Placement for Adoption

Every Looked After Child must have a Permanence Plan at the earliest opportunity and all the latest by the date of their second Children Looked After Review.

When an Adoption Plan is being considered in relation to a Looked After Child, a representative of the Adoption Service must be invited to the permanence planning  meeting. The Adoption service must be notified where adoption is a likely plan so the child can be tracked and links considered at the earliest opportunity.

In relation to a Relinquished Child, an early planning meeting should be arranged  which will include relevant staff from the Adoption Service, and will usually be led by the Adoption service. It will be usual for the allocated Social Worker to be from the Children’s Adoption team. Where adoption is considered to be the preferred option for a relinquished child, family finding will begin immediately in order to achieve early placement following the decision.

Family finding should begin as soon as adoption is under consideration by including the child on the Adoption Tracker. When the Agency Decision Maker decides that the child should be placed for adoption a family finding plan will be completed. An Early Permanence placement should always be considered.

In the case of siblings, an early decision should be taken as to whether it is in the best interests of each child to be placed together or separately, and the impact on each child of that decision. The decision should be based on a balanced assessment of the individual needs of each child in the group, and the likely or possible consequences of each option on each child. Factors that may need to be considered will include: the nature of the sibling group (do the siblings know each other/ how they are related); whether the children have formed an attachment; the health needs of each child; and each child's view (noting that a child's views and perceptions will change over time).

Section 22C of the Children Act 1989 (amended by the Children and Families Act 2014) imposes upon local authorities a duty that where:

• They are considering adoption for a child (this can be at an early stage, and can be before a decision has been made by the Agency Decision Maker that the child should be place for adoption); or
• They are satisfied that the child ought to be placed for adoption, but do not yet have authority to place the child for adoption (either by way of parental consent or by way of Placement Order);
• Then the local authority MUST consider placing the child with:
  • Firstly - a relative, friend or Connected Person who is also a local authority foster carer; or
  • Where they decide that a placement with such a person is not the most appropriate placement for the child, they must consider placing the child with a local authority foster carer who has been approved as a prospective adopter (an early permanence carer).

See Early Permanence: Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters Procedure.

Section 9 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 amends section 1(4)(f) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 added into the list of considerations whenever a court or adoption agency is coming to a decision relating to the adoption of a child, and now includes the child's relationship with any person who is a prospective adopter with whom the child is placed, as well as the relationships which the child has with their relatives and with any other persons the court or agency considers to be relevant.

Not all cases must be referred to the Adoption Panel. Cases where the criteria apply for the local authority to apply for a Placement Order, i.e. the child is the subject of a Care Order or the Threshold Criteria for a Care Order are satisfied or where there is no parent or guardian, will not be referred to the Adoption Panel for a recommendation, but will be referred directly to the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) for a decision. All other cases (i.e. where the parents have given consent and there is no application for a Placement Order) will continue to be referred to the Adoption Panel for a recommendation, which the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) will take into account when making a decision.

The process for the work towards the Agency Decision for adoption is fully set out in the appendix document CPR SHOPA process.

The allocated Social Worker from the Support and Protect team will be involved and undertake all court work and statutory work until the Placement Order is made. The Social Worker from the Children’s Adoption team will become involved worker when the plan becomes adoption and carry out the adoption related actions. The detailed plan of who does what will be agreed in the planning meeting held following receipt of the Child Permanence Report request form. When a Placement Order is made, full case responsibility will transfer to the Social Worker in the Children’s Adoption team.

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

• Arrange a date for the case to be referred to the Adoption Panel (where the parents have given consent and there is no application for a Placement Order – relinquished child). In all other cases the Social Worker will refer to the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) by completing a Child Permanence Report request to the Children's Adoption team and booking a date via the SHOPA mailbox.
  This date must be a maximum of 2 months from the date when the Adoption Plan was agreed at the child's Children Looked After Review. Where this timescale is not met, the reason should be recorded;
• Note - from September 2023 (Westmorland and Furness) and January 2024 (Cumberland) where the plan is adoption, the permanence plan does  need to be separately considered at Permanence prior to consideration by the ADM;
• Continue to provide counselling for the child - see Section 3, Preparation of Child for Adoption;
• Booking a SHOPA date will activate the Adoption Family Finding Service.

The child's social worker opens an Adoption Case Record for the child once adoption has been identified as the permanence plan for the child at their Looked After Review or, where a child has been relinquished for adoption, as soon as the parent's request for adoption has been made. 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 written information on adoption and ask them to sign confirmation of receipt, a copy of which should be kept on the child's Adoption Case Record and a further copy should be handed to the parents.

If either or both of the birth parents refuse to accept or do not receive the information, this should be recorded, with reasons, on the child's case record and 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. See also Section 4, Counselling and Support for Parents.

If not already obtained, the child's social worker must seek the birth parents' 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. This should be completed much earlier than when adoption becomes the plan, in order to avoid delaying the adoption decisions.

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 - see Section 4.1, 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 electronic record and Adoption Case Record.

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 Department of Works and Pensions and other agencies (including the Council Tax Register, the Passport Office and the housing authority) 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, such as an application to the HMRC.

The child's social worker must contact the child's health visitor or school health 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 service 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, with the help of their Social Worker in Fostering. In the Cumbria Adoption area, this is completed on the Secure Base checklist format. (This will be required for the Child's Permanence Report - see paragraph 2.13).

The child's Social Worker must ensure that the Adoption Plan addresses the issue of post-placement and post-adoption contact. This will include arrangements for parents and the adopters to meet, and the expected arrangements for  ongoing  contact in line with the child’s needs - see Section 6, Post-placement Contact.

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. If the child has siblings already placed for adoption, the Adoption Agency for the prospective adopters of these siblings should be contacted at the earliest opportunity to ascertain whether they would wish to offer a placement and if not, their views on pre and post adoption contact.

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 Procedure.

Using all the information obtained in relation to the above, the child's Social Worker must prepare the Child Permanence Report. The Child Permanence Report will be written by the social worker in the Children's Adoption team  and  must  be a  Social Worker who has been qualified for at least 3 years and has adoption experience (see Adoption Panel Procedure). In Cumbria Adoption, this will be completed by the Involved Social Worker from the Children's Adoption team.

