The adoption process

The adoption process

The adoption process

We welcome enquiries from people who wish to be considered as adopters or permanent foster carers who have read our information and feel they would like to know more about adopting or permanently fostering for Hammersmith and Fulham Council.

1. Information meetings

In Hammersmith and Fulham, we periodically offer Information Sessions about adopting or permanently fostering alongside the other local authorities which are part of the West London Consortium. The Consortium is made up of the London Boroughs of Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Brent, Harrow, the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Coram Families adoption agency is also part of the Consortium. Please visit the Adoption homepage to find out our next information meeting dates or how to find about other agencies information meetings.

2. Initial home visit

If you wish to progress your interest in adopting or permanently caring with Hammersmith and Fulham Council after attending an information session, then you can contact us and discuss your interest further. We select families for interview based on the needs of the children waiting.

An initial home visit is undertaken by a social worker from the Adoption and Permanency Team. They will need to meet all the adults in your home and will ask to look around the property you live in.

They will discuss with you in general aspects of children who are waiting for permanent families and what you to offer a child.

The social worker will also ask you about your health, any previous relationships, especially where children are involved and whether your Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check will be clear. You will also be asked about your support network and your financial circumstances. If the Adoption and Permanency Team considers that on the basis of the information given you could be a suitable family to a child needing permanency in Hammersmith and Fulham you will be invited to complete an application form including CRB and medical forms.

3. Statutory checks

On receipt of your application form your assessment will begin, including the processing of the statutory and CRB checks and you will be invited to the next Preparation and Training Groups.

4. Training 

The Preparation and Training Groups are an important part of the assessment process. Hammersmith and Fulham Council run these groups three times a year and they are run by members of the Adoption and Permanency team.

Essentially the groups offer applicants the opportunity to learn more about the process by interacting with other participants, listening to professional speakers and those directly affected by adoption and working through a series of workshops in large and small groups.

5. Assessment

The assessment process usually takes place after the Preparation and Training sessions and according to the National Adoption Standards we aim to complete the assessment and present it to the Adoption and Permanency Panel within the eight month time frame.

The assessment process takes the form of a series of home visits undertaken by your allocated social worker, and we will ask you to make yourselves available during the day for these to take place.

The information collected by the social worker will contribute towards the production of the Prospective Adopter's Report (PAR). Along with this your social worker will interview three referees who you have nominated to support your application plus ex partners and any existing children, whether adult or child, living with you or elsewhere.

The assessment process can be lengthy, intense and you will be required to speak honestly abut yourselves and your past, your motivation to adopt and the lifestyle you and your family lead. You will also be asked about your support network, your views on childcare and how you intend to make emotional and practical space in your lives for a child who needs a permanent family.

You will have a medical examination, the results of which will go to the Agency's medical advisor whose opinion will also contribute to the Prospective Adopters Report. The manager from the Adoption and Permanency Team will interview you for additional information and quality assurance purposes.

Once complete you will be able to read the report but not the references and are invited to comment on your experience of the assessment process.

6. Hammersmith and Fulham Council's Adoption and Permanency Panel

This sits once a month. It is made up of professional and lay people and has the responsibility of recommending to the Director of Social Services whether or not applicants should be approved as prospective adopters or permanent foster carers. The Adoption and Permanency Panel is a legal requirement of adoption agencies in England and Wales.

You will be asked to attend the panel with the assessing social worker. The panel has the Prospective Adopters Report two weeks before they meet you. You and the assessing social worker will be asked questions by panel members. You will be told what these are prior to meeting the panel and you will be told of the Panels recommendation immediately after the panel. The recommendation will be sent to the Director and you will get a formal letter of approval if the Director agrees with the panel within seven working days after the panel.

7. Matching you with a child

We ask families who are approved by Hammersmith and Fulham Councils Adoption and Permanency Panel to wait with us for up to four months. Within that time we will consider children who are waiting for permanency within the borough who may be a possible match for you based on their needs and the matching criteria set out in the Prospective Adopters Report .

If this is not possible, the team will refer you to the West London Consortium and also the Adopter Register of England and Wales. Please visit the BAAF website for further information on matching, the legal process of adoption, post approval and post placement support.

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