Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters

Stage One begins when the agency accepts the registration of interest in adoption and should normally take no more than two months to complete. It is during this stage that the prospective adopter will be exploring the extent of their interest in and capacity for adoption, prior to a firmer decision on whether to proceed to Stage Two – the Assessment Process (see Section 5, Stage Two – The Assessment Process). Stage One will focus on initial training and preparation, and on ascertaining, through prescribed checks and references, whether there is any reason why the prospective adopter should not proceed further. The expectation is that the prospective adopter will be closely involved in the Stage One process and agencies are expected to consider the prospective adopter's wishes on how they wish to work through Stage One. All prescribed checks and references must be carried out during Stage One in parallel with initial training and preparation.

The agency will explain in detail the Stage One process and what will be required of the prospective adopter, and will draw up the Prospective Adopter Stage One Plan which will set out the responsibilities and expectations of both the prospective adopter and the agency during Stage One. This Plan must include:

• Information about the counselling, information and preparation for adoption to be provided;
• The procedure for carrying out police checks;
• The procedure for carrying out the health assessments;
• The financial checks required;
• The provision of referees;
• Social media checks;
• The procedure for carrying out other relevant checks such as current and previous employers, and other Local Authority checks;
• The content and purpose of the stage 1 workbook;
• Details of stage 1 training prospective adopters need to undertake;
• Information about the role of the prospective adopter in the stage one process;
• Any applicable timescales;
• Information about the process for making representations (including a complaint); and
• Any other information that the agency considers relevant.

Whilst the importance of openness must be stressed to the prospective adopter, it should not be assumed that a failure to disclose information automatically implies that the prospective adopter is unsuitable. It will be necessary to discuss the matter and the reasons for non-disclosure.

Prospective adopters should be encouraged to use any other materials that offer them the opportunity to explore and reach an informed view about aspects of parenting and their parenting capacity and help them to identify their own training needs. A visit, meeting or pre-planned telephone call with the prospective adopter should be undertaken to ensure that they have the opportunity to ask for more information or training based on their particular needs.

Stage One ends with the Pre-Assessment Decision.

Cumbria Adoption uses the CoramBAAF form for the Stage One agreement and also uses an additional form to detail the plan for Stage One.  

Within Stage One the prospective adopters will be expected to complete, with guidance from their social worker, Cumbria Adoption's Stage One Workbook. This provides information which is then used in stage two of the assessment process. 

The following information must be gathered during Stage One.

Information about the prospective adopter

• Name, gender identity, date and place of birth and address including the local authority area;
• If the prospective adopter is married or has formed a civil partnership and is applying alone for an assessment of their suitability to adopt, the reasons for this;
• Details of any previous family court proceedings in which the prospective adopter has been involved;
• Names and addresses of three referees who will give personal references on the prospective adopter, not more than one of whom may be a relative;
• Name and address of the prospective adopter's registered medical practitioner;
• If the prospective adopter:
  • Is married, the date and place of the marriage;
  • Has formed a civil partnership, the date and place of registration of that partnership; or
  • Has a partner, details of that relationship;
• Details of any previous marriage, civil partnership or relationship;
• Whether the prospective adopter is domiciled or habitually resident in a part of the British Islands and if habitually resident for how long they have been habitually resident;
• Where the prospective adopter lives in another local authority area, it should be ascertained whether that local authority has any information about the prospective adopter which may be relevant to the assessment of the prospective adopter's suitability to adopt and, if so, a written report should be obtained from that authority setting out that information;
• The adoption agency may ask the prospective adopter to provide any further information the agency may reasonably require.

Information about the home etc. of the prospective adopter

• Details of other members of the prospective adopter's household (including any children of the prospective adopter whether or not resident in the household).

Criminal record checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service must be carried out on the prospective adopter and any members of their household aged 18 years and over.

Prior to Stage One, prospective adopters should be given an explanation of the statutory duty on the agency to conduct checks into their background and into the background of any other adult members of their household. It should be made clear that the prospective adopters will not be able to proceed to Stage Two where criminal record checks identify them or an adult member of their household as having been convicted of a specified offence or police caution in respect of a specified offence.

