Disruption of Adoptive Placements

Where an adoptive placement breaks down prior to the granting of an Adoption Order, a Disruption Meeting must be held to identify the reasons for the breakdown and to learn lessons from the events surrounding the breakdown. When endings are unplanned, then the welfare and well-being of children remain paramount and all staff act at all times with this in mind.

The Disruption Meeting will be held no sooner than 28 days after and no later than 42 days after the placement breaking down, and will follow a set agenda. A care planning meeting will have been held in relation to the immediate and future plans for the child prior to this.

The child's Social Worker will arrange for the meeting to be chaired independently by an experienced practitioner or manager from outside the adoption service and not involved in the line management of the case responsible Social Worker. Where the adopters are approved by an agency other than Cumbria Adoption, we would normally request an independent chair.

The Disruption Meeting will be convened by the child's Social Worker working with the Adoption Adviser and Business Support, who will invite the prospective adoptive parents, their Social Worker, the current carers, the child's Independent Reviewing Officer and any other relevant people. The child's Social Worker will ensure that the child's views and feelings are given to the meeting in the most appropriate way. Minutes will be taken at the Disruption Meeting.

A further Care Planning meeting for the child after the Disruption Meeting is needed and a Review held of the prospective adopters to consider the recommendations of the Disruption meeting for both parties – the child and the prospective adopters.

The child's Social Worker and the prospective adopters' Social Worker should attend the Adoption Panel to present the minutes and recommendations from the Disruption Meeting When this is considered, the Panel should also receive copies of the PAR, approval panel minutes and ADM, CPR, Adoption Support Plan and Placement Report, matching Panel minutes and ADM decision and the minutes from the Disruption Meeting.

The child's Social Worker should contact the Panel Administrator to book a date for the Adoption Panel to consider the matter and the relevant documents should be sent to the Panel Administrator 10 working days before the Panel meeting.

Where an Adoption Placement Plan is terminated before the adoptive placement takes place (i.e. during introductions), a Meeting to consider the cessation of the match should be held. This would not require an Independent chair and can be chaired by the child's Team Manager. However, an independent chair may be useful. This meeting should consider the reasons for the match not progressing,  the care plan for the child and the review of the prospective adopters. The chair of the meeting will prepare a report for the Adoption Panel. The report must outline the reasons for the breakdown and any learning points for the organisation(s).

In all such cases, the Adoption Panel may give their view on whether the plan for the child should be reviewed and where it is in house approved prospective adopters' whether their approval should be reconsidered, and these issues may need to be further investigated and reports be presented to a subsequent meeting.