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 their birth family;
• A summary, written by the agency's medical adviser, of the state of the child's health, health history and any need for health care which might arise in the future (Regulation 17 Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005);
• The child's wishes in relation to the Adoption Plan and their preferred method of communication;
• A chronology of key events in the child's life prior to and since birth and the impact or likely impact on the child;
• 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 their 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 and their opportunity to receive and comment on the report before the report is presented to Adoption Panel/Agency Decision Maker;
• A report of the child's educational history and current needs, including the Personal Education Plan (PEP);
• 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;
• A chronology of the decisions and actions taken by the agency with respect to the child;
• An analysis of the options for the child's future care and the alternatives to adoption considered. This must be a balanced view and where experts' assessments are available, their contents and recommendations - even if not supportive of the Adoption Plan - should be included in the Adoption Agency Decision form;
• Where the child has siblings, whether the decision is to place siblings separately or together and the rationale for the decision;
• Any other information which the agency considers relevant.

Those parts of the report that contain factual information about the birth family or others should be shared with the relevant people to enable them to confirm their accuracy and agree to it being passed on to a child in due course. Any such agreement should be clearly recorded on the child's case record. Each of the child's parents should be shown those parts of the report which set out their views and wishes, and given the opportunity, if they so wish, to express these in their own words. Where appropriate, the relevant sections of the Report should also be provided to the child. The parents should be asked to sign the Report and provide any written comments they wish to make.

Presentation to the Adoption Panel

See paragraph 2.1 for circumstances when the case will be referred to the Adoption Panel, and when the case will be referred directly to the Agency Decision Maker. Where cases are referred directly to the Agency Decision Maker, paragraph 2.14 does not apply and the procedure is set out in paragraph 2.15, Referral Directly to Agency Decision Maker.

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

To enable the Adoption Panel to consider whether the child is suitable to be placed for adoption, the child's social worker must present the following reports:

1. The Child Permanence Report (including the Medical Adviser's comments) signed by the child's Adoption Social Worker, the manager and the parent (if willing), and a photograph of the child, together with the parents' written comments (if any);
2. The child's health report and the health information obtained in relation to the parents (where the Medical Adviser so advises);
3. Legal advice about parental consent and the option of seeking a Placement Order;
4. Where experts' assessments are available (including where they have been filed in Court proceedings), their contents and recommendations - even if not supportive of the Adoption Plan - should be presented to the Panel/Agency Decision Maker. The full reports should be presented unless they are voluminous, in which case, as a minimum, those sections setting out the experts' opinion, conclusions and recommendations should be provided. A written summary of such reports should only be provided if all parties to the court proceedings agree in writing that the summary is fair and accurate. Copies of the full reports should be available for Panel members (at the panel meeting) and the Agency Decision Maker to consult if desired, with permission of the court.

The child's Social Worker responsible for the Adoption work will send the relevant reports to the Panel Administrator at least 10 working days before the relevant date of the Adoption Panel.

The child's Social Worker responsible for the Adoption work will attend the Panel meeting during consideration of the matter. The views of the Children's Guardian will be included. The report of the Children's Guardian must not be disclosed without the leave of the court.

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 8, Approval of Matching of Adoptive Parents 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) (see Documents Library, Appendices). 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.

For cases which are presented to the Adoption Panel, the final minutes must be produced promptly and agreed by the Panel members and then sent to the Agency Decision Maker, together with the reports considered by the Panel, to allow the decision to be made within seven working days of receipt of the panel's recommendation and final set of panel minutes.

The Agency Decision Maker must record their decision in writing, together with reasons.

Where the Agency Decision Maker is minded to disagree with the Panel recommendation, they 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.

Referral directly to Agency Decision Maker

See paragraph 2.1 for circumstances when the case will be referred to the Adoption Panel, and when the case will be referred directly to the Agency Decision Maker for the Should be Placed for Adoption decision.

Where cases are to be referred directly to the Agency Decision Maker for a decision, the timetable of submission and ADM decision dates circulated by the Team Manager Panels and Permanence must be adhered to. This should be a maximum of 2 months from the date when the Adoption Plan was agreed at the child's Children Looked After Review. In order for the decision to be made within this timescale, the Agency Decision Maker should be sent the same reports and information as would be submitted to the Adoption Panel, as set out in paragraph 2.14, Presentation to the Adoption Panel.

The child's Social Worker will send the relevant reports to the SHOPA mailbox  at least 10 working days before the relevant date booked with the Agency Decision Maker and after they have been Quality assured by the Team Manager. The relevant dates are circulated to all teams.

The TM Panels and Permanence as Agency Adviser will be responsible for a final check on the presence and quality of the reports and add their comments before they are submitted to the Agency Decision Maker.

In making the decision the Agency Decision Maker may discuss the case with the Agency Adviser, Medical Adviser and legal adviser. However, there is no provision for adjourning the decision to allow time for taking advice. N.B. The Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) is expressly prohibited from referring a case to the Adoption Panel for advice.

The principles of the decision-making should be as set out in Adoption Panel Procedure, Agency Decision Maker.

After the Decision

The parents will be informed orally of the agency's decision within two working days and written confirmation should be sent to them within five working days. These arrangements will be made by the Agency Decision Maker in conjunction with the child's Social Worker.

The letter setting out the agency decision will be sent by recorded delivery, except where delivery by hand has been agreed as appropriate, in which case the letter will be forwarded to the Social Worker for delivery by hand.

The child's Social Worker will also ensure that the child is informed of the decision in a timely and age-appropriate way.

Where the Designated Manager (see Documents Library, Appendices) has made a decision to seek a Placement Order in relation to the child, the child's Social Worker should consult Legal Services in order to prepare the Court application. The child's Social Worker should inform the child's Independent Reviewing Officer of the Court timetable including when the placement application is filed. N.B. Local authorities cannot make applications for Placement Orders until it has been decided by the Agency Decision Maker that the child is suitable to be placed for adoption. In Cumbria Adoption,  the Social Worker from the Support and Protect team is the allocated Social Worker until the Placement Order is made. The Social Worker from the Children's Adoption team becomes the involved Social Worker at the point of preparing and writing the Child Permanence Report and then becomes the allocated Social Worker taking on full case responsibility when the Placement Order is made.