A 'specified offence' means:

• An offence against a child / any offence involving bodily injury to a child, other than an offence of common assault or battery;
• An offence relating to indecent images of children under the age of 16;
• Sexual offences of rape; assault by penetration; causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent; sexual activity/causing or inciting sexual activity/inducement, threat or deception to procure sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice.

Where the prospective adopter's full history cannot be ascertained by conducting a criminal record check and other background checks (for example, where they have lived abroad for an extended period, a Certificate of Good Conduct may be sought), a decision should be taken as to whether to carry out any other checks or take up additional references. The agency should ensure it has sufficient information to justify continuing with Stage One but not delay the approval process. If it decides not to proceed, it should provide the prospective adopter with a clear written explanation of the reasons why.

The agency may not consider a prospective adopter suitable to adopt a child if they or any adult member of their household has been convicted of a specified offence committed at 18 or over or has received a police caution in respect of a specified offence which they admitted at the time the caution was given. In such circumstances the agency must notify the prospective adopter in writing, with reasons, without delay.

Information obtained from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) should be retained on the prospective adopter's case record for a limited time only. This information should be destroyed when it is decided that the prospective adopter is suitable to adopt a child unless it is required for an adoption with a foreign element. It should be noted on the prospective adopter's case record that the DBS information has been destroyed, and that this information had led the agency to form a particular view, without citing the information itself.

Where the criminal record checks disclose previous convictions or cautions for non-specified offences, the agency may consider that the prospective adopter is not suitable to adopt. In such circumstances, the agency must exercise its discretion and decide whether to continue with Stage One. If it decides not to proceed, it must notify the prospective adopter in writing, with reasons, without delay.

In circumstances where the application is a joint application, the agency may only inform the prospective adopter who is the convicted or cautioned individual of the specific reason for terminating Stage One. The social worker should explain to that person that the agency will not inform the other person of the specific conviction or caution but will inform them that because of information obtained from the checks the joint application cannot proceed.

Likewise, where the checks reveal information about an adult member of the household that indicates that the agency must terminate Stage One, the agency is restricted from disclosing information about that conviction or caution which prevents the application from proceeding. It may inform that individual and suggest that they inform the prospective adopter, but it may not do so itself. In such a case, the agency should counsel the prospective adopter that its checks indicate that the agency must not continue with Stage One and that its checks indicate that the agency should not proceed with the application.

For Cumbria Adoption  where the criminal record checks disclose previous convictions or cautions for non-specified offences, the Team Manager is to be provided with full information in relation to the offences and they will consult with the Service Manager to decide whether the convictions would deem the applicant as not suitable to adopt. These matters are referred to the Assistant Director for a final decision.

The applicant(s) will also be asked to arrange for an adoption medical examination and report from their G.P. unless the Medical Adviser does not consider such a medical examination is necessary, for example where the applicant is a foster carer and a health report is already available.

The social worker will provide the applicants with the relevant CoramBAAF AH medical forms for completion by the GP. The applicants will also complete the Functional Questionnaire to provide further information for the GP and Medical Adviser.

The completed Medical Form and Functional Questionnaire should then be sent to the Medical Adviser, together with a covering letter providing a pen picture of the family, their lifestyle and the characteristics (age, number) of a child they are considering.

If the applicants have accessed counselling or other services connected with their mental health, reports relevant to their adoption application will be requested and considered as part of the health check and these will also be provided to the Medical Adviser for consideration.

The GP's report should have been written within the 6 months prior to the Adoption Panel meeting which considers the application and cover the matters specified in Part 2 of Schedule 4 AAR 2005.

The agency's medical adviser will need to provide a summary of the prospective adopter's state of health as part of the prospective adopter's report. The adviser will need to form a view as to the adequacy of the medical reports received and to advise whether additional specialist opinion should be obtained. The prospective adopter's current GP may not have a full health history of the prospective adopter, particularly if they have received private medical care outside the NHS. Prospective adopters should be helped to understand the importance of making their full health history available to the agency's medical adviser.

Agencies have a duty to satisfy themselves that prospective adopters have a reasonable expectation of continuing to enjoy good health. The medical adviser should explain and interpret health information from the prospective adopter, their GP, and consultants to facilitate Adoption Panel discussion. The opinion of the agency's medical adviser needs to be given sufficient weight by Adoption Panels and the Agency Decision Maker.

