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Contents

1. Termination of Adoption Placement Plan Prior to Placement (i.e. During Introductions)
2. Disruption Prior to making of an Adoption Order    
3. Disruption at any time following the making of an Adoption Order           
4. Informing Birth Relatives/Significant Others 

1. Termination of Adoption Placement Plan Prior to Placement (i.e. During Introductions)

1.1

If a proposed placement does not proceed, it is unlikely there will be a need for a Disruption Meeting.

1.2

Reporting to Panel Where an Adoption Placement Plan is terminated before the adoptive placement takes place, the Adoption Panel which recommended the proposed placement will be informed by the Professional Adviser to the Panel when the minutes of the proposed placement are being considered or at the next meeting of the Adoption Panel. An Adoption Review must be convened to consider the plan for the child and whether it is still in the child's best interests to pursue a further adoptive placement. A report concerning the termination of introductions will be presented to the Adoption Panel within 3 months of the termination if the Adoption Panel is being asked to consider a new proposed placement. A report will be presented to the Adoption Panel if the Adoption Review recommends a change in the child's Care Plan.  The format of the report will be the same as that required when reporting back to the Adoption Panel on a child for whom no adoptive placement has been found - See Planning for Adoptive Placement Procedure, Section 8.5

2. Disruption Prior to making of an Adoption Order

2.1 Adoption Review

1. Where an adoptive placement disrupts prior to the making of an Adoption Order, an Adoption Review will take place as soon as possible.
2. This will be chaired by the child's Independent Reviewing Officer and will consider the following areas:
   
   • whether the adoption plan for the child remains appropriate;
   • the arrangements for meeting the child’s health and educational needs and whether any changes are required to assist the child’s development;
   • the existing arrangements for contact and whether they require amendment;
   • the adoption support needs of the child, the adopters and the birth relatives in relation to contact; and
   • where the child is subject to a Placement Order, the need to seek revocation of the Placement Order;

2.2 Informing previous foster carers

The carers who fostered the child prior to the move to the adoptive placement should be informed of the disruption. Discussion should take place between the child’s and the prospective adopters’ social workers, and the foster carer’s supervising social worker about who should inform the foster carers, and who should offer them support should this be needed. This may also be an opportunity to explore whether the foster carers may have a role in offering some support to, or contact with, the child.

2.3 Review of prospective adopters

The prospective adopters’ social worker will discuss with the prospective adopters their views and wishes about their future approval status and will arrange a review of the prospective adopters' approval to formulate a recommendation on their position - see Section 12, Assessment and Approval of Agency Adopters Procedure.  Any recommendations arising from a Disruption Meeting (see 2.4, Disruption Meeting) will be considered at such a review.

Workers should assist the prospective adoptive family in considering what information they would wish to be available in the future for the child. This may include information about themselves, the period of time in which they have parented the child and, if appropriate, their perception of the reasons for the placement ending. They may wish to provide this information in the form of a letter for the child, or to be included in Life Work. The prospective adoptive family should be asked to consider whether or not they would wish social workers to provide any identifying information.