Where there is parental consent to the child's adoptive placement and/or advance parental consent to the child's 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 child's placement and the child is less than 6 weeks old, the Social Worker should ask the parents to sign a written agreement in the prescribed form to facilitate an early placement.

The 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 (as it will be required for the future adoption application).

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 their wishes and feelings about the future; and
• The child has information on their 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 Children's Guide to Adoption as soon as adoption is part of the child's Care Plan. Any information given to the child should be confirmed in writing and any discussions and work with the child should be fully recorded. The child's preferred method of communication should be known and there should be no assumption that a child is unable to communicate. An interpreter should be arranged where necessary to ensure that there is effective communication with the child.

The Social Worker should specifically ensure that the child's wishes in relation to adoption, religious and cultural upbringing and contact with their birth family are ascertained.

Where a child's wishes are not acted upon, for example a child's wish to be placed with their siblings, this should be explained to the child, with reasons, and should be fully recorded.

Where a child's wishes are not acted upon, for example a child's wish to be placed with their siblings, this should be explained to the child, with reasons, and should 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 the child's needs, how these are met be the carers, and any changes in the child's behaviour.

The child's Life Story Book (see Life Story Books Guidance) will be finalised after placement following the Child and Family Worker's work with the adopters to ensure they will use it openly and the child will benefit from the book.

Once an adoptive placement has been identified and the match agreed, 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 9, Planning the Placement. This will follow the more general preparation leading up to this point.

As part of the preparation of the child for the adoptive placement, information will be provided to ensure that they have a proper understanding about the accommodation and others living at the prospective adoptive home, the contact arrangements with the birth family and how to contact their Social Worker. This will include sharing the adopters’ “Welcome book”.

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 (to give to the adopters) within 10 working days of the adoption celebration hearing following the making of the Adoption Order.

Birth parents must be offered counselling and support irrespective of whether they have Parental Responsibility unless there are exceptional circumstances, in which case 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 written information on the adoption process covering the areas set out in paragraph 4.1.8 a) to g), l) and m) below and this should be recorded.

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 case file and 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.

The child's Social Worker must also seek to ascertain the parent's views on the matters set out in paragraph 4.1.8, h) and k) below and offer to arrange independent support – this is provided by the Affected by Adoption Service in Cumbria Adoption, - for both birth parents (including unmarried fathers). The purpose of the 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. Where the offer of support is accepted, the Social Worker should make the necessary arrangements for a referral for independent support to be made.

The support may need to be provided by a specialist worker, for example where the parent has poor mental health or learning disabilities. If so, the 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 to apply for a Contact Order, the right of the unmarried father to seek a Parental Responsibility Order a Child Arrangements Order in relation to the child;
4. Explaining the role of the Adoption Panel/Agency Decision Maker;
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 Social Worker should also ascertain if he intends to apply for a Parental Responsibility Order and a Child Arrangements 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 file and Adoption Case Record.

Where the parents are seeking to have an expected child adopted, the counselling must start before the baby's birth. In addition, the child's social worker must cover practical tasks such as the arrangements for the birth, the parents' own contact with the child after the birth, the intended length of the mother's hospital stay and their wishes regarding the timing of the placement. After the child's birth, the counselling and support must continue. The social worker should then confirm with the parents that they still wish to pursue adoption for the child.

The social worker should arrange for photographs to be taken of the child and, if they agree, the parents and other significant people and places, for inclusion in the child's Life Story Book.

As soon as the Adoption Plan becomes part of the child's Care Plan, the child's Social Worker should request the Medical Adviser to complete 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). Please see full process for Adoption Medical and Agency Decision in appendices.

Note that Regulation 15 Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005 provides that arrangements must be made for the child to be examined by a registered medical practitioner and for a report on the child's health to be obtained on the state of the child's health, any treatment which the child is receiving, any need for health care and the matters listed in Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Regulations:

1. Name, date of birth, sex, weight and height;
2. A neo-natal report on the child, including:
   1. Details of the birth and any complications;
   2. The results of a physical examination and screening tests;
   3. Details of any treatment given;
   4. Details of any problem in management and feeding;
   5. Any other relevant information which may assist the adoption panel and the adoption agency; and
   6. The name and address of any registered medical practitioner who may be able to provide further information about any of the above matters.
3. A full health history of the child, including:
   1. Details of any serious illness, disability, accident, hospital admission or attendance at an out-patient department, and in each case any treatment given;
   2. Details and dates of immunisations;
   3. A physical and developmental assessment according to age, including an assessment of vision and hearing and of neurological, speech and language development and any evidence of emotional disorder;
   4. For a child over five years of age, the school health history (if available);
   5. How their physical and mental health and medical history have affected their physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development; and
   6. Any other relevant information which may assist the adoption panel and the adoption agency.

A Child's Health Report must be obtained unless:

1. The Medical Adviser has given advice that such an examination and report is unnecessary; or
2. The child is of sufficient understanding to make an informed decision and refuses to submit to the examination or other tests.

The child's Social Worker should send the Forms B and M (requesting an obstetric report on the mother and neo-natal report on the child) and all other assessments required to the Strengthening Families team responsible for CLA health matters as set out in the process in appendices.

The procedure needs to be started without delay so that the adoption medical can be arranged; the adoption medical must take place before the child's plan for adoption is considered by the Adoption Panel/Agency Decision Maker, (unless the Medical Adviser has advised it unnecessary - see paragraph 5.1). The Medical Adviser must be in a position to advise the Panel/Agency Decision Maker of the child's health needs.

The child's Social Worker must seek the cooperation of both birth parents to provide written consent to the disclosure of medical information (where this has not already been provided), including obtaining their consent to the Medical Adviser approaching their GP if necessary, as well as obtaining their written consent to the obstetric report on the mother and neo-natal report on the child.

