact arrangements.  The birth relatives’ copy should not reveal any identifying information about the placement.

If the proposed placement does not proceed, the Placement Co-ordinator in conjunction with the child’s Social Worker and Family Finding Social Worker should consider whether a disruption meeting should be held - see: Disruption Meetings Procedures.

9. The Placement

Once the match of the child has been approved, the adoption agency has Authority to Place for Adoption (either through a Placement Order or Parental Consent to the Adoptive Placement), the plan of introductions has been successfully completed and the Adoption Placement Plan has been completed and signed by all parties, the placement can go ahead. A Social Worker should be present when the placement takes place.

Prior to the placement, the child’s Social Worker must ensure that all the following information/items have been provided to the prospective adopters. (See: Full Information for Prospective Adopters and Long-term Foster Carers))

1. Authority to consent to medical and dental treatment
2. Parent-held Child Health Record
3. Any letters, photographs or mementos from the birth family, including a ‘Later in Life’ letter from the birth Parent if possible, and the Life Story Book
4. The child’s passport (if applicable)
5. The Adoption Support Plan, including a named post-Allocated Social Worker
6. The Adoption Placement Plan including arrangements for support and visits by the child’s Social Worker and their own Supervising Social Worker
7. Any other relevant information, including specialist reports (subject to the author’s consent)

The prospective adopters should be asked to sign confirmation of receipt. Where the information/items are provided at different times, the prospective adopters must sign and date confirmation of receipt on each occasion.

Prior to the placement, notification must be sent by the worker identified in the Adoption Placement Plan to the present and new GP, the local authority (where the adoptive family live outside Brighton and Hove), the relevant Health Trust and, if the child is at nursery or of school age, the relevant local education authority (with information about the child’s education history and whether the child has special needs). These notifications are still required where the prospective adopters were previously the child’s foster carers, including Concurrency Carers.

Prior to the placement, the Medical Adviser should be requested to send a medical report on the child to the child’s new GP and, in appropriate cases, to meet the adopters to discuss medical issues.

Where the child’s foster carers (including Concurrency Carers) are the prospective adopters, the Adoption and Permanence Team must confirm in writing to them the date from which the placement becomes an adoptive placement.

The child’s Social Worker must inform the parents of the date of the placement, unless the Parents have stated that they do not wish to be kept informed. No identifying information about the placement should be conveyed to birth parents or relatives.

The child’s Social Worker should ensure the date of the placement is recorded, so that the records identifies that the child is placed for adoption but does not show the placement address.

The Designated Manager (Adoption Support) will inform the relevant finance officer where the Adoption Support Plan includes financial support so that payments can start - see Adoption Support Services Procedure.

10. Progress Reports: Children Approved for Adoption

In all cases where the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) has decided that a child should be placed for adoption, the child’s Social Worker must present a Progress Report to the Adoption and Permanence Panel every 6 months. The attendance of the Social Worker is not required unless requested by the Agency Adviser. See Progress Reports Guidance

The Adoption and Permanence Panel may request an earlier Progress Report on an individual case when first considering the child.

The outcome of the Adoption and Permanence Panel’s consideration should be notified to the child (if old enough), the birth parents (in appropriate cases), the prospective adopters (where the child is placed) and any other relevant person.

After a child has been approved for adoption and once Authority to Place for Adoption has been obtained (either through a Placement Order or Parental Consent to the Adoptive Placement), the child will also be the subject of regular Adoption Plan Reviews, chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer – See: Adoption Plan Reviews Procedures.

11. Adoptive Placements Abroad

Where an adoptive placement outside the UK appears to be a viable option, and consultation with the child (if old enough) supports this, the proposal must be considered at a child’s Looked After Review before becoming part of the child’s Care Plan.

The child may be considered for an adoptive placement with known prospective adopters in which case it will be for the adoption agency to satisfy itself that the prospective adopters are suitable to adopt the child. Otherwise, the child may be referred to the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) for a suitable linking to be identified, (see below).

In either circumstance, the case must be referred to the Adoption and Permanence Panel in accordance with Section 1, Planning for Permanence, seeking a formal recommendation that adoption outside the UK is in the best interests of the child. The Child’s Permanence Report must include an assessment of the possibility of placing the child for adoption in the British Isles and consideration of whether adoption of the child by a person in a particular country would be in the best interests of the child.

The Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) must consider the recommendation and decide whether the child should be placed for adoption overseas. The notification to the child (if old enough) and the parents must include an explanation of the placement possibilities in the British Isles and abroad.

Where a decision is made to pursue the option of placement overseas, the child’s Social Worker should consult with Legal Services about the legal process, and seek the approval of the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) to an application for a Placement Order.

Where no Prospective Adopters have been identified

Where such a decision is made to place the child overseas, the child’s Social Worker must notify the DFES of the following:

1. The child’s file reference number
2. The child’s name
3. The child’s date of birth
4. The gender of the child
5. The reasons why the decision has been made that adoption outside the UK may be suitable for the child
6. The date of any Placement Order

The DFES maintains a list of children waiting for inter country adoption.

If a decision is made after the child’s name is placed on the list that an overseas adoptive placement is no longer appropriate, the child’s Social Worker must inform the DFES so that the child’s details are removed from the list.

Where the DFES receive an application from a foreign country, it will check that the prospective adopters have been assessed as eligible and suitable, and that they meet the age requirement of the UK law, and if so, consider whether there are children of the age and gender to match the prospective adopters’ approval.

Where there are children on the list who appear, on the face of it, to match the prospective adopters, the DFES will send the relevant papers on the prospective adopters to the local authority looking after the child.

Upon receipt of the papers, the child’s Social Worker in conjunction with the Adoption and Permanence Team will consider whether the prospective adopters would meet the child’s needs. Where necessary, additional information should be requested from the overseas authority via the DFES.

Where it is decided that the prospective adopters are not suitable, the DFES should be notified and the papers returned.

Where it is decided that the prospective adopters are suitable, the DFES should be notified and the proposed match referred to the Adoption and Permanence Panel for consideration in accordance with the usual procedure. Included in the papers to be presented to the Panel must be the report on the prospective adopters by the foreign authority.

The child’s Social Worker must notify the DFES of the decision made.

Where the decision is to proceed with the placement, the child’s Social Worker must send the Child’s Permanence Report, together with any Placement Order and a recent photograph of the child, to the DFES for onward transmission to the overseas authority and the prospective adopters.

Where the prospective adopters decide to go ahead with the placement, they will be required to travel to meet the child.

The matching procedures will then apply as for any other potential placement.

Placement Planning Meetings should be convened in accordance with the usual procedure to plan the prospective adopters’ first meeting with the child, introductions and where the placement goes ahead, regular reports should be required from the relevant overseas authority after the placement.

lf the prospective adopters still wish to go ahead and the Placement Planning Meeting confirms that the placement meets the child’s needs, the child’s Social Worker must inform the DFES, who will contact the overseas authority to confirm that they are content for the placement to go ahead and that the child will be permitted to enter and reside permanently. In these circumstances, the DFES will enter the necessary agreement with the overseas authority.

The child’s Social Worker can then arrange for the placement to go ahead.

The prospective adopters will need to seek independent legal advice about the need to apply for a Convention Adoption Order in the UK (which will require the child to be with the adopters for at least 6 months prior to the application) or a Section 84 Order from the High Court granting them Parental Responsibility to take the child outside the UK for the purposes of adoption (which will require the child to be with the adopters for at least 10 weeks prior to the application). In either case, the Court will require a Social Worker’s report - see Court Reports in Adoption/Special Guardianship for a detailed list of the contents.

The prospective adopters will need to arrange for the foreign authority to monitor the placement as required by the Placement Planning Meeting.

Where Prospective Adopters have been identified

It will be for the adoption agency to satisfy itself that the prospective adopters are suitable to adopt the child. The assessment should usually be carried out in the prospective adopters’ country and then sent to the adoption agency in the same way as for any other prospective adopter.

The matching procedures will then apply as for any other potential placement.

Placement Planning Meetings should be convened in accordance with the usual placement procedures to plan the prospective adopters’ first meeting with the child, introductions and where the placement goes ahead, regular reports should be required from the relevant overseas authority after the placement.

The prospective adopters will need to seek independent legal advice about the need to apply for a Section 84 Order from the High Court granting them Parental responsibility to take the child outside the UK for the purposes of adoption (which will require the child to be with the adopters for at least 10 weeks prior to the application). Where such an application is made, the Court will require a Social Worker’s report - see Court Reports in Adoption/Special Guardianship for a detailed list of the contents.

The child’s Social Worker will need to arrange for the foreign authority to monitor the placement as required by the Placement Planning Meeting.

End