6.1.1 Functions, Responsibilities and Values of the Adoption Service

Contents

1. Functions of the Adoption Service
2. Values underpinning the Adoption Service
3. Principles underpinning the Adoption Service
4. Responsibilities

1. Functions of the Adoption Service

1. To provide a positive option for children unable to live with their birth family
2. To consider applicants who wish to become adoptive parents
3. To link children for whom the agency has responsibility, with prospective adoptive families who best meet their needs
4. To supervise children placed with prospective adopters prior to the granting of the Adoption Order
5. To report to the Court in relation to all adoption and associated applications
6. To provide information to the Department for Education and generally, to assist those who wish to adopt a child from overseas
7. To offer pre-adoption counselling and offer independent support to parents whose children are to be placed for adoption
8. To offer post-adoption counselling for adopted adults wishing to have further information about their birth family
9. To provide a post adoption service for adopters and birth relatives by providing a letter-box system for indirect contact
10. To provide an adoption support service for all children placed by the agency, birth families, adopters and their families who live in the county as required by legislation and regulations

2. Values underpinning the Adoption Service

The following values underpin the Adoption Service and should be read in the context of the Council's main principles of family and child care policy.

Values - Children

The child’s welfare, safety and needs are at the centre of the adoption process.

Adopted children should have an enjoyable childhood, and benefit from excellent parenting and education, enjoying a wide range of opportunities to develop their talents and skills leading to a successful adult life.

Children are entitled to grow up as part of a loving family that can meet their developmental needs during childhood and beyond.

Children’s wishes and feelings are important and will be actively sought and fully taken into account at all stages of the adoption process.

Delays should be avoided as they can have a severe impact on the health and development of the children waiting to be adopted.

A sense of identity is important to a child’s well-being. To help children develop this, their ethnic origin, cultural background, religion, language and sexuality need to be properly recognised and positively valued and promoted.

The particular needs of disabled children and children with complex needs will be fully recognised and taken into account.

Where a child cannot be cared for in a suitable manner in their own country, inter country adoption may be considered as an alternative means of providing a permanent family.

Children, birth parents/guardians and families and adoptive parents and families will be valued and respected.

A genuine partnership between all those involved in adoption is essential for the NMS to deliver the best outcomes for children; this includes the Government, local government, other statutory agencies, Voluntary Adoption Agencies and Adoption Support Agencies.

Values - Adopted Adults and Birth Relatives

Adoption is an evolving life-long process for all those involved - adopted adults, and birth and adoptive relatives. The fundamental issues raised by adoption may reverberate and resurface at different times and stages throughout an individual’s life.

Adopted people should have access to information and services to enable them to address adoption related matters throughout their life.

Agencies have a duty to provide services that considers the welfare of all parties involved and should consider the implications of decisions and actions for everyone involved.

Agencies should seek to work in partnership with all parties involved, taking account of their views and wishes in decision-making.

Agencies should acknowledge differences in people’s circumstances and establish policies that provide non-discriminatory services.

Adopted adults have their adoptive identity safeguarded and the right to decide whether to be involved in contact or communication with birth family members.

3. Principles underpinning the Adoption Service

3.1 A child focused service

The child’s welfare, safety and needs are at the centre of the adoption process , in line with the Values set out above.

3.2 Respect for confidentiality

By secure management of adoption data and individual files.

3.3 Anti-oppressive and non-discriminatory practice

The Adoption Service operates within the Council's Equal Opportunities Policy and aims to work in an anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive way.

3.4 Effectiveness and Efficiency in Service Delivery

The Adoption Service is always open to considering innovative ways of service delivery - this includes entering into service agreements with the voluntary sector where appropriate. The changing needs of the service are continually monitored to ensure an effective response to change.

3.5 Monitoring

The Adoption Service quality assures its work in line with National Minimum Standards, good practice and the directorate’s performance management systems, Performance is reported in the annual report of the service which informs service planning.

3.6 User participation

The Adoption Service is committed to user involvement and processes are in place to seek and take account of the views of users.

