Pride in Practice Standards

Child subject to an Adoption Plan

1 / I have understood the reason for urgency in all my work to achieve a successful adoptive placement for a child and where I encounter obstacles to meeting timescales I have immediately informed my manager and the Independent Reviewing Officer so they can support corrective action.
2 / I have understood how important it is to the child that I keep an excellent record of documents, activity, how and why decisions are made, and a comprehensive picture of their early life.
3 / I have understood the role of the Independent Reviewing Officer and my responsibility to keep them informed of all activity and key events in permanence planning for the child.
4 / I have understood the importance of life story work for the child and started to collect photographs and other material from their birth family and foster carers so the child can know their early history.
5 / I have recommended that a child’s Care Plan becomes an Adoption Plan at the earliest CLA Review, for most children this will be at the 2nd CLA Review when a permanence plan is put in place.
6 / I have invited the IRO and Family Finder to Permanence Planning Meetings and recorded the meeting (or made sure the meeting is recorded in the child’s record if someone else is recording) in the Mosaic form so progress can be tracked and driven forward.
7 / I have arranged an earlier planning meeting with the Independent Reviewing Officer and Adoption and Permanency Team if it is a relinquished baby
8 / I have invited a Family Finding social worker from the Adoption and Permanence Team to the 2nd CLA review or early planning meeting so they can begin family finding immediatelyto achieve early placement for the child and followed this up with a formal referral.
9 / When the Independent Reviewing Officer has agreed that adoption is the plan for the child I have started work on the Child’s Permanence Report (CPR).
10 / I have alerted the Team Administrator to the change to an Adoption Plan so they can start an Adoption Case Record for the child and get 2 certified copies of the child’s full birth certificate
11 / I have booked into the Adoption Panel or passed for ADM decision taking into account target timescales for the child to be placed with their permanent family as soon as possible.

I have referred the case to the Adoption and Permanence Panel if the child’s parents are willing to consent to adoption and there is no application for a Placement Order.
I have referred the case directly to the Agency Decision Maker (ADM) if application has been made to Court for a Care Order or where there is no parent or guardian.

12 / I have told the birth parents that the agency plan for their child is adoption and where possible started to put some of the administrative preparation in place – parents consent to disclosure of information on their medical history to facilitate the Adoption Medical for the child; extensive enquiries as to the whereabouts of birth parents that cannot be found; counselling for birth parents.
13 / I have advised parents to seek legal advice, particularly if they oppose the plan for adoption or a father doesn’t have parental responsibility.
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14 / I have made practical arrangements for the birth if the child is unborn and worked closely with the parents and health colleagues on the birth plan.
15 / I have started preparing the child for adoption depending on their age. I have given the child the Children’s Guide to Adoption and talked about their wishes and feelings for the future; for their religious or cultural upbringing; for their contact with birth family in an age appropriate way.
16 / I have started to put administrative preparation into place by updating child health and education information; asking the child’s carer for a report on the child for the CPR.
17 / I have continued life story work. As well as creating a life story book I have uploaded photographs with a clear record of names, places, dates to the child’s electronic file to preserve the material should they be parted from their life story book and want to understand their history in later life.
18 / I have talked to the foster carer’s Supervising Social Worker to agree how the foster carer will support the child’s preparation for adoption and life story work.
19 / In line with the amendment made by the Children and Families Act 2014 to section 22c of the Children Act 1989 I have considered placing the child with a relative, friend or connected person and if such a placement is not appropriate I have considered placing the child with a local authority foster carer who is dually approved for a “fostering to adopt” placement. If placements aren’t appropriate I’ve kept a clear record of the reason and captured it in life story work in a way the child can understand.
20 / If all other permanence options are ruled out and adoption is the plan I have arranged a date for the case to be presented to the Adoption and Permanence Panel or referred to the ADM (based on criteria detailed above) within 2 months of the date when the adoption plan was ratified at the child’s LAC Review.
21 / If I have not presented to the Adoption and Permanence Panel or referred to ADM within 2 months of the CLA Review ratifying adoption as the plan I have kept my manager and the IRO informed and I recorded clearly the reasons for the delay together with timescales to move the case forward.
22 / I have given both birth parents a copy of the memorandum “Information for parents on Adoption”
and got signed receipt for upload to the child’s adoption record and return of a signed copy to both parents.
23 / I have recorded on the child’s adoption record If either or both parents refuse to accept or do not receive the memorandum.
24 / If the court grants a Placement Order I have informed the IRO so CLA reviews can be scheduled to support early placement with an adoptive family.
I have changed the focus of Permanence Planning Meetings to drive timely family finding for the child.
Wandsworth Borough Council |2nd Edition December2017