2.4 Disruption Meeting

See ‘Dealing with Disruption Good Practice Guide’ Hedi Argent  BAAF 2006

1. A Disruption Meeting will be held between 28 and 42 days of the Disruption to identify the reasons for the breakdown and to learn lessons from the events surrounding the breakdown. Consideration must be given to the timing of the Disruption Meeting and whether it would be helpful to hold the meeting before the Adoption Review (see Section 2.1, Adoption Review).
2. An Adoption Team Manager will arrange for the meeting to be chaired by an experienced practitioner or manager from outside the Adoption Team and not involved in the line management of the case responsible social worker. In inter-agency placements, consideration will be given to having a chair from an independent agency.  It is the responsibility of the Adoption Team Manager to commission this if needed and the other agency will be asked to share the cost. The prospective adopters’ social worker, or family finder in the case of inter-agency placements, will coordinate the arrangements for the meeting.
3. those attending the meeting will be:
   1. the child’s social worker and line manager
   2. the prospective adopter’s social worker and their line manager
   3. the family finder
   4. the prospective adopters (some may choose not to attend)
   5. the child’s previous and current foster carers
   6. consideration will also be given to inviting key professionals such as teachers.
4. If appropriate (for example, where Parental Consent to Adoptive Placement had been given), birth parents will be invited to contribute to the process of the meeting, possibly in writing or via an interview/contact with the Chair of the meeting. It may also be appropriate to invite comments from other family members. 
5. If the child has been made the subject of a Freeing Order (i.e. under legislation in force prior to the Adoption and Children Act 2002) the birth parents must be advised of the disruption of the placement and of their rights to apply for the revocation of the Freeing Order.
6. A pro forma letter of invitation to all the participants is available. This letter explains the purpose and overall agenda of the meeting.
7. The findings of the meeting will be presented to the next Adoption Review and the Adoption Panel - see 2.5, Report to Adoption Panel.

2.5 Report to Adoption Panel

2.5.1 In respect of the child:

If the Adoption Review recommendation is that adoption should continue to be the plan for the child:

1. If no new placement has yet been identified, a report should be presented to the Adoption Panel which recommended the previous placement (wherever possible within 3 months of the Adoption Review). 
   
   The report will consist of:
   
   
   • the minutes of the Disruption Meeting,
   • the minutes of the relevant Adoption Review,
   • the Child's Permanence Report,
   • the minutes relating to the Adoption Panel's recommendation that the child should be placed for adoption,
   • the Adoption Placement Report,
   • the minutes relating to the Adoption Panel's recommendation to approve the previous placement.
   • a recommendation to the Adoption Panel that adoption should continue to be the plan for the child.
     
     
2. If a proposed placement is being presented for the Adoption Panel’s consideration, the standard paperwork for a proposed placement (see Planning for Adoptive Placement Procedure) should be accompanied by:
3. the minutes relating to the Adoption Panel's recommendation to approve the previous placement, and
4. the minutes of the Disruption Meeting

If the Adoption Review decision is that adoption is no longer the plan for the child, a report must be presented to the Adoption Panel following the Adoption Review. 

The report will consist of:

• the minutes of the Disruption Meeting,
• the minutes of the relevant Adoption Review decisions,
• the Child's Permanence Report,
• the minutes relating to the Adoption Panel recommendation that the child should be placed for adoption,
• the Adoption Placement Report,
• the minutes relating to the Adoption Panel's recommendation to approve the previous placement,
• an outline of the proposed alternative plan
• a recommendation to the Adoption Panel that adoption should no longer be the plan for the child.

If the disrupted placement was an inter-agency placement, the child’s or prospective adoptive family’s agency must be consulted as to their required paperwork.

2.5.2  In respect of the adopters

The review of prospective adopters will be presented to Panel. See Section 12, Assessing and Approving Agency Adoptive Parents.

The adoption or adoption support social worker should notify the admin. officer (Adoption) if an adoptive placement disrupts. This is in order that the adopter’s name may be removed from the mailing list if it is no longer appropriate to send correspondence.

3. Disruption at any time following the making of an Adoption Order

3.1	If a disruption takes place after the making of an Adoption Order, consideration should be given to the need for a Disruption Meeting to inform planning for the child, if s/he has become Looked After. If the child was placed in an inter-agency basis, the views of the other agency involved should be sought.  See ‘Dealing with Disruption Good Practice Guide’ Hedi Argent  BAAF 2006
3.2	Consideration must be given to the needs of the child and the adoptive family members for Adoption Support and the support needs of any birth relatives in relation to contact.  The implications of the disruption for any financial support arrangements must also be considered.
3.3	Workers should assist the adoptive family in considering what information they would wish to be available in the future for the child. This may include information about themselves, the period of time in which they have parented the child and, if appropriate, their perception of the reasons for the placement ending.  They may wish to provide this information in the form of a letter for the child, or to be included in Life Work. The adoptive family should be asked to consider whether or not they would wish social workers to provide any identifying information.
3.4	The social worker involved should notify the admin. officer (Adoption) of the disruption. This is in order that the adopter’s name may be removed from the mailing list if it is no longer appropriate to send correspondence.