Mild chronic conditions are unlikely to preclude people from adopting provided that the condition does not place the child at risk through an inability of the individual to protect the child from commonplace hazards or limit them in providing children with a range of beneficial experiences and opportunities. The possibility of providing support in appropriate cases to assist in overcoming any possible negative consequences arising from disability or restricted mobility should be borne in mind. More severe health conditions may raise a question about the suitability of the prospective adopter to care for a child who has experienced loss and trauma, but each case will have to be considered on its own facts and with appropriate advice.

See the flowchart for information sharing between CSC and GP/health.

Applicants will be asked to provide the names of three personal referees, who are adults (not more than one of whom should be related to them), have known the applicant(s) for at least two years and who will give personal references on the prospective adopter(s). A written report must be prepared of the interviews held with each of the referees.

Referees should be people who know the applicants well in a personal capacity, and it is desirable that the referees have direct experience of caring for children, either in a personal or professional capacity.

Where there is a joint application, referees should know both applicants, or additional referees will be required.

A written reference may also be obtained from each applicant's last/current employer where they work or have worked with children or vulnerable adults. Further references from previous employers may need to be considered.

Where the prospective applicant has made a previous application to foster or adopt, the relevant agency must be asked to confirm in writing the outcome of the application and provide a written reference.

The allocated adoption social worker will arrange for requests for written references to be sent.

The referees should be asked to comment on the following:

1. The length of time the referee has known the applicant, in what circumstances, how they met and how regularly they are in contact;
2. Where there is a joint application, the couple's relationship including its stability and quality, the couple's strengths and ways of coping with stress and how mutually supportive the couple is;
3. The applicants' general physical and emotional well-being;
4. How the applicants relate to children, with examples, and what experience the applicants have of caring for children;
5. How the applicants have adjusted to childlessness if this is the case, how they have prepared to become adoptive parents, how much they have shared with the referees and how open they are in talking about the issues surrounding adoption;
6. If the applicants have children of their own, how the referee thinks a child joining the family, including consideration if from a different ethnic background, will impact on the other children in the family;
7. Any reservations the referee has and whether the referee wholeheartedly supports the application.

At the beginning of the interview, the referee should be informed that the written report of the interview will not be shared with the applicants but that any issues arising during the interview may be discussed with them.

Issues for discussion include the following:

• The applicant as a person;
• The stability of the couple's relationship (if a joint application);
• The referee's impression of the applicant's general physical and emotional well-being;
• The referee's opinion on the applicant's ability to relate to children, and the basis of the opinion;
• The referee's opinion on whether adoption is appropriate for the applicant;
• Any reservations the referee may have to express about any aspect of the application;
• Whether the referee wholeheartedly supports the application;
• What support the referee is able to offer the prospective adopters;
• Whether the referee has any reason to believe the applicant would harm the children in their care.

The assessing social worker may also contact the previous partners of the applicants and seek references from them where it is considered necessary. Where there were any children of the relationship or where children were cared for jointly, the social worker will speak to them and if they wish, arrange to interview them face-to-face wherever practicable. Children of the applicant(s) living away from home may also be contacted, and references sought from them where considered appropriate. Within Cumbria Adoption the issue of seeking a reference from an ex-partner is decided on the significance of the relationship. If they have lived together or had a relationship of significant duration, then a reference would usually be sought.

In addition, as part of the assessment, where the applicant has school age children, the relevant school(s) will be contacted, for information regarding the applicant's ability to promote the child's education and any other relevant matters. Where the applicant has a pre-school child then a reference from the health visitor and nursery where applicable will also be sought.

The prospective adopters will be advised that checks of their social media profiles will be undertaken.

Where applicable, the agency must ascertain whether the local authority in whose area the prospective adopter has their home has any information about them that may be relevant to the assessment. If so, the agency must obtain from that authority a written report setting out the information. Local authorities asked for this information should comply promptly with these requests and provide this information within 15 working days wherever possible. In requesting information from a local authority, the agency should seek to ascertain whether records held by social services and education departments hold relevant information about the prospective adopter.

