Once Family Finding has started for a child(ren) the social worker will keep up to date with expressions of interest and follow the process below.
It is important to note that the social worker will consider no more than three prospective adoptive families at one time for a particular child(ren) and we asked that you don’t actively express interest in more than three children/sibling groups at any one time.
- Social Worker reads the Prospective Adopter Reports (PARs) and shortlist to one preferred family.
- An initial visit will take place with the prospective adopters’ and the social worker to discuss the child(ren) and their needs and learn more about the family to ascertain if the match is right.
- Following the initial visit the social worker will meet with their manager to discuss the strengths and vulnerabilities of the proposed match and make the decision whether to proceed or not.
- If everyone is happy to go ahead with the match a provisional matching panel date is booked.
- A range of meetings will then be booked to help the adopters get to know the children and their needs more. These will be:
Foster Carer Meeting
This is an important meeting for adopters who will be able to speak to the current main carer giver for the child(ren) and gain lots of information about their routine, their likes and dislikes and what they are like as little people.
Foster carers are a significant part of the child(ren)’s lives so it’s important for adopters to start a positive relationship with the foster carers here that can continue throughout the child(ren)’s lives.
Observational Visits
Where appropriate a visit will be arranged to give you an opportunity to observe the child(ren) interacting with their carers in a neutral setting, or sometimes interacting with peers and teachers within a school or nursery setting. This can be a helpful opportunity to see what a child(ren) is like when at their most comfortable and in an everyday life experience.
A decision about whether a visit is needed or not will usually be made between the child’s social worker and their manager at the point of agreeing to progress with the match. They will consider any potential negative impact on the child, whether the child’s needs warrant such a visit and what the purpose/benefits of such a meeting would be. Where these visits occur, they are not usually interactional between the adopter and child due to the confusing messages that this can give to the child, and the fact that you would not then see them at their most relaxed.
Medical adviser meeting
Every child has an adoption medical to better understand their health and any needs they may have including those relating to their birth family history. This information is shared with prospective adopters.
The Medical Advisor meeting is a chance to discuss the child(ren)’s health and needs with a medical professional to learn how this may impact them in everyday life both now and in the future.
Where a child has a specific medical need, it may be possible to meet other expert professionals to understand this further.
Post Adoption Support Consultation
Every child within our agency will have one of these consultations prior to being matched. The initial consultation will take place with someone from our adoption support team, the child’s social worker/family finder, adopters’ social worker and other professionals if appropriate. It can be an in-person meeting or by way of reviewing written information. Either way the consultation is used to highlight any support needs and informs the support plan for the child and family.
By having these meetings early on we aim to support adoptive families from the very beginning and build a positive relationship where support is normalised, should you need it. Where appropriate further review consultations can be held either before or after a child joins their adoptive family, which more commonly include the adopters in person.
Visit to nursery/school
This is a chance for adopters to speak to education professionals about how the child(ren) is doing in their development, understand what needs they may have and how they can be supported going forward.
Life Appreciation Events
These are special meetings that allow adopters to meet with a number of significant people who have met or worked with a child(ren) throughout their lives. It is a positive meeting to celebrate their lives, hear stories that can be shared with a child as they grow and ensure that adopters can obtain lots of information about the child that may otherwise have been lost. It’s a brilliant way to gain an understanding of the child’s world and how their early experiences may impact them as they grow. These events are most commonly held where there has been a long history of involvement with a family, where there are multiple siblings with different professionals involved or for children whose own needs mean that there are more professionals and others actively involved in their lives.
- All papers will be being prepared during this time and signed off by all parties ready for panel. There will be a pre-panel meeting to make sure everyone is ready and no information has been missed.
- Social Workers will attend Panel (as happens at the point of approval) who will recommend whether or not they agree that the match is a positive one. Prospective Adopters are also invited to attend panel and most are keen to do so. The Agency Decision Maker then considers the recommendation of the panel alongside all of the paperwork to make the final decision, known as ratification.
- Once the match has been ratified, a placement planning meeting will take place and introduction plan will be reviewed.
- Introductions between the prospective adopters and child(ren) will start.