Our adoption panel

In line with statutory requirements, ARC Adoption North East's adoption panel ensures safe and effective care for children who have a plan for adoption.

Following completion of your Prospective Adopter’s Report (PAR) also referred to as a home study assessment, your case will be presented to ARC Adoption’s adoption panel.

The role of the adoption panel is to ensure the highest standards of practice. All adoption services are required to appoint a range of people to a ‘Central List’ of panel members. Panel members have an important role in ensuring that ARC Adoption North East applies the highest possible standards when considering who is suitable to be approved to adopt vulnerable children.

In order for the panel to go ahead a quorum of five members must be present.

ARC Adoption's adoption panel consists of the following members:

  • A Chairperson who is an independent professional who is not employed by ARC Adoption North East and who has a comprehensive understanding and experience of the adoption process.

And/or.

  • A Vice-Chair who does not have to be independent of the agency but may be a social worker with at least three years’ experience in childcare and adoption
  • Independent people with first-hand knowledge of adoption

Examples of other individuals who may be adoption panel members include:

  • An education professional
  • An experienced adopter
  • An adoptee
  • A Medical advisor
  • A Legal advisor
  • Professional advisor to the adoption panel, this is usually the Director or Assistant Director at ARC Adoption. Their role is to inform the panel members of adoption regulations, agency policies and procedures and any business which is relevant to the recruitment and approval of adopters.
  • There is also a panel administrator who takes minutes of the discussion within the adoption panel and who circulates papers. They are also responsible for ensuring that any actions agreed during adoption panel are followed up.
  • There may be occasions when an observer is invited to attend the adoption panel. They play no part in the panel proceedings, they are there in order to gain experience and develop their knowledge and understanding of the adoption process.

 Legal Role of the Adoption Panel

ARC Adoption's adoption panel and decision-maker make timely, quality and appropriate recommendations and decisions in line with the overriding objective; to promote the welfare of children.

 It is the role of the adoption panel to consider the following:

  • Each application for approval as an adopter and recommends to the agency decision maker, whether or not a person is suitable to act as an adopter, within four months of receipt of the prospective adopter’s formal application to be assessed.
  • Where these timescales have not been met, the panel records the reasons in the written minutes of the panel meeting.
  • Where it recommends approval of an application, to recommend to the agency decision maker, the terms of approval to be given.
  • The adoption panel provides a quality assurance feedback to the agency every six months on the quality of reports being presented to the panel.