5.1.12 Bromley Adoption Support Procedure |
SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
This Chapter should be read in conjunction with the Adoption Support Services Procedure.
This chapter describes the support arrangements to adopters and members of their families from following approval; when a child(ren) is placed for adoption and after the making of the adoption order.
Legislation: Adoption and Children Act 2002; Adoption Agency Regulations 2005; Adoption Support services Regulations 2005; Adoptions with a Foreign Element Regulations 2005; Restriction on the Preparation of Adoption Reports Regulations 2005; Suitability of Adopters Regulations 2005; National Adoption Standards for England 2002; National Minimum Standards in Adoption 2003; Addendum to the National Minimum Standards 2005; National Minimum Standards for Adoption Support Agencies 2005.
Contents
- Support Following Approval and Until a Child(ren) is Placed
- Support from Placement to Adoption Order
- Support Following Adoption Order
1. Support Following Approval and Until a Child(ren) is Placed
| 1.1 | All approved adopters will have an allocated adoption support social worker from Bromley Adoption Team following their approval as adopters for Bromley. Where adopters have been assessed by an adoption social worker from the Adoption Team this social worker will continue as their adoption support social worker. Where the assessment has been undertaken by a Staff Bank Social Worker the Deputy Team Manager, Adoption will allocate a social worker from the Adoption Team prior to the adopter's assessment being presented at Panel for approval. Handover will occur formally following approval. |
| 1.2 | The adoption support social worker will encourage the adopter(s) to become individual members of Adoption UK (membership form sent with approval letter and will ensure that the adopters' details are added to the membership of the Bromley Adopters Support Group (for mailing of the Adoption Team Newsletter, and invitations to support group and training events and the annual adopters' picnic). |
| 1.3 | The adoption support social worker will ensure that Part I and pro-forma matching form of the prospective adopters report and a photograph are passed to the Clerical Officer, Adoption for referral to the Adoption South East Consortium within 20 days of the Agency approval decision with an 'active' or 'hold' status. |
| 1.4 | The adoption support social worker will ensure that they visit the adopter(s) at least two monthly following approval, are in contact by phone and/or email at least every four weeks and are kept informed of all relevant information. They will share with and discuss with the adopters informing the Agency of the death of any child placed with them for adoption and/or adopted by them which is part of the Adoption Placement Plan Agreement. |
| 1.5 | The adoption social worker will actively support the adopter(s) in finding an appropriate child(ren) to be placed for adoption. This may involve formal meetings with the adopter(s) discussing children in Bromley and with other Consortium partners children available for adoption; invitations to Consortium/Other Agency/ Adoption Register 'Open Days'; and coming up to three months approved and no placement preparing a personal flyer for circulation to adoption agencies generally and in these circumstances encouraging subscription to 'Be My Parent'. |
| 1.6 | If the adopter(s) are being considered for a Bromley child(ren) the adoption support social worker will be present on the initial visit when the child's social worker and adoption family finder visit to discuss the child(ren). Following this visit they will discuss with the adopter(s) whether they wish to proceed further. If the adopter(s) are selected for the child(ren) at the Matching Meeting the adoption support social worker or the child's social worker will be present when the adopter(s) meet the child's current carer(s). |
| 1.7 | If the adopter(s) are being considered for a child(ren) from another Agency the adoption support social worker will have a detailed discussion with that Agency's family finding social worker and the child's social worker, send the child's permanence report to the adopters, and will then meet with the adopter(s) to discuss the child prior to any follow-up. They will be present on the initial visit when the child's social worker and adoption family finder visit to discuss the child(ren). Following this visit they will discuss with the adopter(s) whether they wish to proceed further. If the adopter(s) are selected for the child(ren) at the Matching Meeting the adoption support social worker will be present when the adopter(s) meet the child's current carer(s). |
| 1.8 | If linked with a Bromley child(ren) the adoption support social worker will assist in the completion of the APR, ASP and Draft APP for the Adoption Panel and the meeting with the adopter(s) and other professionals as required. The adoption support social worker will attend the Adoption Panel for Matching with the adopter(s). |
| 1.9 | If linked with a child(ren) from another Agency the adopters' adoption support social worker will follow the procedures of that Agency in supplying required information and attending the Agency's Adoption Panel for Matching. |
| 1.10 | If the adopters are not being considered for/linked/matched with any child(ren) Three months after approval they will be referred, with their agreement, to the Adoption Register using the prospective adopter's report. |
| 1.11 | The adoption support social worker will assist the adopter(s) and the child's social worker in any negotiations relating to the child's future placement, depending on the age and assessed needs - i.e. with education, health, financial support assessments. |
| 1.12 | The adoption support social worker will attend the required APP meetings and any 'Life Appreciation Day' with the adopter(s) and will be actively in touch with the adopter(s) during this period and share in the introduction plans and confirmation to proceed, or not, with the placement of the child(ren) for adoption. |
| 1.13 | Following Panel where adopters' circumstances change and/or within twelve months of approval if no child matched/placed (including if concerns arise over suitability and/or competence) the adoption support social worker must address these directly with the adopter(s) and undertake a review using the standard review format. The ASW's supervisor will undertake the review meeting with the ASW and the adopters. On receipt of the completed review Group Manager will decide on whether the review should go the adoption Panel unless the recommendation is that the adopters are no longer suitable to adopt when the review will always be presented to Panel. |
| 1.14 | The review will deal with renewal of checks and references. Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks renewed every two years; own agency checks annually; other statutory checks two years and medicals updated two years (full medicals if medical situation of adopters warrants this); personal references two years. |
| 1.15 | The adoption support social worker will support the adopter(s) in commenting upon the proposed match to Panel on the APR and following the APP meeting will ensure that adopter(s) knows that the child(ren) are not able to be placed until they have signed and returned the APP. |