4. Responsibilities

4.1 Social Workers (Adoption)

Adoption work will be undertaken by social workers (adoption) as set out in the Procedures Chapters in this Manual. They will be responsible, under the direction of the Adoption Team Manager, for:

1. The recruitment, training, assessment and presentation to the Adoption and Permanence Panel of persons wishing to become adoptive parents.
2. Assisting and advising social workers in the process of presenting reports to the Adoption and Permanence Panel in relation to children for whom adoption is the plan
3. The provision of pre-adoption 'independent' support to birth parents
4. Home-finding for children for whom adoption is the plan, including assisting the children's social workers to complete forms for the West Midlands Consortium, the Adoption Register and, where agreed, preparing advertisements in the press for example 'Be My Parent' and 'Adoption UK'.
5. Responding to all expressions of interest in adopting a specific child, evaluating the adopters' potential in discussion with the adopters' social worker and collating all the information received.
6. Child finding for all Herefordshire approved adopters where their location makes it impossible to place Herefordshire children with them
7. Visiting potential adopters for a child with the child's social worker, sharing full information about the child with them and compiling a clear analysis of how the adopters could meet the child's needs.
8. In conjunction with the child's social worker, preparing and presenting the Adoption Placement Report and proposed Adoption Support Plan and Matching Form to the Adoption and Permanence Panel, including reasons for recommending the proposed placement and other options considered.
9. Involvement in the preparation of the Adoption Placement Plan and in the support of the prospective adopters during introductions and the placement.
10. Involvement in facilitating the 'Child's Appreciation Day' prior to the child's placement.
11. The completion of the Letterbox forms where indirect contact has been agreed.
12. Contributing to Court reports in relation to children in whose placement they have been involved
13. The provision of post-adoption counselling to those wishing to access their birth records
14. The provision of post adoption support services to children, their adopted families and their birth families as agreed in Adoption Support Plans
15. The assessment and presentation to the Adoption and Permanence Panel of persons wishing to adopt children from overseas, involvement in the matching of children with approved inter country adopters, the supervision of the welfare of children from overseas once placed with approved inter country adopters prior to the Adoption Order being made; and preparing and presenting a report to the Court in relation to the adoption application.
16. Preparation of court reports in respect of non agency adoptions where the local authority has been informed of an intention to adopt.

4.2 Children's Social Workers

Social workers for children for whom adoption is the plan will be responsible for the following work, as set out in the Procedures Chapters in this Manual:

1. The preparation of the Child's Permanence Report and presentation of this report to the Adoption and Permanence Panel
2. In conjunction with the Family Placement Social Worker, the preparation of an Adoption Support Plan for the child and the birth parents for presentation to the Adoption and Permanence Panel at the same time as the Child's Permanence Report
3. The preparation of the child for adoption, in conjunction with others as necessary, including Life Story Work to be completed prior to the adoptive placements and the provision of a Later Life Letter explaining the child`s adoption journey
4. The counselling of the birth parents in relation to the adoption plan and the offer to them of arranging independent support
5. Active involvement in the process of choosing a prospective adoptive family for the child, including visiting prospective families with the home finding social worker
6. In conjunction with the home-finding social worker, the preparation of an Adoption Placement Report, Matching Form and proposed Adoption Support Plan in relation to a proposed adoptive placement
7. The monitoring and supervision of the welfare of the child after the adoptive placement
8. Providing an invitation list of those known to the child for 'The Child's Appreciation Day' plus photographs etc.
9. The preparation of Court reports in relation to the above children
10. The preparation of a 'Later Life' letter to the child
11. Involvement in the completion of the Letterbox forms where indirect contact has been agreed.

4.3 Adoption Team Manager 

The responsibilities of the Adoption Team Manager are:

• To act as Panel Adviser
• To advise childcare social workers and managers on permanence plans for children unable to be brought up in their birth families.
• To supervise and manage the staff in the Adoption Team.
• To chair and co-ordinate Placement Planning Meetings for the introduction of children to their adoptive families.
• To ensure a proper system for all Adoption Case Records
• To process requests for all forms of post adoption counselling or access to records
• To operate the Letterbox Scheme for indirect contact post-placement and post-adoption
• To arrange and monitor all arrangements for direct contact for children, post-placement and post-adoption
• To maintain the Adoption Support Service
• To advise and coordinate work in relation to inter country adoption
• To process requests for Court reports
• To provide statements to courts regarding home finding for children.

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