Our social worker has forwarded us a copy of the form she will complete during our assessment, along with the questions that go with it. Not as extensive or as detailed as I expected, to be honest. Nowhere does it ask how often we cut our toenails, what our views are about Free Form Jazz music or whether we've been to Guildford.
Here's what it does ask - eliminating the several pages that don't apply to us (and yes I have cut and paste this from another document - I didn't sit and type it out. And no you won't want to read all of it, unless you're really bored, or out of a kind of morbid fascination):
Family of origin, including siblings and other significant family members
Where was the applicant born and raised?
How would you describe the relationship you had with each of your parents. Who were you closest to and why?
Describe your relationship with your siblings when you were a child
What are your memories of birthdays, Christmas and other special occasions?
What type of holidays did you have?
Were there any unhappy times or memories for your childhood?
Describe your overall experiences of childhood i.e. pre-adolescence?
Do you have any significant memories of being a teenager?
Was this a time of experimenting with alcohol, drugs, tobacco etc?
Have there been any significant events in your adult life?
What has been the biggest disappointment in your life to date?
What has given you the most satisfaction in your life to date ?
How have your experiences as a child shaped the person you are today?
Describe your overall experiences of being parented.
Did you receive care from any other adults or family members as a child? Was this of significance?
Identity (personal, class, racial and ethnic, gender, sexual, cultural, language and spiritual). This should also include the applicant’s attitudes and experiences of diversity.
What do you think are some of the components that make up our own sense of identity or describe who we are
Did religion play any part in your growing up
Was your culture reflected in your upbringing or in your life now
How would you describe your own identity in terms of gender, language, ethnicity, class, culture, sexuality and spirituality
What is the ethnic mix in your locality
Does your lifestyle reflect the fact that we live in a multiracial/ multicultural society ( i.e. food, music, friends, art/ornaments)
Have you ever experienced any prejudice or bullying
What contact do you have, or have had, with people of different ethnicities, people with disabilities or those who are of gay or lesbian sexuality
Were you raised in a family who were tolerant of others because they were different in some way
How will you raise your own children to be tolerant of others? Give examples of any issues you have discussed with them (there may be examples of issues raised on TV etc.)
AttitudesHow do you view Britain today in terms of mix of different racial and cultural groups that exist
Where do you stand on the issues of the day (e.g. girls and women wearing full face veils/ levels of immigration from Eastern Europe)
Can you give some examples of reasons why people might be discriminated against in society
Education Which schools did you attend
What was your experience of junior/secondary school
What was the attitude of your parents towards your education
What qualifications did you gain
What was your experience of further/higher education
Have you gained any qualifications/ skills as an adult
What is your attitude to education now as a parent/ potential adoptive parent
Employment Give details of your experience of work from leaving school to the present day
(pay particular attention to work involving children or caring)
Have you had experience of working as part of a team
Are there issues of confidentiality involved in their work
What was your parents attitude to work
How important to you is work
What ambitions/plans do you have for the future with regard to work
How will work fit in with adoption, what plans do you have for taking adoption leave and returning to work?
Health (including physical and mental health and emotional well being)
Do you now, or have you in the past, suffered from any significant illness of a physical or mental basis
If so please give details and any ways this may affect your ability to care for a child
Do you feel you are a strong person emotionally
What efforts do you make to try to maintain a good level of health
Leisure and recreational interests
What interests or hobbies do you enjoy
Why are they important to you
When do you do them
With whom
How much time is involved
How would adopting a child fit in with these hobbies/ interests
Do you have any specific skills or talents
How flexible are they in terms of fitting hobbies or interests around children placed for adoption
What interests /talents could they share with children
Are their hobbies/ interests linked to their support networks i.e. clubs, church etc
Do the applicants recognise the importance of having some “me” time
Personality and Physical Description How would you describe yourself
What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses
Would you describe yourself as an organised, reliable and dependable person
Can you give some examples of the above
How might others describe you
If you have a partner do you have similar or complimentary qualities
Physical description
Height, colouring and build
Current Adult relationship (that are the basis of the household (by marriage, civil partnership, cohabitation)
How, where , when did you meet
How did the relationship develop
What do you feel makes the relationship successful
Would you describe the relationship as open, where you each have lots of individual outside interests and friends or more closed, where you are more reliant on each other.