4. Informing Birth Relatives/Significant Others

1. When a disruption occurs at any time after the making of an Adoption Order and the child has become Looked After, consideration should be given to informing the birth parents or significant relatives. There is no legal obligation to inform a birth parent or relative but it may be in the best interests of the child if this information has been shared. An annual exchange of information between the adoptive and birth families will mean that the birth parents’ whereabouts are known and that they have had, and expect to receive, updated information about the child.
   
   It is therefore essential that consideration of what is in the child’s best interest with regard to informing birth parents/relatives takes place as soon as possible after the disruption. The Adoption Review will ensure that this matter is given consideration. 
2. The consideration of who, if anyone, should be informed of the disruption will take place within the context of the child’s current legal status as this will determine the extent of the local authority and the adoptive parents’ Parental Responsibility. (If the child is Accommodated, only the adoptive parents will hold Parental Responsibility; whereas with a Care Order, it will be shared with the local authority). Legal advice should be sought when necessary.
3. Consultation should take place, wherever possible, as to any concerns or likely risks in approaching birth parents with the person who was the child’s social worker at the time of the child’s placement for adoption (if still available) or with any worker subsequently involved with the birth family.
4. Any consideration of who should be informed of the disruption will take into account the likelihood of the child returning to live with their adoptive parents and the needs of any birth siblings remaining in the adoptive home.
5. A Looked After Review is unlikely to be the appropriate forum for a detailed discussion of whether any birth relatives need to be informed of the disruption.  This is a complex matter which the adopters may not be ready to consider whilst they, and the child, are still dealing with their initial emotions in response to the disruption.
   
   The Looked After Review will therefore consider the need to hold a specially convened planning meeting (see vii) for an outline of all the issues which will need consideration.  An agreed view of who, if anyone, should be told and by whom, should be achieved before the matter is discussed in depth with the child, who may be present at the Looked After Review.
6. If the child has not become Looked After following the disruption but is, for example, subject to a kinship arrangement within the extended adoptive family, consideration still needs to be given to whether birth relatives need to be informed. This situation is most likely to arise if the local authority is involved in facilitating any form of contact (e.g. Letterbox) or any other adoption support service.  Any action could only be taken with the adoptive parents'' agreement. 
   
   The planning meeting will be convened by the child’s social worker or adoption support social worker and will be chaired by the Senior Care Manager of either of the social workers.
   
   Those attending will be:
   • the adoptive parents,
   • the current carers,
   • the child’s social worker,
   • the adoption support worker,
   • any other involved professionals (such as a psychologist).
7. The meeting will consider:
   • The adoptive parents’ views as to whether the birth parents/relatives should be informed
   • The child's views (as far as these are known prior to the meeting) as to whether the birth parents/relatives should be informed,
   • The current situation of the birth parent/relative,
   • The history and current situation regarding Letterbox contact,
   • The implications of providing this information to a birth parent/relative; whether there are any inherent risks,
   • The implications for any other siblings, particularly those remaining in the adoptive placement, of continuing contact with a sibling placed elsewhere,
   • Whether any further work will be required with any party prior to the information being shared,
   • Whether any further work will be required with the child or the adoptive parents if the meeting recommends that information should not be shared,
   • The need to ensure that any current or future Letterbox contact is monitored by a social worker – this will mostly usually be the adoption support social worker as these arrangements are managed by the Adoption and Fostering Unit.
8. The outcome of the meeting and the actions taken will be reported to the child's next Looked After Review. A full record of the discussion and ensuing decisions will be kept on the child’s Adoption Case Record. 

End