The importance of the disclosure of medical information must be explained to the parents but where the parents refuse to sign consent forms, the Social Worker must complete as much as possible on the relevant forms, record the attempts made to engage the parents and the reasons for refusal in the child's file and Adoption Case Record, and inform the Medical Adviser of the position.

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. This must be done twice yearly for a child aged below 2 and annually for a child of 2 and above. The Medical Adviser may, however, make specific recommendations in relation to particular children.

The child's Social Worker must undertake a written assessment of the needs and best interests of the child to support any contact proposals as part of an Adoption Plan, or reasons why no contact is recommended. This assessment will take account of the needs and views of the child, the views of the parents, the foster carers and any other significant family members, as well as evidence of past experiences, attachment and the quality of relationships, based on observations of contact and the child's behaviour before, during and after contact. Any contact proposed must meet the needs of the child including their need for safety and security.

Where there is a sibling group, each child must be assessed separately and together as a group.

The assessment should determine whether post-placement and post-adoption contact between the child and the parents and/or siblings would meet the child's needs and be in the child's best interests, and if so, what form it should take. The nature and frequency of contact will be influenced by the need to maintain attachments and/or long-term identity issues.

Post-placement and post-adoption contact may take the following forms:

1. The adoptive parents  will be required to write a “settling  in letter” to the birth parents after placement to reassure them how the child is, and to establish communication;
2. Adoptive parents providing information about the child to the birth family through letter-box contact organised and maintained by the adoption service (one way indirect contact);
3. Adoptive parents and the birth family sharing information about themselves through letter-box contact organised and maintained by the adoption service (two way indirect contact);
4. Direct letter box and/or telephone contact between the adoptive parents and the birth family;
5. Direct face-to-face contact between the child and the birth family, which may be organised and reviewed by the adoption service, where such continuing support is appropriate;
6. There should be a clear risk assessment in relation to any contact arrangements;
7. This may include indirect or direct contact between siblings who are living in different families. The usual expectation is that such contact will be maintained between families.

Any proposed post-placement and post-adoption contact should be in line with any Court Orders.

Where post-placement and post-adoption contact is considered to be in the child's interests, it should be part of the information shared with prospective adoptive parents during the matching process so they are clear about the needs and assure the Panel and ADM of their ability and commitment to meet these needs - see Section 7, Identification of Adoptive Parents (including Inter Agency Placements) and also part of the planning of the placement - see Section 9, Planning the Placement. We also recognise that a child's needs relating to contact will change over time and need to be reviewed. Equally, the birth family circumstances will change and this will impact on their ability to make a positive contribution to the child's life.

When making an Adoption Order, or at any time afterwards, the court may (upon application or on its own initiative) make an order for contact with, or an order prohibiting contact with, the person(s) named in the order.  Such orders have effect until the child's 18th birthday, unless revoked sooner.

An order for contact requires the adopter to allow the child to visit, stay with or otherwise have contact with, the person named in the order.

The following people may be named in an order:

• The child;
• The Agency;
• Any person who (but for the child's adoption) would be related to the child by blood (including half-blood), marriage or civil partnership;
• Any former guardian of the child;
• Any person who had Parental Responsibility for the child immediately before the making of the Adoption Order;
• Any person with whom the child has lived for a period of at least one year (this period need  not be continuous, but must be within the last 5 years);
• Any person who had a previous order for contact under Children Act 1989, which order ceased to have effect upon the agency being authorised to place the child for adoption;
• Any person who had a Child Arrangements Order (previously Residence Order) immediately before the agency was authorised to place the child for adoption;
• Any person who had care of the child under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court immediately before the agency was authorised to place the child for adoption.

The adopters or the child may apply without the leave of the court, whilst any other person, including the child's birth parents and other birth relatives, e.g. grandparents or siblings, would need the court's leave to apply.

In deciding whether to grant leave to apply, the court must consider:

• Any risk there might be of the proposed application disrupting the child's life to such an extent that they would be harmed by it (within the meaning of the 1989 Act);
• The applicant's connection with the child; and
• Any representations made to the court by the child and/or the adopter/prospective adopter.

Orders may contain directions about how they are to take effect, or may be made subject to such conditions as the court thinks appropriate.

The court will issue a timetable and directions with the aim of resolving the application without delay.

Applications prohibiting contact are unlikely to be necessary in the majority of cases and are only likely to be appropriate to stop unwanted, unsolicited and potentially harmful contact with the child, or to prevent such contact happening.

The circumstances in which a birth parent, relative or other person are most likely to seek the court's leave to apply for an order for contact after adoption are where an agreement for some form of continuing contact had been made, but was not adhered to.

Application can be made to the court to vary or revoke such orders, by the child, adopter or person named in the order.

It is recognised that contact is more likely to be successful for the child where the adults promote this from their understanding of the benefits.

The child's Social Worker and the family finding service will address the following issues:

1. The preparation of the child's profile and to identify any other information about the child, which is needed in order to identify a suitable family;
2. The child's Social Worker will undertake the preparation of the child, usually with the Child and Family Worker, and determine how the child may be involved in and express views about the process of finding a family;
3. To discuss parental involvement in the placement process (and parental consent to advertising, if applicable);
4. To agree that the Social Worker will keep Legal Services informed of developments and seek the Court's leave to advertising where Court proceedings are ongoing;
5. To consider whether or not the child's current carer would be appropriate as a prospective adoptive  placement - if so, see paragraph 7.5;
6. To plan the family finding work, giving consideration to the availability of in-house (Cumbria Adoption) approved families, availability with contracted VAA provider,  the opportunity of an inter-agency placement, and advertising for families in the national, local and ethnic media. To agree time-scales for the family finding work including the holding of review meetings.
   
   The child's Social Worker, current foster carer and Social Worker Family Finding will complete the child's profile, identifying the child's needs in relation to a new family, including ethnicity, culture, religion, language, contact with birth family and existing networks, education, health, other special needs and location, and the qualities required in the adoptive family, based on the child's identified placement needs. The profile should identify which needs are essential and which preferred within the format being used. (Note that due consideration no longer has to be given to a child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background when matching a child and prospective adopters). These are all contained within the pre-matching document and Family Finding plan.
   
