The Adoption Process

Initial Contact

To let us know you are interested in adoption, you will need to complete a registration of interest form or call us on 020 7527 4400. You can submit the form online, or you can print off a copy of the form and post it to us. When we receive your form we will telephone to arrange for a social worker to visit you at home to discuss your interest and what has motivated you to become an adoptive parent. This is called the preliminary interview.

Formal Application

If after your preliminary interview you decide to proceed, you will be sent a formal application form. This can be completed by you or with the help of an adoption social worker.

Checks and References

We will need to carry out a number of statutory checks on you and your family. As well as these checks, we will also verify any information given to us. We will ask for personal references from people who have known you at different times in your life and an employer’s reference if you are working.

Preparation Groups

The aim of these sessions is to inform and prepare you to deal with issues that are common to adoption. Adoption social workers and adopters will be there to share their experience and knowledge.

Assessment

This can begin before, during and after your attendance at the Preparation Group. An adoption social worker will be allocated to you to undertake an assessment. You will work together to achieve competency in:

• Caring for children

• Providing a safe and caring environment

• Working as part of a team

• Adoption as a life long process

• Personal development
  
  

We will discuss your strengths and identify any areas of development. Once the assessment is complete, an Adoption Assessment Report is produced and sent to you to read and make any comments.

Adoption Panel

Your adoption social worker will present your Adoption Assessment Report to the Adoption Panel, who will make their recommendation. You will be able to attend the session when your report is being presented and you will be advised of the Panel’s recommendation at the end of the presentation. Based on their recommendation, the Director of Social Services will make the final decision on whether or not to approve you.

Once you are approved, the process of matching you to a suitable child can take from a couple of weeks to over 12 months. This match is also taken to the Adoption Panel for their approval. We hope to match you to an Islington child, however if this is not possible, we will look at children from other local authorities.

We hope this has provided you with an insight to adoption with Islington, If you want to register your interest, please complete registration of interest form.