What qualities does each bring to the relationship
Are there specific / gender roles within the relationship
How do you make decisions
How do you deal with problems, disagreements, stress and anger
How do you celebrate success
How do you support each other
How do you show affection
What do you see as the strengths of the relationship
What are the vulnerable areas
How would you describe your partner
What are their strengths / weaknesses
Have you thought about how adoption will affect your relationship
If applicant is single, is he/ she looking for a relationship, or if one develops how would this progress alongside adoption
Social and support network including their integration into the local community
include ecomap
Complete a support network eco-map – include the following for each entry – name and relationship to applicant, ethnicity, where they live and frequency of contact, nature of support offered now and what role they might play with a child placed for adoption (do they have any skills or experience that could be of benefit)
Also include details of any groups, clubs to whom the applicant belongs and which could provide support.
Would any of these people be very involved with the care of any child placed ( do they need a risk assessment)
Who do feel closest to and why, ( if this is your partner, who would be next outside of that relationship)
For single applicants, what would happen if you were unable to care for a child placed for any reason
Can you recall a recent stressful incident/ issue, who did you confide in and why. How was the matter resolved
Who do you share all your problems with others? give examples of things about which you might seek advice from others
What is your understanding of confidentiality and how do you practice this amongst family, friends and neighbours
Why do you think maintaining confidentiality is important regarding children placed with you
How would you ensure a child remains safe from physical and sexual abuse in your network of family, friends and acquaintances and that they , in turn remain safe from all allegations
What support do you expect to receive when adopting a child and from whom
How would you set about establishing a positive working relationship with all people involved with adoption of a child
Are you aware of the importance of practicing safer caring and what might happen if an allegation is made against you
Can you think of how or why an allegation might be made against you
Are you aware that you can make a complaint or compliment on behalf of yourself or any child placed with you regarding the service you or they receive
Accommodation (including an evaluation of its safety and suitability for children) 22
Can you describe your accommodation and garden
How long have you lived here
Is it privately owned or rented
If rented, how secure is the tenancy and is the landlord aware of your plans to have children placed with you.
Is it suitable for children
Are there any alterations you would need to make
Have you any plans to renovate or alter the property in any way
Have you any plans to move house in the future, If so where and when
Financial circumstancesHow would you describe your current financial situation
Do you have any mortgage arrears or debts that could jeopardise the security on your home
Is you present accommodation position secure financially
What is your general attitude to money
How do you manage your finances
Will adoption change your employment situation and if so what financial adjustments will you need to make
Will you receive paid adoption leave and if not how will you manage financially.
How much adoption leave do you intend to take
Do you have any plans over the next few years to make any major changes such as change employment, or move house
How might you encourage a child placed with you to consider managing their money and save
Access to and use of key local services relevant to family life Describe the town, village or area that you live in
What resources and amenities does it have that would benefit children ( i.e. schools, health, leisure)
If any of these are not within your own community, where can they be found
Are there any known risks or dangers in the local community
In what way have you been involved in, or contributed to, your local community
Neighbourhood and community and its suitability for children Describe your neighbourhood
In what ways is it suitable for children
Are there any potential risks or dangers for children
Becoming adopter/s – the assessment of adoptive parenting capacityWhat is the Motivation for and the pathway the applicants have taken towards applying to adopt. Include issues re infertilityHow long have you been thinking about adoption
What was the starting point
If the issues are infertility have these been followed through to as far as the applicants wish to go or are they still considering treatments
Describe your efforts to have a family including fertility treatment
If you have chosen not to have any treatment please give reasons
If you have chosen not to have a birth child please give reasons for this
Are they aware they will be asked to consider the use of contraception whilst going through this process
Why do you feel you would make a good adoptive parent
How did you find out about this adoption agency and why did you choose them
Are they aware that adoption is about meeting the needs of children
What are you hoping adoption will give you
What is the applicant/s understanding and expectations about children and lifelong nature and impact of adoption? Is this based on knowledge, information or experience?