   Where the profile indicates the child should not be placed locally, there should also be a written risk assessment to support this conclusion in the child's record.

See also Appendix 6: Matching Procedures (updated November 2021).

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, at both an individual and institutional level. A prospective adopter can be matched with a child with whom they do not share the same ethnicity, if they can respect, reflect or actively develop a child's racial identity from the point they are matched and as they develop throughout their childhood. The prospective adopter needs to demonstrate that they fully understand that having a child from a different ethnic group will present a number of challenges, not least that there may be visible differences that can affect a child's self-esteem and increase their possible feelings of difference. For example, the child may have to deal with questions from their peers about why they are 'different' to their family.

By virtue of the Children and Families Act 2014, adoption agencies no longer have to give due consideration to a child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background when matching a child and prospective adopters.

When a child has developed a sense of their culture or religion, and where they have already begun to speak a language other than English, it is important to find prospective adopters who, while not necessarily sharing any of these, are willing and able to help the child develop these important elements of their future identity.

Where a child is very young, particularly when still in infancy, it is important not to make assumptions about religion, culture or language and these should not be imposed on a very young child. A sense of one's culture is developed over time and it should not be assumed that an infant possesses a cultural, linguistic or religious background. These issues can be explored with the child as they grow up and a sensitive prospective adopter will encourage the child, if they wish to do so, to probe these aspects of their birth parents' background. All prospective adopters should help children placed with them to understand and appreciate their background and, particularly in the case of older children, their religion, linguistic or cultural background, for example, celebrating cultural or religious festivals. Prospective adopters should be able to access support, education and training to strengthen their skills together with their knowledge and understanding of the child's birth heritage, to help the child develop a healthy racial and adoptive identity.

If there are no suitable in-house or contracted prospective or approved adoptive carers who can meet the child's identified essential needs, then permission must be sought from the Service Manager, Adoption for inter-agency options to be explored.

Where foster carers express an interest in adopting a child they are looking after, and there is an Adoption Plan for the child, a care planning meeting will take place to consider this offer and decide whether to offer a viability assessment. See Early Permanence: Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters Procedure for details.

If the outcome of the meeting is that the foster carers are not able to meet the child's essential needs, the recruitment of adopters as set out in the preceding and following paragraphs of this chapter will apply. The foster carers' supervising worker will provide support to the foster carers as appropriate.

If the foster carers decide to proceed with an application to adopt the child without the agreement of the agency, the procedure set out in Non-Agency Adoptions will apply.

Inter Agency Placements

The Adoption Service Manager, through the Team Manager, Panels and Permanence, and the Family Finders,  will ensure that consideration is given to all options for placement which will where needed include referrals to the national Linkmaker, and other inter agency options, including attendance at regional and national Exchange and Activity Days (for example through publicity in the specialist or wider press) according to the identified needs of the child.

Where it is considered that a placement of the child with overseas adopters would be appropriate, see Section 12, Adoptive Placements Abroad.

Where child- specific recruitment of adopters from another agency has been authorised, the family finding service will undertake the following additional measures for child specific recruitment  if required:

• Creation of a profile of the child;
• Check that either the parents (for an Accommodated child) and/or the child's Social Worker's manager have signed the Consent to Publicity Form and/or the Court's leave has been granted where Court proceedings are ongoing;
• Arrange for photographs to be taken of the child for profiling purposes;
• Agree with the child's Social Worker which activities/publications are to be used for publicity purposes.

Other members of the Adoption Service as well as the child's Social Worker should be made aware of the dates of the publicity and a response to callers should be agreed.

Responses from families not yet approved should be dealt with as follows:

1. Take details of the family;
2. Give limited, anonymised information about the child, in order to help the caller decide whether this is a situation they wish to pursue;
3. Give general information about the adoption and family finding process, bearing in mind that the caller has not gone through the assessment and preparation process;
4. Arrange a more appropriate time to hold or continue the discussion, as appropriate;
5. If, on the basis of the discussions held, it is not considered appropriate, having regard to the needs of the child, to pursue the response, the caller should be advised of the decision, with reasons, and provided with contact details of other agencies which may be of help to them.

Responses from already approved families should be dealt with as follows:

1. Take details of the family;
2. Give limited, anonymised information about the child, in order to help the caller decide whether this is a situation they wish to pursue;
3. Give general information about how the family finding is being conducted, bearing in mind that the family's own agency may approach this in a different way;
4. If, on the basis of the discussions held, it is not considered appropriate, having regard to the needs of the child, to pursue the response, the caller should be advised of the decision, with reasons;
5. If the family is considered suitable, their details and the names of their agency and Link Worker should be taken. The family should be asked to inform their Link Worker of their approach to the borough and that the family finder will contact the Link Worker;
6. The Family Finding Service should then contact the family's Link Worker and share information about the child and the family. Where it is considered that the match is not appropriate, the family's Link Worker should be asked to discuss this with the family and the we will take no further action;
7. If it is considered that the link should be pursued, the adoptive family's Link Worker and the family finding service/child's Social Worker should agree to share the Prospective Adopter's Report and if it is agreed to proceed to consideration as a match, the child's CPR will be shared with the adoptive family's Social Worker and the matching procedures followed.

Where possible, early linking will be considered in order that potential adopters may be identified prior to the Placement Order being granted, All children with a likely plan of adoption will be considered at the monthly tracking meetings in order to carry out early planning and consider Early Permanence and early linking possibilities.

In order to progress these potential links the guidance on consideration of information sharing in Early linking must be followed.

Once a suitable match has been identified and agreed upon through the Matching Procedure, (whether with Cumbria Adoption approved adopters, through the contract agreement, inter-agency or a foster carer approved as an adopter), the child's Social Worker, prospective adopters' Social Worker and the family finder should prepare an Adoption Placement Report and a proposed Adoption Support Plan giving details of the family recommended, evaluating how this family may meet the child's needs and setting out the proposed adoption support services to be offered to the child, adoptive family and birth family. From January 2024 these will be incorporated into one document. This will include the support to be provided to the prospective adopters 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 that the child may display, The support plan will also include arrangements for contact including how to deal with unauthorised or unmediated contact through online social networking sites. For further information, please see Adoption Support Procedure. The Adoption Support Plan must be seen and agreed by the Adoption Support Team Manager (who is the Adoption Support Services Adviser) and considered at the pre- Panel meeting.

