Adoption Support

An Adoption Support Plan should set out clearly:

1. The objectives of the plan and the key services to be provided;
2. The timescales for achieving the plan;
3. Those responsible for implementing the plan and the respective roles of others; what should be provided, when and by whom;
4. The criteria that will be used to evaluate the success of the plan;
5. The procedures that will be put in place to review the services to be provided and the plan.

The Adoption Support Plan will need to be completed after consultation with the appropriate Health Trust, CYPMHS or education service where any special arrangements may need to be made. Where the child is placed in the area of another local authority, the agencies in that authority's area will need to be consulted as to what services may be available for the adopters and the adopted children. In these circumstances, the prospective adopters should be assisted with any cross-boundary issues that may arise.

The Adoption Support Plan should include any proposed financial support, how the amount has been calculated, where it is to be paid in instalments - the frequency of payment, the period over which it will be paid and when the first payment is to be made, the conditions and the consequences of failing to meet them and the arrangements for review, variation and termination, (see Section 12, Financial Support). All requests for financial support or commissioned services must be referred to the Head of Service Children's Resources.

Once a proposed Adoption Support Plan has the approval of the Designated Manager (Adoption Support), a copy should be sent to the proposed recipients of the support, as well as to any party involved in the delivery of the plan.

The recipients of the proposed support should be given 10 working days to consider the proposals and make representations to the agency about the proposed plan. Any representations made should be considered by the Designated Manager (Adoption Support), who will amend the draft plan as appropriate and inform the recipients of the outcome of their considerations.

In relation to proposed agency adoptive placements, the proposed Adoption Support Plan will be submitted to the Adoption Panel when the proposed placement of a child with particular prospective adopters is recommended. The final Adoption Support Plan will be approved, taking into account any advice given by the Adoption Panel. See Placement for Adoption Procedure.

In relation to other situations in which adoption support is proposed, the Adoption Support Plan will be approved by the Designated Manager (Adoption Support).

A copy of the final plan should go to all those involved in implementing it, and to the recipients of services (or appropriate adult). Where the child has an Independent Reviewing Officer, a copy should be made available to them. 

Where adoption support is in place prior to an Adoption Order, the Adoption Support Plan should be reviewed at the reviews of the adoptive placement - see Adoption Reviews Procedure - or at any time if there is a significant change of circumstances, within 4 weeks of the notification of the change.

After the Adoption Order has been made, the Adoption Support Plan will be reviewed if a change in circumstances is brought to the notice of the agency. The Adoption Service Manager will decide on the format and content of any such review, which will depend on the circumstances of the case. It may refer to only one element of the Plan or be relatively minor in which case an exchange of correspondence may be sufficient. (For annual reviews of financial support, see Section 12.7, Annual Review of Support).

Where the change of circumstances is substantial, such as a serious change in the behaviour of the child, it may be appropriate to conduct a new assessment of needs involving other parties.

If as a result of a review, whether before or after an Adoption Order has been made, it is proposed to vary or terminate the support, the proposed change must be referred to the Designated Manager (Adoption Support) for approval, who, in the case of agency adoptive placements, may decide to refer the case back to the Adoption Panel for information and advice and then to the Agency Decision Maker for a decision to be made.

Once approved, the person concerned must be notified of the proposed change, together with a copy of the revised Adoption Support Plan in draft. They must then be given 10 working days to make representations on the proposals.

Any such representations should be submitted to the Designated Manager (Adoption Support) whose decision as to the final contents of the revised Adoption Support Plan should take into account any representations made.

Notice of the decision must then be sent to the person concerned with reasons and, where appropriate, a copy of the revised plan.

Where there is an urgent need for support, the support can be provided before a Plan is drawn up but the above procedure should then be followed as soon as possible.

An Adoption Mailbox is maintained by Adoption Now on behalf of the 6 Local Authorities to support an information exchange in adoption placements. It provides details of agreements between birth parents (or other birth family member) and adoptive parents, of how indirect contact will take place. Information exchanged may include letters, cards, photographs or children’s artwork.

Each of the parties will be given a Mailbox Information leaflet, which explains how to send information, and the basic principles underpinning a mailbox exchange.

Prospective adoptive parents must be fully apprised of the expectations upon them regarding contact, prior to matching and placement. Their commitment to the mailbox agreement over time is most likely to be obtained if the prospective adopters fully appreciate the reasons for decisions made regarding contact arrangements.

Birth family members should be given details of the dates and intended contents of the exchange. The particular wishes of the birth family members may need to be discussed with the prospective adopters. Birth parents will need to be advised on how to write ‘emotionally neutral’ information about themselves, and how to address cards or letters, and how to sign themselves off. Details of exchange dates must be clearly indicated on Mailbox Agreement forms when they are completed.

