Guidance for social workers - Children

New to adoption in Suffolk?

The 'best interests' guidance (PDF, 78Kb) aims to chart a course for a child’s social worker from the early days of a child becoming looked after through to presenting the child’s situation to a Permanence Panel.

It includes:

  • how and when to book a panel “best interests” item;
  • advice about permanence planning where adoption is one of the options being considered;
  • what information including the Form E is necessary for the Panel and the Agency to arrange a child’s adoption;
  • links to other forms which need to be completed.

The parallel Birth Family Issues Guidance (PDF, 48Kb) sets out the work which is necessary for the child’s social worker to carry out or arrange to involve parents and others as fully as possible in the adoption process and to ensure then are consulted and counselled.

It includes:

  • informing them of the implications of the adoption plan;
  • consulting them about the plan itself and their preferences;
  • inviting them to attend the Permanence Panel;
  • identifying their support needs;
  • offering independent counselling;
  • seeking their consent for medical information;
  • links to other forms which need to be completed

When you book a “best interests” item with adoption admin they will also book you a date at the Matching Meeting (PDF, 43Kb). This is the forum where we devise a family finding plan for the child. The  Matching practice guidance (PDF, 46Kb) will tell you what you need to do to get ready for this meeting and what happens then:

It includes:

  • when and how to notify the Adoption Register for England and Wales about your child’s placement needs;
  • the role of the East Anglia Consortium of Adoption Agencies in family finding;
  • how to prepare a matching item to approve a proposed placement at permanence panel;
  • designing an adoption support plan (PDF, 408Kb);
  • links to other forms which need to be completed.

New Guidelines for safeguarding children placed for adoption (PDF, 200Kb) set out the particular safeguarding needs of children and how social workers must follow child protection guidance and put children's welfare first.

Once a child is placed for adoption and the adopters have applied for an adoption order you may be asked to write a Schedule II Report for the court . Here is some guidance on writing Rule 29 Reports and a  Rule 29 Report format to download.

Adoption social workers assessing prospective adopters are asked to help applicants prepare a chronology (PDF, 107Kb). The guidance for preparing chronologies (PDF, 56Kb) will help you to do this.