What age group of children do you feel you might be best suited to and why
What do you think might be the difference between being a parent and being an adoptive parent
Do you have any knowledge or experience of children who have been or who being looked after
Do you understand how physical or mental health issues can play a part in children needing to be adopted
How might you expect a child to react to being separated from their parents or carers
Some children have not had a good experience of attachment to their parents or carers, how might this affect them
Do applicants understand that some children are “stuck” in their development and may act or present younger than their actual age
How might you communicate with very young children or those who function below their chronological age
How might you expect a child who has been abused in the past to behave
If a child placed with you started to tell you about some abuse that had happened to them in the past, what would you do
What behaviours might you encounter and how can you help such children
How might you encourage a child to join in play and activities
How do you see your role in helping children to attend school
How could you help a child who had no school place or who had been excluded
How could you help a child build up their self esteem and make them more resilient
How might you manage the differing needs if you had more than one child placed
How can you help a child preserve their memories
How important is it for a child to know their adopted and to know their” story”
Do you expect any conflict between a birth child and a child placed with you for adoption, if so, how will this be managed
What are likely to be your preferred methods of discipline ,i.e. are you aware of the possible repercussions of sending a child, who may have been abused, to their bedroom
If you have your own birth children how would you ensure your own child’s needs were also me
Do you know any other adopters or adopted children
What consideration have the applicant’s given to their post adoption support needs both now and in the future
What experiences of caring for children have prepared the applicant/s to become an adopter? In what ways are those experiences indicative of how they might parent an adopted child?
What experience do you have of children, both your own and other people’s
What does being a parent mean to you
Thinking of your own experience of being parented, what have you changed and what have you kept the same in being a parent yourself
What is your understanding of normal child development
In what ways do you communicate with children
Can you give examples of how you have treated children as individuals
How do you manage children’s behaviour
What are your views on corporal punishment
What methods of discipline would use
How do you encourage positive behaviour
Why are play, hobbies and activities important for children
How do you keep your children safe
If your child wanted to do something you considered to be risky or dangerous, how would you deal with this
What techniques do you use for discussions/ negotiations with teenagers
Have you discussed issues such as drugs and sexual health with your children
How do you encourage children to make decisions and learn from mistakes
Can you think of any times when you have helped your children cope with big changes in their lives and how you did this
What do you see as the role of parents with regard to education
What do you see as the role of parents with regard to health
If you are a parent how did you adjust to becoming a parent
What do you think have been your biggest rewards as a parent
Do you feel your children confide in you? Can you give an example
What do you think have been your biggest challenges as a parent and how have you dealt with these
What do you see as your strengths and vulnerabilities as a parent
What has been your experience of contact with other organisations involved with your children ( i.e. G.P, School etc)
What views and plans do the applicant/s have about promoting the child’s cultural heritage and religious beliefs?
What do you understand by the term a person’s identity
Why is it important to care for a child in a way that maintains a positive sense of identity
Would you consider caring for a child whose religion, culture, racial origin were different from your own, or who had a disability
How would you help a child develop a positive view of Britain as a multiracial/ multicultural society?
Do you consider Britain to be a multiracial/ multicultural society?
Does the area you live in have a diverse population
Are you able to promote differing religious views and worship
Would you be able to support your child if they were uncertain of their sexuality or were gay or lesbian
Would this present any difficulties to you or other members of your family
Are there any extended members of your family who are lesbian or gay
How would you help a child deal with discrimination or prejudice of any kind
Do you understand that some children may come from backgrounds where their birth families may not be tolerant of others and that they may have absorbed those opinions
What are the anticipated changes in the applicant’s life following the placement of a child/ren and what plans do they have to address this?
Describe the routine during the week in your household
How does the weekend routine differ
Who does what in the family and are gender roles important
What are the written or unwritten “rules” that exist in the family
What is your attitude to food (healthy v convenient/ fast food)
What leisure activities do family members enjoy both individually and as a family
Do you have a computer and access to the internet, will this be monitored
What role do religious and cultural practices play in your lives
What are the special occasions celebrated in your family and how are they celebrated
How are decisions made/ individuals needs met re leisure
What kind of holidays do you enjoy
How is affection displayed in your family
How do you deal with people’s feelings in your family
What is your attitude to personal space
If you have birth children do you encourage discussion, can you give examples
What are the anticipated changes in the applicant’s lifestyle following the placement of a child/ren and what plans do they have to address this.