It is the responsibility of the child's social worker to ensure that separate agreements are completed with the parties to the exchange and that information leaflets are given prior to the making of an adoption order. This will normally be after the child has been placed with the adoptive family.

The Adoption Mailbox agreements should be witnessed by the person who assists in their completion.

The child’s social worker may need to enlist the help and assistance of the family finding social worker and the link worker for the adoptive family in completing the agreements.

During this process birth parents need to be reminded about the independent counselling services, available to them. Adoption Now has a contract with PAC UK’ to provide this service. Counsellors there can assist parents in dealing with the emotional impact of losing a child through adoption. The information about this service should be provided in writing. Birth parents/relatives should already have been advised of this service once the adoption plan was confirmed and following the Agency Decision for adoption. A referral can be made either by the person themselves, by the child’s social worker or by the adoption social worker, with their agreement.

Mailbox agreements should also be established for siblings, and mailbox agreements made between their carers. Where siblings of adopted children are placed with birth family members, the agreements should be made in the same way as for other birth family members.

Where Mailbox contact is between an adopted child and a child placed with birth family members, extreme care must be taken to protect the confidentiality of the adoptive family. The birth family form is to be used for the birth family members concerned.

Completed agreements should be given to the contact coordinators to input onto the recording system.

The child’s social worker retains responsibility for ensuring that mailbox agreements from all parties are completed. The contact co-ordinators will not accept agreements and set up a mailbox file until all agreements have been completed and signed by all parties.

On receipt of all the agreements from birth parents/relatives and adoptive families, an electronic mailbox case record will be created on the agency’s recording system. A mailbox record will NOT be set up and exchanges will NOT commence until all signed agreements have been returned to the mailbox administrator by the child's social worker.

On receipt of all agreements, the contact coordinators will input details of birth and adoptive family into the recording system.

The information on the case records will be amended whenever the agency becomes aware of or have been informed of a change of address, or of the details of the exchange takes place.

In the event of there being a need for discussion with any of the parties, the contact coordinators will be informed of the reason for this and will take appropriate action to resolve the issue raised, and record the outcome on the case record.

All items are either e-mailed to recipients after proper checks and safeguards have taken place or they are posted after addresses have been checked. 

The Contact coordinators will check the records on a monthly basis. If information is not received by the Mailbox two months after the agreed time, a written reminder will need to be sent. A copy of the reminder letter will be placed on the file. A  reminder will also be sent out following contact from the birth family / adoptive family chasing up contact letters.

Financial support is intended to supplement existing means of support available to adoptive parents and the child or children being adopted. Adopters must be given advice of entitlements to employee's rights to leave and pay, benefits, tax credits and allowances, and these should be taken into account when considering amounts of financial support. See Section 2, Duty to Provide Information Concerning Adoption Support.

The circumstances in which provision of financial support may be paid are as follows:

1. Where it is necessary to ensure that adoptive parents can look after a child;
2. Where the child needs special care which requires a greater expenditure of resources by reason of illness, disability, emotional or behavioural difficulties or the continuing consequences of neglect - and the child's condition is serious and long-term;
3. Where it is necessary for the local authority to make any special arrangements to facilitate the placement or the adoption by reason of the age or ethnic origin of the child or the desirability of the child being placed with siblings or a child with whom they have previously shared a home;
4. Where such support is to meet the recurring costs of travel for visits for the child to members of the birth family / significant others;
5. Where the local authority considers it appropriate to contribute towards expenditure on legal costs, including Court fees (in cases where the adoption is supported by the local authority), or expenses associated with the child's introduction to adoptive parents or expenditure on accommodating the child (e.g. adaptations to the home, furniture, clothing or transport).

Expenses During Introductions - Travelling expenses for adopters during the period of introductions will be paid at a standard mileage rate. If it is necessary for adopters to incur accommodation costs to facilitate the process, reasonable costs will be met in full. These must be agreed by the Head of Adoption Now.

An Initial Settling In Grant - This is provided to adopters who meet the criteria. The settling-in grant is not payable for children who are being adopted by their former foster carers.

Court Fee Applying for an Adoption Order - The cost of the application will be reimbursed where families are applying to the court to adopt an Adoption Now child who was previously Looked After. For children outside of Adoption Now this may be different and vary from agency to agency.

Regular Financial Support - is only payable for children who meet the eligibility criteria and payment of regular financial support is subject to a means test. Any proposal for regular financial support must be considered by the child’s team manager and approved by the Head of Service in whichever of the 6 Local Authorities the child is from.

