The Adoption Agencies (Scotland) Regulations 1996

Duties of adoption agencies in making arrangements for adoption

9.—(1) An adoption agency shall not place or secure the placing of a child in the care and possession of any person proposing to adopt the child until–

(a) the adoption agency has so far as is reasonably practicable, ascertained the particulars set out in Schedule 2;

(b) the adoption agency has obtained a report prepared within the previous 12 months by a fully registered medical practitioner as to the health of the child;

(c) the adoption agency has obtained a report prepared within the previous 12 months by a fully registered medical practitioner as to the health of each person proposing to adopt the child;

(d) that person has been interviewed by or on behalf of the adoption agency;

(e) the adoption agency has satisfied itself by a visit on its behalf that any premises in Great Britain within which that person intends that the child shall have his home are satisfactory;

(f) the adoption agency has made enquiries to satisfy itself that there is no reason to believe that it would be detrimental to the welfare of the child for him to be kept by that person and by that person in those premises and has inquired of every local authority in whose area those premises are situated whether that local authority has reason to believe that it would be detrimental to the welfare of the child–

(i) for him to be kept by that person in those premises; or

(ii) or the proposed adoption to proceed;

(g) the adoption agency has prepared a written report containing its observations on the matters referred to in this regulation and has passed that report, together with all information obtained by it by virtue of this regulation, to the adoption panel or to another adoption agency;

(h) the adoption agency has concluded in accordance with section 6 and 6A of the Act that the welfare of the child would be best met by his being so placed.

(2) The adoption agency shall arrange such medical investigations and tests as are considered necessary to be carried out on the child and shall arrange that a report based thereon is obtained from a fully registered medical practitioner unless such tests have already been carried out and the findings are known to the agency.

(3) Wherever practicable any report in connection with paragraph (2) shall be included in the report obtained by the adoption agency under paragraph 1(b) of this regulation.