Adoption
Steps to adoption
South Tyneside Council is committed to ensuring that the entire process from the time you return your application form to being approved as an adopter is as quick as possible – ideally the process should not take longer than six months.
Step 1
Make a general enquiry about adoption or contact us.
Step 2
Initially, you will be visited at home by an adoption officer who will discuss your needs and explain the process of adoption. They will gather information about you, give you details of the assessment process and answer any questions or concerns that you might have.
Step 3
You will be invited to attend preparation training, where you will learn more about what is involved with adoption. You will meet other people who are going through the same process as you, be able to talk to experienced adopters and hear about the children who need adoptive families.
We will ask you to complete a detailed application form about yourself and all other members of your household. This form gives us permission to carry out necessary safety checks. The council will carry out these checks to make sure that you have not committed any serious offences that could automatically disqualify you from adopting. You will also need to provide two personal references.
We will ask for proof of your identity (such as a passport, birth or marriage certificate) and ask you to have a health check with your GP, to show that you don't have any major health problems.
Step 4
You will be allocated an adoption officer who will arrange regular appointments to meet with you and explain about the skills and qualities that adopters need. During these sessions you and your supervising adoption officer will discuss a range of subjects related to the needs of the children who want an adoptive family. You can discuss the number, ages and characteristics of the child or children you wish to adopt.
All the information is compiled by your adoption officer who then writes a report called a Prospective Adopters Report, outlining your skills, abilities and qualities you have to offer as an adopter. You will be expected to contribute to this report but will be guided by your worker, so it isn't as difficult as it sounds!
Step 5
You will be invited to attend the adoption panel with your adoption officer who presents the Prospective Adopters Report assessment report. The panel recommends whether or not to approve you as an adopter and indicates the number, age and gender of children you can adopt. If you are not approved, your adoption officer will discuss the reasons with you and the agency will write to you. You will be able to put forward your own views. Sometimes it is possible to re-apply in the future.
