Guidance on Completing an Ecomap

Application to be Considered to AdoptGuidance on Completing an Ecomap

Guidance on Completing an Ecomap

Overview

An ecomap should be completed by each individual, couple or family who are seeking approval to adopt with guidance provided by his/her/their allocated adoption worker. This should usually be completed during Stage One of the adoption process.

During Stage Two of the adoption process the adoption worker completing the adoption assessment will use the ecomap as a basis for discussing and exploring the applicant/s’ social and support network.

The ecomap may be included in the final Prospective Adopters’ Report (PAR) that will be presented to the Adoption Panel when the prospective adopter/s’ application to be approved to adopt is considered by the Adoption Panel. Alternatively a summary of the information provided may just be included in the assessment report under the section on the applicant/s’ social and support networks.

Completing your Ecomap

An ecomap represents in a picture format the connections that prospective adopters and their family have with their relatives, friends, and other people in their support network and community. These connections are drawn out in a way that indicates the nature and quality of these relationships.

Used in conjunction with family trees, ecomaps will convey, in a diagrammatic form, information about an individual or couple’s relationships and social networks.

Ecomaps are drawn by placing the family household at the centre of the drawing and then enclosing this in a square or circle. The individual, couple or family completing the ecomap then identify the people with whom they have relationships outside of the household and this should include relatives, friends, work colleagues, neighbours and groups or organisations in the community that are of significance. Individuals or groups who are not in the immediate geographical vicinity, but who provide emotional or practical support or advice should be included if they are significant.

Connections should then be made between the household and individuals, groups and organisations using the lines indicated on the key for example ecomap below.

This ecomap was drawn with Microsoft Word (version 2010), by using the ‘SmartArt’ button on the ‘Insert’ tab of the ribbon bar and choosing the ‘Basic Radial’ option. If you have the electronic version of this document you can choose to copy the example and alter that.

Adoption Procedures: Section 2: Appendix Jv1.01Page 1 of 2

Application to be Considered to AdoptGuidance on Completing an Ecomap

Example

Key

/ A strong connection / / A flow of energy from the applicants (strong connection)
/ A tenuous connection / / A flow of energy towards the applicants (tenuous connection)
/ A stressful connection / / A flow of energy towards and away from the applicants (strong connection)

Adoption Procedures: Section 2: Appendix Jv1.01Page 1 of 2