There is no reason in principle why information held by one part of the local authority should not be shared with another. Protocols operated by children's services may, however, restrict access to cases where there is concern for the safety of a child. This means that an adoption check may not automatically involve a check to see whether a child of the family has been the subject of a Child Protection Plan unless such a check is specifically requested. The prospective adopter may have lived for only a short period in the area of their local authority. In such cases, the agency should obtain information from the prospective adopter's former local authorities.

All prospective adopters will need adoption preparation as part of their assessment. The agency will need to decide its form and substance, arranging preparation that considers the prospective adopter's circumstances. Preparation should be designed to help prospective adopters make an informed decision about pursuing adoption based on an understanding of the qualities they have to offer a child. The agency should build on these strengths when working with the prospective adopter. Adoption preparation may be provided by the agency itself or with another agency or adoption support agency.

Within Cumbria Adoption it is expected that prospective adopters will undertake a three-day Preparation Course as part of the stage one process.

The adoption agency must gather Stage One information and make a Pre-Assessment Decision as to whether the prospective adopter may be or is not suitable to adopt a child, within a period of two months from the date on which the prospective adopter registered their interest in adopting a child (unless there are good reasons to extend that time period). If the time period is extended, the reasons must be recorded on the prospective adopter's case record, along with supporting evidence.

Within Cumbria Adoption, the allocated social worker completes an End of Stage One Report which is then considered by the Team Manager in order to make the pre-assessment decision. In some cases where issues have arisen in the stage one process or where the decision may not support progression, consultation with the Service Manager to make the pre -assessment decision will  take place.  The Team Manager will review the file as part of the decision-making process. 

Where the Pre-Assessment Decision is that the prospective adopter is not suitable to adopt a child, the prospective adopter must be provided with a clear written explanation of the reasons why they will not be able to proceed to Stage Two. The pre-assessment decision may be made notwithstanding whether all of the required pre-assessment information has been gathered. Prospective adopters who wish to complain about this decision may make a complaint using the agency's local complaints procedure. They will also be able to raise general concerns about the process with First4Adoption. The Independent Review Mechanism is not available for decisions made during Stage One.

Where the Pre-Assessment Decision is that the prospective adopter may be suitable to adopt a child, the prospective adopter must be advised of the decision and that they have six months in which to notify the agency if they wish to proceed to Stage Two – the Assessment Stage. Within Cumbria Adoption the prospective adopter is provided with a slip to return to notify the Agency they wish to proceed to Stage two – the assessment stage.

If the prospective adopters provide notification of their wish to proceed outside this six month time limit, they will need to restart Stage One. They should be contacted within five working days of their notification and offered a re-entry interview. The Stage One Plan should consider activities undertaken previously.

Sharing information about a person that is held in their existing foster carer or adopter records is permitted for the purposes of informing a new assessment of a person's suitability to foster or adopt. For instance, if previous partners have been interviewed in the past to verify facts, and the current assessing Social Worker is satisfied with the records in respect of these interviews, it should not be necessary to repeat the interviews if no further information is required. The assessing Social Worker should, however, satisfy themselves as to the quality and continuing relevance of the information before using it to inform the current assessment.

Information that should be shared, upon request, in order to inform a new assessment of a person's suitability to foster or adopt includes:

• The report of the original assessment of the person's suitability to foster or adopt (if it is considered by the body requesting the information to be recent enough to be relevant);
• A copy of the report of the last review of the individual's continuing suitability to foster or adopt and any other review report considered useful to understanding the person's current suitability to foster or adopt;
• Details of any concerns about standards of practice and what if anything is being done/has been done to address them;
• Details of allegations made against the foster carer/adopter or their household members; and
• Any other information considered to be relevant to the assessment of the person's suitability to foster/adopt.

Information should only be shared with the informed, explicit consent of all parties referred to in the information, including young people where they have sufficient understanding to consent to the sharing of their information (if they do not have sufficient understanding, the consent of a person with Parental Responsibility would need to be obtained). This means that the person giving consent needs to understand why their information is to be shared, what will be shared, who will see their information, the purpose to which it will be put and the implications of sharing that information.

If consent is refused, the current fostering service or adoption agency should consider whether there is any information in the records that is a cause for concern. Any information about an applicant's conduct or suitability to foster/adopt that has caused concern should be shared even if the individual has refused consent. If there are no such concerns, and the individual has refused consent, information should not be shared. This may require documents to be redacted to remove information relating to individuals who have refused consent.

