The Adoption & Permanence Panel plays a key role in helping some of the most vulnerable children in society find a safe place to call home.
Most people find membership of an adoption and permanence panel very worthwhile. It is an opportunity to use their relevant personal and professional experience to the benefit of others, and to develop their own knowledge and skills.
Children whose plans are considered by panel are amongst the most vulnerable in society, and their lives have often been characterised by abuse, risk and disadvantage. By ensuring that the needs of children are always the paramount consideration, the recommendations and advice given by panel can be a vital stage in their journey towards a home where safety, security stability and recovery are paramount.
The main tasks of the adoption and permanence panel involve making recommendations about:
• Whether permanence is in the best interests of a particular child, and if so registering the child in need of permanence recommending the legal route to achieve this. Panel members are provided with the Child's Adoption & Permanence Report (CAPR), and a Parenting Capacity Assessment explaining why a particular child is unable to return to the care of their parent(s) and what efforts were made to return the child and why these did not work.
• Whether people who have applied to become prospective adopters are suitable to adopt. Panel members are provided with a report, called the Prospective Adopter(s) Report (PAR(S)). This sets out the assessment of the applicant(s) with a recommendation as to whether they are suitable to adopt. This is usually provided at the end of a full assessment but sometimes a brief report is provided part way through if there are concerns.
• Whether a particular child should be placed for adoption with a specific prospective adoptive parent(s). Panel members are provided with the Child's Permanence & Adoption Report, the Prospective Adopter(s) Report which explains why a particular child should be placed with this prospective adopter(s).
Occasionally a child who is already registered for permanence may be referred for reconsideration, including where a change of route may be required.
Panels are usually composed of a group of people with a range of experiences and backgrounds. Some members have professional knowledge of adoption, such as social work managers or experienced social work practitioners. Other members are on the panel as independent members. In this way, it is possible to involve those whose lives have been affected by adoption, for example adoptive family members, adopted people and those who have been care experienced.
Anyone interested in finding out more should please contact Tracy Hamilton: tracy.hamilton@westlothian.gov.uk
