Adoption Panel
Your assessment report will be presented to an Adoption Panel who will recommend whether to approve your application or not. You will be invited to attend the Adoption Panel meeting with your social worker. If the Adoption Panel recommends that your application is not approved, and the Agency Decision Maker accepts the Panel's recommendation, your social worker will discuss this with you and you will be advised of possible courses of action you may wish to consider.
The independent review mechanism
All prospective adopters have the right to apply to an independent body for a review of their case if their adoption agency does not approve them as suitable adoptive parents. For more information please call the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) on 020 7593 2000 or your social worker.
Matching
Once you are approved we will be making every effort to match you with an appropriate child within South Gloucestershire. Your social worker will explain how we do this. The age range of the child or children you are looking to adopt may affect the length of time you have to wait. If you are hoping to adopt a young child you may have to wait longer before a match is made.
Placement
Once a child or children have been identified as possibly a good match with your family, full information about their background will be given to you. If you want to proceed, you will then meet the child or children. If you all agree and after a gradual period of introduction, the child or children will come to live with you and become part of your family.
Remember you are not on your own now – we will offer you support and advice after the placement and your social worker and the child's social worker will continue to visit you and the child until the Adoption Order is made.
Adoption order
When the child has successfully settled with your family, you will be able to apply to the court for an Adoption Order. Once the Adoption Order is made, all rights and responsibilities originally held by the birth parents are transferred to you.
Making a complaint
If at any point you are not happy with the assessment, the social worker or any aspect of the adoption process then we ask that you contact the social worker or the Adoption Team Manager to give them the opportunity to resolve the issue. However if you feel unable to do this or you are still not happy with the process then you have the right to complain through South Gloucestershire's complaints procedure. Please write to:
Complaints & Consumer Services Oficer
Department for Children & Young People
Fiveways
New Cheltenham Road
Kingswood
South Gloucestershire
BS15 4RR
Tel: 01454 866374