Adopters who wish to be assessed for regular financial support must complete an application form and provide proof of all income and expenditure. Failure to do so will result in a delay in processing the application and could affect the start date of any financial support.

All income available to the family and the child will be taken into account. Foster children (and any associated payments) are not regarded as part of the family for the purposes of the means test, nor are any adoption or special guardianship allowances which have already been paid to the family.

Expenditure for the family and the adoptive child will be taken into account.

All adopters should be advised to undertake a benefits check to make sure they are aware of all the benefits they are able to claim (e.g. Tax Credits, Child Benefit etc.).

The financial assessment will be undertaken based on the income available to the family when the child is placed. Adopters can be reassessed 3 months after the placement is made if there is uncertainty about their benefit entitlement at the time of placement.

All available benefits available to adopters must be claimed. If adopters do not claim available benefits despite their financial support may be reduced

All payments will be made by BACS. A form will be sent to the adopters with the application form.

All cases will be reviewed annually. Financial support will be reassessed with effect from the date of review. If the form is not returned by the deadline, financial support may cease and may not be backdated to the review date.

Where a change in the adopters' financial circumstances occurs at any time which may affect the level of financial support, the adopters must notify the Finance Team in writing, with the necessary proofs, and the financial support will be re-assessed accordingly. Any over-payments made as a result of failure to report changes in financial circumstances will be recovered.

Payments in special circumstances (for example, a child with additional needs or where foster carers adopt a child for whom they are already caring or where adopters incur legal expenses in contested cases). Payment may be in instalments and may end at a time specified by the local authority.

Where regular financial support is considered appropriate, the amount to be paid to adoptive parents may be determined by an assessment of their means. This will take account of the adopters' income and resources (excluding their home), reasonable outgoings and commitments, and the financial needs and resources of the child. (N.B. Support provided under Section 12.2 (v) to assist with legal costs or expenses associated with the child's introduction to the placement will not be subject to an assessment of means.)

As part of this assessment, the adopters should be asked to complete a Financial Assessment Form and the completed form should be forwarded to the Finance Department for the respective Local Authority. The process for approval will be different for each Local Authority but will involve a senior manager agreement usually at the Assistant Director level. 

In relation to proposed financial support for a new placement, the Adoption Support Plan will be submitted to the Adoption Panel with the Adoption Placement Report when a matching recommendation is being considered. See Placement for Adoption Procedure.

The adopters will be sent written confirmation of the decision to provide financial support. This will include the amount and terms of the support and information about annual reviews.

If it is decided that financial support should be given to adoptive parents, payment may be subject to conditions and a date specified by which the condition is to be met.

Prior to making financial support available to prospective or adoptive parents, they will be required to inform the adoption service:

1. Of changes to their home address;
2. If the child (for any reason) no longer lives with them;
3. If there are any changes to their financial situation / the resources of the child.

Where information is given orally, adoptive parents must confirm this in writing within 7 days.

Should adoptive parents fail to comply with the requirements, the authority may suspend payment of the financial support provided.

Adoptive parents must also agree to complete and supply the authority with an annual statement of their circumstances for the annual review.

The adopters should specify the following in the statement:

1. Their financial circumstances;
2. The financial needs and resources of the child or children;
3. Their home address and whether or not the child or children live at home with them;
4. If there have been any changes to their own or the child / children's circumstances.

The Adoption Service will carry out an annual review of the financial support, taking into account the information given. Any proposed variation or termination of the financial support must be notified to the person(s) concerned.

Should adoptive parents fail to supply an annual statement, the authority must send a written reminder and give 28 days to comply. If they fail to comply, the authority may suspend payment of the financial support provided.

Remuneration for Former Foster Parents

Where the adopter previously fostered the child they are adopting, and they received remuneration in the financial support paid to them as the child’s foster parent, the local authority may continue to pay remuneration for a transitional period of 2 years from the date of the adoption order. This can continue for longer than 2 years if the local authority considers the case to be exceptional. The decision to include remuneration must have been taken before the making of the adoption order.

Financial support will end in the following circumstances:

• When a child reaches age 18, unless they continue in full time education or training when support may continue until the end of the course of education or training being undertaken, subject to any other financial support the child may be entitled to receive;
• Where a child ceases full-time education or training and commences employment;
• Where a child qualifies for income support or job seekers allowance in their own right;
• Where circumstances have changed significantly and the criteria are no longer met;
• If a child leaves the adoptive home and this is regarded as a permanent departure. Temporary absences do not apply, e.g. boarding school, hospital, and respite care;
• The child dies