Requests for access to information should be accompanied by the written consent of the applicant to the sharing of their information.

The receiving service should acknowledge the request within two working days, seek consent from all others referred to in the information within five working days and the information, redacted where necessary, should be provided within 15 working days.

Where the Pre-Assessment Decision is that the prospective adopter might be suitable to adopt a child, and the applicant(s) have notified the agency that they wish to proceed, the application then proceeds to Stage Two of the process - the assessment process.

Stage Two is about intensive training and assessment. Intensive training should be provided as necessary and, in parallel, an assessment carried out of the prospective adopter's suitability to adopt, and an assessment report produced (the Prospective Adopter Report - PAR).

This stage should begin with a meeting or pre- planned phone call between the prospective adopter and the allocated Social Worker. The Social Worker should explain how Stage Two will operate and what will be required of the prospective adopter. The Social Worker should explain the decision-making process and the role of the Adoption Panel and the Independent Review Mechanism.

A decision must be reached as to whether the prospective adopter is suitable to adopt a child within four months of the date on which the agency received the prospective adopter's notification of their wish to proceed with the assessment process (six months if there are exceptional circumstances). Reasons for any extensions should be recorded on the prospective adopter's case file.

Stage Two will end with the Agency Decision Maker's decision about the suitability of the prospective adopter to adopt a child.

A written agreement must be entered into with the prospective adopter ('the prospective adopter assessment agreement') which must include the following:

• The procedure for assessing the prospective adopter's suitability to adopt a child;
• Any applicable timescales;
• The arrangements for the prospective adopter to receive any additional or preparation for adoption;
• Details of the stage 2 training: Introduction to therapeutic parenting which the prospective adopter is expected to undertake; and
• Any other matters which the agency considers relevant.

Within Cumbria Adoption the CoramBAAF Stage two agreement form is used for this purpose.

In conducting the assessment, the Social Worker should analyse and consider the information they ascertain from and about the prospective adopter, including any issues identified during the adoption preparation. The approach should be objective and inquiring, with information evaluated and analysed and its accuracy and consistency checked. The assessment must be carried out by a qualified Social Worker with suitable experience (see Adoption Panel Procedure, Reports to Adoption Panel).

The assessment will comprise a series of interviews, the majority of which will take place in the applicants' home. Applicants should be interviewed at least once individually as well as the interviews with their partner, and all other members of the household will also be interviewed, including the children.

The areas covered in interviews will include the following subject areas:

• Individual profiles of all members of the household, including a photograph and physical description, racial origin, cultural and linguistic background, religious persuasion, personality and interests, relationship (if any) to the child;
• Information about the home, the local community and the neighbourhood;
• Details of education and employment - past and present;
• Income, expenditure and any debts;
• Details of past and present relationships;
• Motivation to adopt/childlessness;
• Parenting capacity, experience of being parented and experience with children;
• Support network, including wider family network;
• Views and feelings about adoption and its significance, attitudes to birth families and approach to openness in adoption and contact;
• Views about parental responsibility and what it means;
• Views about a suitable home environment for the child;
• Views about the importance and value of education;
• Views and feelings about the importance of a child's religious and cultural upbringing;
• Any other information which indicates how the prospective adopter and anybody else living in the household is likely to relate to a child placed for adoption;
• Any other relevant information which might assist the Adoption Panel or the adoption agency.

As part of the assessment:

• A family tree (genogram) and Chronology of key events in the applicant's life from birth must be compiled, showing their educational, employment, marital and/or relationship history and addresses for the previous 10 years; any gaps and/or unusual patterns should be explored;
• All information provided by the applicant must be independently verified where possible, by checking it against other sources such as referees. See "Preparing and Assessing Prospective Adopters", Practice Guidance (Chapter 2);
• Where an applicant has been divorced or separated, factors contributing to the breakdown of the relationship should be verified. This applies equally to significant relationships between couples who are not married;
• The adequacy and safety of the prospective adoptive home and transport will be assessed;
• Where the applicants have pets, a risk assessment should be conducted and any associated risks should be taken into account with regard to the pet itself and where the pet is kept. Where necessary, an independent assessment should be undertaken by a vet to establish whether the dog falls within the scope of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

The assessment will consider the likely need for adoption support services of the prospective adopters and any member of their family - see Adoption Support Services. As part of this, the family's finances and the criteria for financial support should also be discussed.