The Adoption Placement Report must be written by a qualified Social Worker with suitable experience (see Adoption 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 child's Social Worker, the prospective adopters' Social Worker and their respective managers should sign both documents (contained in one document from January 2024).

The child's Social Worker should also contact the Panel Administrator to arrange a date for the Adoption Panel to consider the proposed placement.

The child's Social Worker will keep the parents and child informed of progress, including sending the parents a letter confirming the Panel date and plans for the child’s move (unless the parent has expressly stated that they do not wish to be kept informed and there is clear evidence of this).

The child's Social Worker must provide a copy of the Adoption Placement Report to the prospective adopters and give 10 working days to them to submit any written comments on its contents, or ask them to sign a disclaimer if they do not require the full 10 working days. A copy of the signed disclaimer should be held on the child's Adoption Case Record. (Note- from January 2024 this will be included in the APR/Support Plan form).

Presentation to the Adoption Panel

The Child's SW and Adopters' Social Worker must present the following reports to the Adoption Panel:

1. The Child's Permanence Report (including an update medical report no more than 6 months old);
2. The Prospective Adopter's Report, updated as necessary, on the identified prospective adopters and an up to date medical (in the last 2 years);
3. The APR report;
4. The proposed Adoption Support Plan;
5. The proposals regarding post-placement and post-adoption contact;
6. The views of the prospective adopters on the Prospective Adopter's Report, Support plan and the proposed contact arrangements.

The designated Social Worker will send the relevant reports to the Panel Administrator atleast 10 working days before the date of the Adoption Panel (Note - guidance as to who sends which reports is sent out by the Panel Administrator when the item is booked onto Adoption Panel).

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 Family Finder  will obtain the relevant Panel minutes for circulation.

The child's Social Worker and the prospective adopters Social Worker will attend the Adoption Panel during consideration of the matter.

The Adoption 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 prospective adopters' Social Worker will convey the Panel's recommendation orally to the prospective adopters within 24 hours.

After the Panel has considered the reports and made a written recommendation the minute and reports considered by the Panel will be sent to the Agency Decision Maker (see Documents Library, Appendices) a decision will be made based on this information within 7 working days of receipt of the finalised minutes. 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 may express a view on such advice.

Where the Agency Decision Maker is minded to disagree with the Panel recommendation, they 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 child's Social Worker will convey the decision orally to the birth parents within 2 working days.

The prospective adopters' Social Worker will convey the decision orally to the prospective adopters within 2 working days.

The Panel Administrator will prepare written notification of the decision to be signed by the Agency Decision Maker and once signed, sent to the child's Social Worker for sending by recorded or hand delivery to the birth parents within 5 working days.

The Panel Administrator will send the written notification, signed by the Agency Decision Maker, to the prospective adopters' Social Worker for sending to the adopters within 5 working days. Copies of this letter will also be sent to the child's Social Worker.

The movement of a child from Foster care to adopters is a complex process. Practical arrangements usually at some distance are tiring and emotions are strained. Cumbria Adoption  uses the 3 stage approach for Adoption Transitions (based on the UEA Moving to Adoption model) which focuses on the individual needs of each child and how the adults can support them through this change and loss.

Foster Carers need to assist this transition when they are feeling the loss of a child they are attached to and adopters feel in a 'gold fish bowl' while being delighted to finally become parents. Research shows that the focus is often on managing the emotions of the adults and the loss and confusion for the child is not properly considered in making the arrangements. When children move “easily” the adults are often relieved, rather than recognising what this may mean and the possibility for difficulties arising from this later on. Research also shows that for the reasons above, children are often moved on very quickly, with little time to get to know their new carers, and even less time to understand it all.

The time required to move a child varies to meet each individual child's needs. It is vital that Social Workers supporting children, Adopters and Foster Carers are available to support the introductions. This needs to be fully considered at the time of the matching meeting and pre Panel meeting so introductions are not compromised by the absence of key people, and they are not being arranged to fit around holidays, respite etc with no margin for anything not running smoothly. Where people are not available, the introductions may need to be delayed in the short term in order to benefit the child in the long term.

When the agency has agreed the approval of the match at Panel, this gives permission for planning to commence. However, this must take place at a time and over a period that meets the age and individual needs of the child. The timescales and arrangements must be individually determined  and based on the needs of the child.

Helping a child move requires careful planning and great sensitivity. A Life story book, and the adopter's family book will assist preparation for placement that should take place at each child's pace and level of understanding. The child's Social Worker must work together with the foster carers to ensure they have a consistent approach in this- this may be by all using the same story/play approach.

A "Child Appreciation Day" should be held for all children aged 3 years and over and considered for younger children. The matching meeting will have considered the right timing for this. This will enable adopters to gain a deeper awareness of the life experiences of the child/children who are to be placed.

Planning the Placement

After the Agency Decision is made, an Adoption Placement Planning Meeting must be held, chaired by the Team Manager, Children's Adoption team or other suitably adoption experienced Manager or Advanced Practitioner.

There will be at least two planning meetings, the second meeting will be a review of the introductions so far and consider whether a move date can be confirmed. The form used for the first meeting should be the Adoption Placement Planning meeting form, which includes the information Checklist. CoramBAAF Form H should be used for an Inter-agency placement. The second meeting will be recorded on the Adoption Placement Planning Review form.

Details available should be entered on the form by the child's Social Worker before the planning meeting, including a draft calendar for introductions. They will have done this in consultation with the Social Workers for the Adopters and Foster carers before Panel. Support for the child/ren, adopters and foster carers during the introductions should be clearly detailed. It is critical that the adopters receive signed agreement to obtain medical treatment for the child before introductions begin.

The introductions will provide an incremental opportunity for the child and adopters to get to know each other, and for the adopters to learn about the child from the foster carers. It is the beginning of the process of building attachment between the child and their adoptive parents. The focus of the contact will gradually move from the foster home to the adopter's home. Care must be taken not to exhaust the child and to allow some distress, and it is very important to build in rest day(s) for the child and the adults. Additional rest days may be needed where the distance between homes is greater.

