Amendments
January 2024
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Recruitment, Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Adoption Panel | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Disruption of Adoptive Placements | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been refreshed and a link added to National Early Permanence Practice Standards (Coram Centre for Early Permanence). |
| Next Update: July 2024 | |
July 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Adoption by Existing Foster Carers | This procedure has been updated. |
| Family Finding Role and Procedure | This procedure has been updated. |
| Adoption | This procedure has been updated. |
| Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted | This chapter has been amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern has been added. |
| Lone Working Procedure | This procedure has been updated. |
| Disaster Recovery Plan | This procedure has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Regional Adoption Agencies Adoption Support Transfer Protocol | This protocol applies to all Regional Adoption Agencies. It outlines the expected process, accountabilities and procedures that should be applied when the responsibility of the provision of adoption support transfers from agency to another. |
| Removed Chapters | |
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February 2023
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Safeguarding and Child Protection | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
July 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Recruitment, Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Adoption Panel | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Placement for Adoption | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Adoption Support | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Disruption of Adoptive Placements | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted | This chapter has been refreshed. |
November 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Review of Prospective Adopters' Approval | This chapter has been revised throughout in line with local practice. |
| Placement for Adoption | References to CoramBAAF forms have been updated. |
July 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records | This chapter has been given a general refresh throughout and information added on applying for a copy of a birth certificate online. |
November 2020
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Adoption | This policy has been added to the manual. |
January 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been amended to remove references to the Adoption Register. A link has been added to Attending an IRM Panel: Information Sheets. |
| Placement for Adoption | This chapter has been amended to remove references to the Adoption Register. |
| Family Finding Role and Procedure | An updated version of this local guidance has been added. |
| Inter Country Adoption | Minor amendments have been made in line with local practice. |
| Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records | A link has been added to Attending an IRM Panel: Information Sheets. |
| Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters | A new Section 6, Together for Adoption Procedure for Identifying Concurrent and Fostering for Adoption Placements has been added. |
February 2019
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters | Minor amendments have been made throughout this chapter in line with local practice and terminology. |
| Adoption Panel | This guidance has been reviewed and updated following the introduction of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018. Minor amendments have been made throughout the chapter in line with local practice. |
| Adoption Support | This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance which require schools, through the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children, to offer support to previously looked after children. |
| Adoption Reviews | Section 5, The Conduct of Adoption Reviews (bullet point 1.f) has been amended to reflect the status of adopted children as being 'previously looked after' when considering their educational needs. A link to DfE guidance on Promoting the Education of Looked After and Previously Looked After children has also been added. |
| Adoption Case Records | Section 3, Security, Retention and Sharing of Records has been updated in line with Adoption and Care Planning (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2018, which provide that an adoption agency may disclose an adoption case record to another adoption agency for purposes related to either agency's functions as an adoption agency. Further information has been added in relation to adoption records where an Adoption Order is not made. |
| Life Story Books Guidance | This chapter has been given a general refresh throughout. |
| Later Life Letters | This chapter has been given a general refresh throughout. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Review of Prospective Adopters' Approval | This section previously formed part of the chapter on Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters. It has been revised throughout in line with local practice, and now forms a separate chapter. |
June 2018
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters | Section 4.1, Duty to Consider Fostering for Adoption Placement has been updated to reflect the additional consideration (added by section 9 Children and Social Work Act 2017 into the list of considerations whenever a court or adoption agency is coming to a decision relating to the adoption of a child), of the relationship which the child has with relatives, with any person who is a prospective adopter with whom the child is placed and with any other person in relation to whom the court or agency considers the relationship to be relevant. |
| Placement for Adoption | This chapter has been amended to emphasise 'procedural fairness' as a key aspect of the adoption planning process in respect of ensuring parents are provided with information throughout, including the dates of placement/proposed changes of a child's status, etc. This follows the outcome of a judicial review. Section 1, Planning for Permanence has been updated to reflect section 9 Children and Social Work Act 2017. Whenever a court or adoption agency is coming to a decision relating to the adoption of a child, an additional consideration is added by of the relationship which the child has with any person who is a prospective adopter with whom the child is placed. |
