The Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2013

Amendment of the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005

9.  For Schedule 4 substitute—

“SCHEDULE 4

Regulation 26(a)

PART 1 Information to be provided during Stage 1

Information about the prospective adopter

1.   Name, sex, date and place of birth and address including the local authority area.

2.   If the prospective adopter is married or has formed a civil partnership and is applying alone for an assessment of their suitability to adopt, the reasons for this.

3.   Details of any previous family court proceedings in which the prospective adopter has been involved.

4.   Names and addresses of three referees who will give personal references on the prospective adopter, not more than one of whom may be a relative.

5.   Name and address of the prospective adopter’s registered medical practitioner.

6.   If the prospective adopter—

(a) is married, the date and place of the marriage,

(b) has formed a civil partnership, the date and place of registration of that partnership, or

(c) has a partner, details of that relationship.

7.   Details of any previous marriage, civil partnership or relationship.

8.   Whether the prospective adopter is domiciled or habitually resident in a part of the British Islands and if habitually resident for how long they have been habitually resident.

Information about the home etc of the prospective adopter

9.   Details of other members of the prospective adopter’s household (including any children of the prospective adopter whether or not resident in the household).

Regulation 26(b)

PART 2 Report on the Health of the Prospective Adopter

1.   Name, date of birth, sex, weight and height.

2.   A family health history of the parents, any brothers and sisters and the children of the prospective adopter, with details of any serious physical or mental illness and any hereditary disease or disorder.

3.   Infertility or reasons for deciding not to have children (if applicable).

4.   Past health history, including details of any serious physical or mental illness, disability, accident, hospital admission or attendance at an out-patient department, and in each case any treatment given.

5.   Obstetric history (if applicable).

6.   Details of any present illness, including treatment and prognosis.

7.   Details of any consumption of alcohol that may give cause for concern or whether the prospective adopter smokes or uses habit-forming drugs.

8.   Any other relevant information which the adoption agency considers may assist the adoption panel and the adoption agency.

Regulation 30(1)

PART 3 Information to be provided during stage 2

Information about the prospective adopter

1.   A photograph and physical description.

2.   Racial origin and cultural and linguistic background.

3.   Religious persuasion.

4.   Relationship (if any) to the child.

5.   A description of the prospective adopter’s personality and interests.

6.   A family tree with details of the prospective adopter, the prospective adopter’s siblings and any children of the prospective adopter, with their ages (or ages at death).

7.   A chronology of the prospective adopter from birth.

8.   The observations of the prospective adopter about their own experience of being parented and how this has influenced them.

9.   Details of any experience the prospective adopter has had of caring for children (including as a parent, step-parent, foster parent, child minder or prospective adopter) and an assessment of the prospective adopter’s ability in this respect.

10.   Any other information which indicates how the prospective adopter and anybody else living in the prospective adopter’s household is likely to relate to a child placed for adoption with the prospective adopter.

Wider Family

11.   A description of the wider family of the prospective adopter and their role and importance to the prospective adopter and their likely role and importance to a child placed for adoption with the prospective adopter.

Information about the home etc of the prospective adopter

12.   Information about the prospective adopter’s home and the neighbourhood in which the prospective adopter lives.

13.   Information about the local community of the prospective adopter, including the degree of the family’s integration with its peer groups, friendships and social networks.

Education and employment

14.   Details of the prospective adopter’s educational history and attainments and the prospective adopter’s views about how this has influenced them.

15.   Details of the prospective adopter’s employment history and the observations of the prospective adopter about how this has influenced them.

16.   The current employment of the prospective adopter and the prospective adopter’s views about achieving a balance between employment and child care.

Income

17.   Details of the prospective adopter’s income and expenditure.

Other information

18.   Information about the prospective adopter’s capacity to—

(a) provide for a child’s needs, particularly emotional and behavioural development needs;

(b) share a child’s history and associated emotional issues; and

(c) understand and support a child through possible feelings of loss and trauma.

19.   The prospective adopter’s—

(a) reasons for wishing to adopt a child;

(b) views and feelings about adoption and its significance;

(c) views about their parenting capacity;

(d) views about parental responsibility and what it means;

(e) views about a suitable home environment for a child;

(f) views about the importance and value of education;

(g) views and feelings about the importance of a child’s religious and cultural upbringing; and

(h) views and feelings about contact.

20.   The views of other members of the prospective adopter’s household and wider family in relation to adoption.

21.   Any other relevant information which might assist the adoption panel or the adoption agency.

Regulation 30F(3)

SCHEDULE 4A Modifications to Part 4

1.   Regulation 22 does not apply.

2.   Regulations 24, 25 and 26 only apply where an adoption agency considers it necessary.

3.   Regulations 27 and 28 do not apply.

4.   Regulation 30 applies as if—

(a) paragraphs (1) and (4) were omitted;

(b) for paragraph (2) there were substituted—

“(2) The adoption agency must prepare a written report (“the prospective adopter’s report”) which includes—

(a) where applicable, a summary, written by the agency’s medical adviser, of the state of the health of the prospective adopter;

(b) where applicable, any observations of the agency on the matters referred to in regulation 25;

(c) where applicable, any relevant information obtained by the agency under regulation 26;

(d) the agency’s assessment of the prospective adopter’s suitability to adopt; and

(e) any other information which the agency considers relevant.”; and

(c) the words “where applicable” were inserted at the beginning of paragraph (6)(b).

5.   Regulation 30A(3) does not apply.

6.   Regulation 30B applies as if for paragraph (1) there were substituted—

“(1) The adoption agency must decide whether the prospective adopter is suitable to adopt a child within four months of the date on which the agency received the prospective adopter’s notification that they wished to proceed with the pre-assessment process.””.