The inclusion of overnight stays for the child with the adopters prior to placement must be carefully considered and will not usually take place, as for younger children particularly this may cause additional confusion.

Each of the Social Workers must have at least one face to face contact with the person they are responsible for, prior to the second planning meeting, and between the second planning meeting and the move day, as well as other contact as needed. The child's Social Worker must see the child with the adopters.

Any significant changes to the introductions plan must be agreed by the child's Social Worker and notified to all other parties

The second/review planning meeting will consider how the introductions are going, whether it is time to move the introductions to the adopters home, whether there need to be any changes to the original plans, and whether a move date can be confirmed. The arrangements for the move will be carefully agreed to ensure it happens in the best way for the child. If a further meeting is needed before a move can be confirmed, a date will be arranged.

The review planning meeting will also update the information checklist and ensure adopters have all the necessary information, documentation and equipment to care for the child safely.
The child's move must take place in the presence of a Social Worker known to them and the child must have an age appropriate understanding that this is their move to their new family. The child must also know, according to age and understating, if/when they will have contact with their foster carers and when their Social Worker will next visit them in their new home. The importance of continued contact with foster carers is recognised- and this should be in a meaningful timescale for the child and in a manner that meets the child's need- being particularly important in the early stages of the placement. This should not depend on whether the adopters and foster carers get on together, it is about meeting the childs needs and knowing the person who cared for them has not disappeared from their lives or stopped caring.

The child's Social Worker must complete and send out the statutory notification letters on the day of placement.

A visit by the child's social worker needs to take place within the first week of placement and in each week until the first review. In Cumbria Adoption, it is agreed that one of the visits before the first review can be undertaken by the adopters Social Worker by  prior agreement. In these circumstances the adopters' Social Worker needs to clearly understand the role and provide a record of this statutory visit.

It is expected that statutory visits post first review will be undertaken by the child's allocated Social Worker, being the person who knows the child and is best placed to know how they are and bring reassurance of continued care.

If the child is placed at a distance from Cumberland, a statutory visit may be exceptionally undertaken by the adopter's Social Worker subject to the recorded agreement of the Team Manager, Children's Adoption team. It needs to be agreed if known at the child's  review/introductions.

Financial Arrangements

Financial support is available to support placement in defined situations and attempts to balance the need to support placement success with adopters taking responsibility for the child as their own.

The Financial Guide will be followed in respect of payments available.

It is important that financial arrangements are discussed early in the planning process, and it will be expected that they will be confirmed as far as possible at the pre-Panel meeting.

The eligibility of the child for an adoption allowance needs to be agreed before the adopters are offered a means tested assessment. The level of allowance payable, if any, should be confirmed prior to the match being considered at Adoption panel.

Any placement made with the contracted VAA needs to be confirmed for payment on the “call off” form prior to placement.

The purpose of the first Placement Planning Meeting is to confirm the Adoption Placement Plan and agree the first stages of the child's introductions to their new family. This will have been subject to preliminary discussion at the pre Panel meeting. The Adoption Placement Plan should include:

• Whether the placement is to be made under a Placement Order or with parental consent, or as an Early Permanence arrangement whereby the adopters are approved as foster carers on a temporary basis for a named child;
• The arrangements for preparing the child and the prospective adopter for the placement (see below);
• The proposed date of the placement, who will be present when the placement takes place noting this is provisional only at this stage and may change dependent on the progress of introductions;
• The Adoption Support Plan including the support to be provided to the prospective adopters 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;
• Whether and to what extent, the exercise of Parental Responsibility by the prospective adopters and/or the birth parents is to be restricted, including the delegation of decision making to the prospective adopters about the child's health needs and under what circumstances consent to medical treatment needs to be obtained;
• 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 dates on which the life story book and any Later Life letters will be passed to the prospective adopters (usually within 10 working days of the adoption celebration hearing);
• The date and arrangements for the first Adoption Review;
• Any post-placement contact between the child and members of their birth family and/or the child and the foster carers; and
• Clarification of when the child's SW will make the necessary notifications of the placement (see Section 10, The Placement).

It will also set out 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). It will also confirm the financial assistance agreed at the pre Panel meeting and, where appropriate, a meeting between the parents and the prospective adopters.

As part of the preparation of the child for the adoptive placement, information will be provided to ensure that they have a proper understanding about the accommodation and others living at the prospective adoptive home, the contact arrangements with the birth family and how to contact their Social Worker.

The Adoption Placement Plan will also address when the prospective adopters will be supplied with all relevant written information about the child and who will provide it (for a full list of information to be supplied - see Section 10, The Placement).

The child's Social Worker must ascertain the child's views and report these to the meetings.

The Placement Planning meetings will be chaired by the Children's Adoption Team Manager or agreed substitute. Those attending Placement Planning Meetings will be the child's Social Worker, the foster carers, the foster carers' Supervising Social Worker, the family finder if appropriate, representatives of the Strengthening Families team (health), the prospective adopters and their Social Worker, and any other worker engaged in direct work with the child. For school age children, the Virtual School will attend or have been consulted. The plan for introductions must be individual to the child and recognise the loss and upheaval for them. If key people are unavailable, then the introductions need to be timed to take this into account. All parties must be fully supported by a known Social Worker. Please see documents detailing the role of each of the professionals in the process:

• Appendix 1: The Role of the Adopter's Social Worker in Introductions (updated November 2021);
• Appendix 2: The Role of the Social Worker – Fostering;
• Appendix 3: The Role of the Child's Social Worker (updated November 2021);
• Appendix 4: The Role of the Independent Reviewing Officer (updated November 2021).

The child's first meeting with the prospective adopters should be on the child's familiar territory (unless the child is older and requests otherwise) and a familiar Social Worker should be present. The pattern of introductory visits thereafter will depend on the child's age, needs and stage of development but consideration will be given to a gradual introductory programme involving visits increasing in length. It will be expected that the contact between the child and their adoptive parents will gradually move from the child's foster home to the adopter's home. The introductions plan must include “rest days” for the child, foster carers and adopters to reflect on how things are going.

