Author: Amanda Trodd

Roles and Responsibilities
Local Authorities and ACE Working Together

Introduction
A key learning from Adoption Disruption Review Meetings is that social workers need to be clear about their role and responsibilities in the preparation and placement of children for adoption across the ACE region. This is particularly important now that local authorities are having to engage with their regional adoption agency and adopt new ways of working together.
This leaflet seeks to clarify this and is a guide that outlines the broad parameters of each person’s responsibilities. It is not, however, designed to provide an exhaustive list of what every person should be doing or contributing to the process.

Pre placement
To track with the local authority those children with a plan for adoption.
To advise and identify early potential Fostering for Adoption placements.
To put in place a joint working agreement covering roles, responsibilities and expectations during this stage of the adoption process.
To provide a witness statement for court and give evidence of the option and likelihood of securing an adoption placement for a child.
To complete and update child profiles and family finding plans.
To distribute child profiles locally, nationally and on the ACE website.
To meet with the child – in order to get to know and form an accurate opinion of their personality and needs.
To maintain a working relationship with the foster carer/s.
To attend exchange and/or activity days, locally, regionally and nationally, where the child’s profile is to be presented.
To offer advice around the completion of the Child Permanence Report, Panel paperwork and contribute to the matching meetings where potential placements are identified and confirmed.
To advise and support the child’s social workers and foster carer/s on the adoption process and on preparing the child for adoption.
To undertake direct preparation work with the child (when required and agreed with the child’s social worker) on transitioning to their new placements.
To undertake visits jointly with the child’s social worker to potential adoptive families and in all cases where an interagency placement is being considered.
To chair the Child Appreciation Meeting if required.

ACE — Family Finder

Post Placement
Supporting the new placement until the first review after placement.
To complete applications to the Adoption Support Fund, in appropriate cases, and progress the provision of interventions as required.
To complete any outstanding direct work that has been agreed or started prior to placement.
For interagency placements, family finders will notify the ACE Interagency Support Advisor at the point of matching panel. Following the child’s placement the local authority social worker will work alongside the relevant adoption agency for the adopters to support and monitor the placement. The Interagency Support Advisor is a point of contact for advice and guidance for adoption support and ASF applications and will track these placements until an adoption order is made. When an adoption order is granted, the case will close to ACE or be transferred to the relevant adoption support team if ongoing adoption support is required at that time.

ACE — Family Finder

Pre placement
To develop a child focused relationship, getting to know the child’s views and wishes in an appropriate age-related way, using the child’s preferred method of communication.
To discuss the plan for adoption with the child helping them to understand what it means to be adopted, what is involved and the time that it will take. To gather their views and wishes about the plan including those about future contact.
To arrange for independent advocacy support as necessary.
To set up the Child Appreciation Meeting where required.
To arrange for medical reports to be completed and/or updated.
To complete/keep updated the Child’s Permanence Report incorporating information and the views of the birth parents.
To complete the Contact Assessment Tool (to be attached to the Child’s Permanence Report) ensuring that contact with any siblings is addressed.
To refer to the birth family independent adoption support service - Family Connexions.
To jointly produce the Adoption Placement Report and Adoption Support Plan with the adoption social worker where a potential match has been identified. To complete and attach the Contact Plan to the matching documentation.

Child’s Social Worker

On placement
To prepare the child (in a child appropriate way) for moving into a new family, school and environment.
To support the adoptive parents in securing childcare/school placement where difficulties are encountered.
To ensure that agreements relating to contact are written down, signed and shared.
To visit the child within the first of week placement and as agreed thereafter and arrange for the first adoption review within 28 days.
To escalate and resolve any matters relating to adoption /settling in/other allowances.
Post placement
To coordinate the completion of the child’s life story book – to be provided by the second adoption review.
To compete the later life letter for the child - for the prospective adopters to receive this within 10 working days of the adoption ceremony.

Child’s Social Worker

Pre placement
To prepare and support adopters to develop a positive relationship with the child that is informed by the therapeutic principles of PACE.
To jointly produce the Adoption Placement Report and Adoption Support Plan with the child’s social worker.
To gain the prospective adopters’ views about the proposed placement and record these.
To ensure that the home is safe, and that health and safety issues have been addressed.
To ensure that the proposed contact arrangements are clear and understood by the adopters.
To ensure that the prospective adopters have had access to all background information about the child.
To make available to the adopters training and other support services.
At placement
To support adopters in forming an attachment relationship with the child during the early placement days through a minimum of weekly contact during the first month.
To ensure that the prospective adopters understand the parameters of their delegated parental responsibility and have arranged for the child to be registered with the GP, dentist and school where applicable.
To provide advice and support and progress financial matters and entitlements.

ACE—Adoption Social Worker

ACE—Adoption Social Worker

Post placement
To maintain contact with the family for a 12 month period after the adoption order is granted that includes a minimum of 3 monthly contact.
To support the adopters in updating and sharing the child’s life story book and to support and signpost on contact related issues.
To support the adopters in keeping the child safe including internet and other social media.
To support the adoptive parents in resolving education related matters – attending meetings where appropriate or signposting to relevant people/agencies.
To complete an Assessment of Need for adoption support services and/or facilitate the handover to the ACE adoption support service team (Spokes).
To ensure that adopters are updated about local support services and further training opportunities.

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