Where the prospective adopters live in another local authority area, the Social Worker should ascertain the extent of any support services identified as necessary in their local area.

The assessment will also cover the applicants' willingness to notify the adoption agency if the adopted child dies during childhood or soon afterwards, their views on post-placement and post-adoption contact and their willingness to pass on information to birth parents about the progress of the adopted child. These issues should be specifically reported on to the Adoption Panel.

Mid Way Review in stage 2

In Cumbria Adoption, the Team Manager holds a mid-way review meeting in stage 2 to provide additional quality assurance and management oversight of the stage 2 process.

The allocated Social Worker will complete the mid-way review report and this is shared with the Team Manager before the meeting. 

The mid-way review consists of two meetings. The first meeting is between the team manager and the allocated social worker. The second part of the meeting involves the adoptive applicants meeting with the Team manager. 

The mid-way review report is then added to by the Team manager to show the discussions that have taken place. This is then held on the file of the adoptive applicant.

Discussion should take place with the prospective adopter about whether they may be interested in Early Permanence, which is where an adopter can care for a child on a fostering basis whilst the plan for adoption is still to be confirmed. In Cumbria Adoption, adopters will  consider Early Permanence as part of their approval and will be approved on a temporary basis by the Agency Decision maker as foster carers for a specific named child(ren) if able to provide a home for a child on this basis.

The agency will assess in stage 2 and evidence suitability in the Prospective Adopter's Report if the prospective adopter is offering Early Permanence. This will allow prospective adopters to be matched with a child requiring an Early Permanence placement.

Those adopters offering Early Permanence, will complete appropriate supplementary/specific preparation sessions as well as the usual preparation and training package available to all adopters. Meeting other adopters who have experience with these types of placements is an important part of this preparation. There should be an appropriate exploration of the capacity of the prospective adopters to manage the emotional and practical tasks of being foster carers until and if placement for adoption is agreed upon by the court. It is important to ensure that carers are fully informed about the nature of the placement, their role in that placement as foster carers and their understanding of the possibility of the court deciding to pursue an alternative plan to adoption.

Within Cumbria Adoption there is a two-day mandatory training course for prospective adopters who wish to consider Early Permanence.

Applications will be considered from married couples, civil partners, unmarried couples, or single people. We would expect adopters in a relationship to have lived together for at least 1 year at the point of making the application and for there to be evidence that this is a stable and enduring relationship. We also welcome applications from single people who have support from family, friends or communities.

Applications will be considered from people of any or no religious persuasion.

Applications will be considered from people of any race or culture.

The ability of a potential adopter to meet the needs of a child related to their religion, language and other characteristics associated with their and the potential adopter's 'ethnicity' can be a relevant consideration in determining the appropriate match for a child. In some rare cases, it may be an important consideration. A prospective adopter should be considered able to parent a child with whom they do not share the same ethnicity, provided they can meet the child's most important identified needs throughout the child's childhood. The agency must provide them with flexible and creative support. This applies equally whether a child is placed with a black or minority ethnic family, a white family, or a family which includes members of different ethnic origins. Only in very exceptional circumstances should matching a child with prospective adopters be delayed solely on the grounds that the available prospective adopters cannot meet all the child's needs arising from their racial or cultural background. 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.

The minimum age for adopters is 21 years. There is no specific upper age limit. Older and more experienced people could take on the care of older children, provided they will have the health and vigour to meet the child's varied demands in their growing years and can be expected to be there for them into adulthood. Age is also not necessarily linked to general health, fitness, and emotional wellbeing. The agency's medical adviser should investigate and obtain relevant information about a prospective adopter's health in order to be satisfied that they are able to take on the responsibility of adopting a child and have the expectation of caring for the child through childhood and into adulthood.

Applications will be considered from all people irrespective of gender identity.

Applications will be considered from people of any sexual orientation.

