ADOPTION SUPPORT PLAN

This plan should be included in the papers presented to panel when a matching recommendation is being considered. The proposed match is based on the child’s assessed needs and the ability of the adopter to meet those needs. The objective of the plan is to ensure that all the necessary support is in place for those needs to be met.

This plan should be completed by the Adoption Support Service (Chair) in conjunction with the child’s social worker, the prospective adopters’ link social worker andthe adoption family finder (if applicable). Advice should be sought from relevant professionals and the Adoption Support Team.

Child's Name:
Date of Birth:
Child’s Ethnicity:
Placing Local Authority:
Name of Adoptive Family:
Approving Local Authority or Voluntary Agency:
Local authority where family lives: (If this is neither the placing nor the approving local authority, date of the required consultation and name, position and contact details of person with whom this took place):
Date proposed plan was completed:
Date of Panel Re: Matching Decision:
INDIVIDUAL WORKER RESPONSIBLE FOR CO-ORDINATING THE PLAN:
Name and position: Morris Linton
Agency: Adoption Support Team, London Borough of Enfield
Address: Triangle House, 305-313 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London, N13 4YB
Telephone: 020 8379 8478
Email:

THE CHILD

HEALTH (A detailed summary of current health needs and those that are likely to occur in the future because of the child’s early experiences or hereditary factors)

1. What are the child’s current health needs? How are these to be met?

2.What are the results of checks or screening?

3. List any health issues/ developmental delays arising from the child’s early/ neonatal experiences

4. Please state details of any illness or condition the birth parents have (this includes addictions to substances as well as disability, psychologicalor learningdifficulties)

6.Have the adopters had a consultation with the medical advisor? - Or planned date for this to take place.

Adoption Support needs of the child and the adopters in relation to health needs

1. What are the current services provided?

2.Will similar or additional services continue to be provided in the new placement?

SELF CARE SKILLS

1. Eating/ Toileting/Sleeping/Walking or crawling/Dressing Self/Washing

Discuss whether the child’s skills are age-appropriate.

2. Where needs have been identified, please state how the adopters will meet these needs? Who will fund this? Please indicate length of time the service will be required for if applicable.

EDUCATION, STIMULATION AND LEARNING NEEDS

1. Contact details of any schools, nurseries attended by the child.

2. Does the child play in an age appropriate manner?

3. Have there been any concerns about the child’s learning or behaviour expressed by teachers at school/nursery/playgroup?

  • Please include PEP targets if appropriate.
  • Is there a statement of Special Needs? If so what are the special needs as conveyed in the statement?

Supporting the adopters to meet the child’s educational needs

1. Have the adopters identified a suitable school/ nursery/ playgroup in their area? If not, who will support them in doing this?

2. Have they had copies of school reports?

3. Do the adopters need to meet with the child’s previous teacher(s)?

4. If the child has special education needs, who will coordinate the support services for the child and who can the adopters call on for advice and support?

EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL DEVELOPMENT

1.Is the child’s social/emotional presentation appropriate for their chronological age?

2.How does the child relate to her carers? What has the quality of the child’s previous attachments been like?

3.At the current time, what does the child understand about the reasons for their being in care?

4.How have they reacted to that information?

5. What are the plans for therapeutic work/ life-story work being done with the child?

6. Is there a life-story book, a foster carer memory box and a letter of origin?

Supporting the adopters to meet the emotional needs of the child

If the adopters are in Enfield or within easy reach, they can access Enfield therapeutic services such as CAMHS, PAC services and the Adoption Support Team. Three years post adoption order the immediate adoption support needs of the family and child will come from the local authority in which the child lives. Letterbox and any adoption allowance will continue to come from Enfield even if the local authority changes.

  1. What support or specific services do the adopters need in assisting them to manage difficult emotions and behaviour?
  1. Please give details of any current therapeutic services offered to the child/ adopters

3. What therapeutic services are available to the child in the area in which they are to be placed? Has liaison taken place with the new local authority? Please indicate the timescale for receiving an appointment. Have any financial implications beendiscussed and agreed with the service manager?

IDENTITY

1.Is the child placed in a family that is different in race or culture to their birth and foster family?

  1. Ifso,what adoption support services are available to promote his/her understanding of their ethnic and cultural identity? How will the adopters meet needs that arise as a result of cross cultural adoption?

3. Is there current information that was not previously available in the Child Permanence Report about the child’s history/identity?

THE ADOPTIVE PARENTS

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Does the child meet the criteria for a means tested adoption allowance (e.g. significant medical, health, special needs)?

2. Do the adopters require a means tested financial assessment to meet the needs of a child?

CONTACT

Note: The letterbox agreement forms [on group drive] are usually filled in by the LAC

social worker and adoption social worker who will liaise with their respective birth

and adoptive families. The adoption support service can be brought in for advice and

discussion and where necessary meet up with either family. It is the adoption support

service that may have ongoing contact with both sets of families through the years.

1 .What support, if any, will be required for the birth family, adopters and the child in setting upand implementing direct/indirect contact arrangements?

2. What is the proposed future contact for the birth family? Explore the reasons for this plan.The adoption support team normally recommends that letterbox takes place annually. A discussion may need to take place on whether photos are to be included.3. Is a one-off meeting between adopters and birth relatives being planned?
Name of person / Relationship to child / Direct/ Indirect
contact /
Frequency
/ Any potential risks?
Supervision required?
.

SIGNATURES

LACSocial Worker
LACManager
Child or young person (where appropriate)
Prospective Adopter (1)
Prospective Adopter (2)
Adoption Social Worker for Adoptive Family
Family Finding Social Worker(if applicable)
Adoption Support Service Social Worker
[Chair and minutes]
Adoption Support Service Manager
[Chair and minutes]

1

AS Plan October 2013