| 1.16 | The adoption support social worker will record all contacts and visits as required by the 'Recording Policy'. |
| 1.17 | The adoption support social worker is responsible for keeping the adopters' CHARMS record up to date and informing the Clerical Officer, Adoption of any change of address and telephone number for alteration on LINKS. |
2. Support from Placement to Adoption Order
| 2.1 | Following the child(ren)'s placement the adoption support social worker has responsibility for informing the Adoption Register of the change in the adopters' circumstances. |
| 2.2 | The adoption support social worker must visit the adopter(s) within the first week of the child(ren)'s placement, and then weekly in the first four weeks. Visits in this period can be shared with the child's social worker. Visits thereafter should be at least monthly until the worker and adopter(s) consider that visits can be reduced to six weekly and then two monthly. The adoption support social worker and the child's social worker should agree between them the pattern and level of visits to the child and adopter(s). Telephone and/or email contact should occur between visits. Where the adopter(s) has birth or other adopted children the adoption support social worker must also pay careful attention to ensuring their adoption support needs are met. |
| 2.3 | The adoption support social worker will, wherever possible, attend the child's LAC Statutory Review, providing any written or verbal report, as required, and will have lead responsibility for ensuring the 'Adoption Support Plan' is reviewed and updated as agreed and then circulated to key participants. |
| 2.4 | The adoption support social worker will provide, in any adoption case where the adopters need to seek independent legal advice, the adopter(s) with a written list of Solicitors, from the Children's Panel. In all other cases the adoption support social worker will assist the adopter(s) in completing their adoption application, obtaining legal advice from the Agency Legal Advisor where necessary. |
| 2.5 | Support to the adopter(s) will come from both the child's social worker (carrying out their statutory responsibilities) and the adoption support social worker who must work closely together to support the child(ren) and the adopter(s) and their family and members of their birth family. This may involve being active in obtaining specialist input i.e. individual therapy for a child. |
| 2.6 | The adoption support social worker will assist the child's social worker in completing the Annexe A report, having lead responsibility for writing the section on the adoptive applicant(s) and updating any checks, references or medicals as required. |
| 2.7 | The adoption support social worker will encourage and support the adopter(s) in building up a strong support network to support their care of the child. |
| 2.8 | If there are difficulties in the placement the adoption support social worker will increase their level of support as appropriate and together with the child's social worker and the adopter(s) will seek appropriate services to promote and secure the placement if this is in the child's best interests. The adoption support social worker will consider if it is necessary to call a 'Placement Support Meeting'. |
| 2.9 | If the adoption placement appears to be disrupting or disrupts the adoption support social worker's first responsibility is to promote and secure the welfare of the child(ren) within the context of continuing to provide support to the adopter(s). If the placement disrupts they will support the adopter(s) in looking at why the placement has disrupted and will encourage the adopters' attendance at a disruption meeting and will hold responsibility for presenting a report to Panel and any subsequent updated prospective adopter's, if the adopter(s) wishes to be considered for further placements. |
| 2.10 | The adoption support social worker will ensure that the 'Adoption Support Plan' is up to date prior to the final adoption hearing, wherever possible via the LAC Statutory Review. |
| 2.11 | The adoption support social worker will, where possible, attend the final adoption hearing when the adoption order is to be made with the adopter(s) and their family and the child's social worker. |
| 2.12 | The adoption support social worker will record all contacts and visits as required by the 'Recording Policy'. |
| 2.13 | The adoption support social worker is responsible for keeping the adopters' CHARMS record up to date and informing the Clerical Officer, Adoption of any change of address and telephone number for alteration on LINKS. |
3. Support Following Adoption Order
| 3.1 | Following the making of the adoption order the adoption support social worker will close the adopters' file and open a new post adoption file. |
| 3.2 | The adoption support social worker will remain the allocated social worker for three year post order. During this period it is expected that the level of contact is a minimum of six monthly in the year following the order and annually thereafter unless a higher level is required under the 'Adoption Support Plan'. One contact annually should be involved in reviewing the 'Adoption Support Plan'. In the case of Bromley children this should consultation with the Agency Adoption Support Adviser. With other Agency children it should be undertaken with a representative of the child's Agency. |
| 3.3 | Three months before the periods outlined above are approached the adoption support social worker will make a referral to either the adoption social workers with responsibility for post adoption support if the adopter(s) live in-borough or the local authority in whose area the adopter(s) live in all other cases. The referral will comprise a standard referral letter and a copy of the most recent 'Adoption Support Plan'. |
| 3.4 | Only adopters who live in-borough will be eligible for adoption support from the Bromley Adoption Agency (apart from on-going financial support) three years post Order. |
| 3.5 | All eligible adopters will be informed of the adoption support services available from the Bromley Adoption Agency following a referral. This will include confirmation of those support services identified; advice, information and consultation services available; direct work and support and information on requesting an assessment for adoption support. |
| 3.6 | For adopters who live in the borough but were not Bromley adopters or who did not adopt a Bromley child the Bromley Adoption Agency becomes responsible for providing adoption support if requested and following assessment, three years post order. Their Agency can make a referral to the Bromley Adoption Team following a similar process or the adopted child, the adopter(s) or one of their children can request an assessment for adoption support. Information as above will be given. |
| 3.7 | The adoption support social worker will record all contacts and visits as required by the 'Recording Policy'. In the case of new referrals to Bromley the adoption support social worker passes a copy of the CHARMS referral record to the Clerical Officer, Adoption to put basic referral information onto LINKS. |
End