Applicants may be in work or not. Whatever the applicants' income, they will need to consider the financial implications of increasing their family. Cumbria Adoption carries out a robust assessment of adopters' finances in order to understand the impact these may have on the family. There is a Financial Leaflet provided to adoptive applicants at the enquiry stage to outline how finances are assessed by the Agency throughout the adoption process.

Applicants will be required to have a full medical and undergo any further tests/checks that may be required by the Adoption Panel's Medical Adviser. The Medical Adviser will advise on the applicants' ability, from a health point of view, to meet the needs of a child throughout their childhood.

It is unlikely that a very young child or a child vulnerable to chest complaints would be placed in a household where one or both parents are smokers or vape. As an Adoption Agency  we expect applicants (and their household members) to have been smoke and vape free for 6 months at the time their ROI is accepted if they wish to be considered to adopt a child under 5 years of age.

For enquirers where they have therapy currently or historically, social work judgement will be exercised at the point where Registration of Interest is considered, recognising that the type of therapy and degree of the mental health challenges will be different for each individual. As part of the assessment process where the registration of Interest has been accepted, a reference will be sought for all applicants who have had or are having therapy/counselling.

A person who is seeking approval as an adoptive parent will not be considered if they or any adult member of the household has been cautioned for or convicted of an offence against a child which involves violence or bodily injury (other than common assault or battery), cruelty (to a child under 16), indecency, abduction, the supply of Class A drugs or the importation/possession of indecent photographs of a child under 16 or a sexual offence against a child unless the offence was contrary to Sections 6,12 or 13 of the Sexual offences Act 1956 and the person concerned was under 20 when the offence was committed.

Other convictions will not necessarily preclude an application, but this will depend on the nature and seriousness of the offence and how long ago it was committed. In cases of doubt or dispute, the matter will be referred to the Adoption Service Manager who may also consult the Panel Adviser and/or the Agency Decision Maker (Adoption)  (see Documents Library, Appendices).

Applicants may own their own home or live in rented accommodation. They will have to demonstrate that they have a secure home environment for a child to live in as part of their family.

They will need accommodation and space appropriate to the number, nature, needs and ages of the children they are seeking to adopt.

Childless couples wishing to adopt will usually be required to have completed any fertility tests and treatment, and to have had a period of time suitable to their individual circumstances, since completing the tests before an ROI can be accepted. This is because it is important for potential adopters  to have accepted their infertility and grieved before moving on to start the adoption process.

Applications will be accepted from people who already have a child. Research indicates that adoption is more successful when any children already in the family are at least two years older than the age of the child an applicant is seeking to adopt.

Applicants do not have to have British Citizenship but should have their Domicile or Habitual Residence in the British Isles. Where there is a joint application, only one of the applicants need to be domiciled in the British Isles or both should be habitually resident here. In all these cases it is essential to see all relevant documents in order to fully establish nationality and immigration status.

Where there is doubt, potential applicants should be asked to seek independent advice.

Applications are prioritised from those who live within the Council areas of Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness or in the neighbouring counties of Lancashire and Dumfries and Galloway. For those applicants who live outside of the Cumbria Adoption area, full consideration as to whether this can be accepted will be completed at the time of the enquiry. This will include consideration of ongoing support needs and how these can be met.

Applicants must be prepared to travel for group meetings, introductions etc. and be available for assessment and home visits.

It is important that the applicant who is going to be the main carer has some experience of children of the age group in which the applicants are interested and how this experience may be achieved if not already in place.

Applicants will need to demonstrate that they have accessible and established support networks of family and friends who will be in a position to provide support with parenting and for them as parents. 

These people will be expected to take part in support network meetings during the stage 2 assessment and when exploring a match and to understand their responsibility in raising any concerns about the care of the child or stresses in the family.

Prospective adopters will be expected through preparation to understand the reasons why many children will benefit from ongoing contact with their birth family members and so to comply with arrangements for post placement/post adoption contact with the child's birth family, where the agency considers it is in the child's best interests for such contact to take place. This may be indirect or direct and include writing a “settling in” letter for the birth parents at an agreed time (usually around 6 weeks) after the child joined their family. It is a minimum expectation  that all applicants whose ROI is accepted are willing to meet with a child’s birth parents as part of the introductions process where it is safe to do so.