The Adoption Support Services (Local Authorities) (Wales) Regulations 2005

Requirement for assessment

7.—(1) The following persons are prescribed for the purposes of section 4(1)(b) of the 2002 Act (assessments etc. for adoption support services) —

(a) a child of an adoptive parent;

(b) a child who is the natural brother or sister (whether of the full blood or half blood) of an adoptive child; and

(c) a related person in relation to arrangements for contact between that person and an adoptive child where arrangements for such contact have been made before the request for an assessment.

(2) Where a person who falls within section 4(1)(a) of the 2002 Act or within paragraph (1) of this regulation requests an assessment, and the request relates to a particular adoption support service, or it appears to the local authority that the person’s needs for adoption support services may be adequately assessed by reference to a particular adoption support service, the local authority may carry out the assessment by reference only to that service.

(3) In this regulation a reference to a particular adoption support service is to any of the following services —

(a) counselling, advice and information in relation to adoption; or

(b) a service specified in regulation 3.

(4) Where a local authority (“the placing authority”) is considering the placement of a child who is looked after with a prospective adopter who is resident in the area of another local authority (“the recovering authority”) the placing authority must consult the recovering authority in writing about the placement and the result of the assessments undertaken in accordance with section 4(1) and (2) of the 2002 Act and in particular about the ability of the agencies in the area of the recovering authority to provide any identified adoption support services.

(5) A placing authority must allow a period of 20 working days following the consultation undertaken in accordance with paragraph (4) before the placement of the child can be considered by the adoption panel in accordance with regulation 18 of the Adoption Agencies (Wales) Regulations.

(6) Where a recovering authority has responded in writing to the consultation undertaken in accordance with paragraph (4), that response must be taken into account by the adoption panel when considering the placement of the child in accordance with regulation 18 of the Adoption Agencies (Wales) Regulations and by the adoption agency in accordance with regulation 19 of the Adoption Agencies (Wales) Regulations.