The child's Social Worker will be responsible for coordinating Placement Planning Meetings. However, all workers involved must be clear about their respective roles and responsibilities in the implementation of the 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 Chair of the meeting and must be notified to the prospective adopters in writing.

The child's Social Worker is expected to be in regular and frequent face to face contact with the child. The foster carers Social Worker and the adopters Social Worker should maintain frequent and regular contact with the foster carers and prospective adopters during the period of the introductions and some of this contact should be face to face. All involved must share information with each other on a regular basis, at the frequency identified at the Placement Planning Meetings. The Adoption Placement Plan will then be reviewed at an agreed date - see paragraph 9.9. The Plan will identify the named workers and when they will have contact with the child.

The child's Social Worker will advise the parents of the plan whilst maintaining the confidentiality of the placement (unless the parent has stated that they do not wish to be kept informed).

At the mid-point of the introductions, a second Placement Planning Meeting will be held, at which the following areas will be addressed:

1. The progress of the introductions - has the necessary action identified at the previous meeting been taken, and the plan been followed? - If not, why not?
2. Whether the plan is meeting the child's needs and whether changes are required;
3. The views of each participant as to the above;
4. The identification of the positives;
5. The identification of any difficulties;
6. The development of the next stage of the plan;
7. The finalisation of the arrangements for the placement if at a stage to agree this;
8. Minutes of the meeting to be completed.

A further meeting can be called by any of the parties if issues of concern arise or if a further period of work needs to take place and be reviewed prior to the child moving.

All Placement Planning Meetings should have the same people invited and take place at a venue accessible to all parties or on Microsoft teams.

Where the child is to be adopted by their foster carers, whilst there will be no need for a plan for introductions, the Social Worker should still convene a Placement Planning Meeting, in order to confirm 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 and to clarify that the placement is now considered under Adoption Regulations and not Fostering Regulations.

This will be chaired by the Children's Adoption Team Manager or agreed substitute.

A copy of the final Adoption Placement Plan, signed by the child's Social Worker, should be given to the prospective adopters, their Link Worker and the child's Independent Reviewing Officer. The prospective adopters must confirm in writing that they wish the placement to proceed and that they agree to the Adoption Placement Plan. This needs to be completed at the review / 2nd placement meeting. A copy must be retained on the child's Adoption Case Record.

Where contact is part of the Adoption Plan, the proposals must be drawn up in written agreements to be signed by the birth parents and the prospective adoptive parents. The agreements must specify the form and timing of the contact and the arrangements for putting the contact in place. The agreements must also specify that the arrangements may change dependent upon the wishes of the child. The agreement should also include how the prospective adopters should deal with unauthorised or unmediated contact through online social networking sites. All parties must sign and retain copies of the agreement. The parent's copy should not reveal any identifying information about the placement. If the contact includes use of the authority's letterbox service, the necessary agreement and information must be completed and forwarded to the Co-Ordinator of the service. See also Section 6, Post-placement Contact.

If the Adoption Placement Plan is varied or terminated, the child must be informed in a timely and age appropriate way.

Where the Adoption Placement Plan is terminated, the parents must be informed (unless the parent has stated that they do not wish to be kept informed).

If the Adoption Placement Plan is terminated, the Adoption Service Manager will consider the best way to conduct a disruption meeting - see Disruption of Adoptive Placements Procedure.

Where children are not settling into their adoptive placements or their needs are not being met, Team Managers will arrange a care planning meeting to consider and agree what actions need to be taken. In the event of the placement's termination, direct work will be undertaken with the child to make sense of the reasons why the placement broke down and to prepare the child for any future placement.

In this event, the child's Social Worker and family finder must re-start the process of identifying a suitable prospective adoptive family or amend the plan for the child (depending on the outcome of the Disruption Meeting).

Once the matching of the child has been approved, the adoption agency has authority to place the child (either through a Placement Order or Parental Consent), 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 known to the child must 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:

1. Authority to consent to medical and dental treatment;
2. The 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 birth certificate;
5. The child's passport (if applicable);
6. A copy of the Care Order (if applicable), Placement Order (if applicable) and any other Court Orders that exist;
7. A copy of the Parental Consent to the Placement and Advance Consent to Adoption (if applicable);
8. A written plan of the contact arrangements pre and post adoption with the birth parents and any previous carers;
9. The Adoption Support Plan;
10. The Adoption Placement Plan including arrangements for support and visits by the child's Social Worker and their own Social Worker;
11. 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 the borough), 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. In addition, the school or nursery of any child already in the family will be notified.

Prior to the placement, the Medical Adviser should be requested to send a medical report on the child to the child's new GP. The Medical Adviser will have met with the adopters before the Matching Panel to explain the health considerations and answer any queries, providing a written report for the adopters.

Where the child's foster carers are the prospective adopters, the adoption service 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 child's Social Worker needs to update ICS with the date of the placement as soon as it is made and inform the relevant finance officer where the Adoption Support Plan includes financial support so that payments can start.

A child may not be known by a new name at any time unless this has been agreed by the Assistant Director in exceptional circumstances, and not by a new surname until the making of an Adoption Order unless the Court gives leave or each birth parent or Guardian has given written consent – see 28(3)(a) of the Act.

The child will be the subject of regular Adoption Reviews, chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer - see Adoption Reviews - Children Procedure.

In all cases, where a child has been approved for adoption but not placed within 6 months, the 3 monthly Family Finding review  will be considered and  – identifying the length of the delay, the reasons and the steps being taken to address any difficulties, Where consideration of a review of the Adoption Plan and/or a possible change to long-term fostering/separation of siblings is being considered, a care planning meeting will be held and the outcome considered at the child's CLA review.

The Service Manager and Children's Adoption Team Manager will meet quarterly to review all Placement orders for children not placed within 6 months.

The Adoption Panel may request an earlier progress report on an individual case.

Where a change of plan is considered, this needs to be considered by the Permanence Panel following SHOPA review and then a return to court to revoke the Placement Order takes place.