What contribution are the applicant’s wider family and support network expected to make to the family if a child/ren is placed for adoption?
How will a child be welcomed into the wider family and support network?
Has the wider family and support network been involved in any preparation for adoption
How will a child be accepted into your family and circle of friends
Will any of them be involved in the day to day care of a child if and when you have to return to work
How do you envisage introducing your family and friends to any child placed?
What is the applicant’s view or expectations about the characteristics, ages or number of child/ren that they hope to adopt?
Background factors
What do the applicant’s feel about the impact of heredity on a child’s present and future functioning
Can they accept a child where little is known about either birth parent
What is their attitude to telling/sharing information with an adopted child about their origins
Is there any information the applicants would find difficult to tell and what would be the agency’s role in this case
Child as he/she is;
What is the applicant’s understanding of the effects of separation, loss and poor attachments upon children?
What is the applicant’s understanding of the possible behavioural difficulties children may display and the reasons for this?
Which behaviours would they find most difficult
(delayed or excessive affection, sleep problems, eating problems, rivalry, bullying, wetting, soiling, smearing, aggression, destructiveness, cruelty to animals)
Identity issues
What importance do the applicants attach to the child retaining its first name as given at birth?
Will cultural/religious considerations impact on this in any way?
Are they aware of the particular vulnerability of children who are perceived as different
Do they understand the impact of adoption on a child’s self image
Will the applicant’s be able to support a young person in their search for information (access to birth records)
(if appropriate – do they understand that some black/minority ethnic children will have a negative black self image and some will wish to deny their black identity altogether) How do they envisage tackling this problem
Do they appreciate the rejection/ pain they may face from a child/ young person in this situation
Sexual abuse
Can the applicant’s care for a child who may have been sexually abused
Can they care for a child who may display sexualised behaviour to adults and/or children?
Could they care for a child born from incest or rape?
How would they ensure appropriate sex education
How would they support a young person’s questioning their own sexuality or who was lesbian or gay
How might they cope with adolescence and experimentation i.e. tobacco, alcohol, drugs, sex
Do they feel there will be areas they will struggle with
Health Issues
Can the applicants care for a child with a specific medical need i.e. asthma, eczema, diabetes etc?
Can they care for a child with an unknown or unclear medical prognosis
Can they care for a child who has a high risk of developing a life threatening infection/ condition, inherited condition or a child with a limited life expectancy
What is their understanding of and capacity to deal with the implications of health issues for the child who might be placed with them i.e. uncertainty of future development, acceptance, bereavement, confidentiality
Physical impairment / learning difficulties
Please define more clearly the level of difficulties you would be able to manage.
Can the applicants care for a child with a physical impairment i.e. visual/blind, hearing/deaf, facial disfigurement, speech & language problems
Could they care for a child with physical or mobility difficulties
Is their accommodation suitable, what experience do they have in this area
Are there local resources for therapy, respite care
Can they care for a child with learning difficulties ( define the level they feel they could cope with)
Could they consider a child with any of the following
Autism, Down’s syndrome, Aspergers Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Foetal Alcohol symptoms
Is there an expectation the child will eventually lead an independent life.
Do the applicants have an understanding of the emotional and sexual needs of a young person with a physical impairment or learning difficulty?
Other Issues to be considered.
Can you consider a child/ren?
With a need for special educational provision
Where likely development progress is uncertain.
Who may have been physically abused
Who has been subject to neglect
Who has been abandoned
Who have been subjected to emotional abuse
Who is unlikely to make relationships easily
Who has difficulty bonding with adults and/ or
Who may develop overt behavioural difficulties
Who needs to be in control and rejects boundaries
Who has been relinquished for adoption and parents are still living together
Birth Parent issues.
Can they consider a child/ren where:
Parent’s background and medical history is unknown
Both parents have a history of severe mental illness
Both parents have learning difficulties
Parents have a history of criminal convictions
Parents have misused drugs and/or alcohol
One parent has killed his/her partner
There is a history of domestic violence
Links with birth family / people from the child’s past
What is the applicants understanding of the social pressures contributing to children being “looked after”
How far do they acknowledge the importance for a child of being able to understand his/her past and maintaining positive links from their past
Will they be able to help a child make sense of their experiences with their birth parents
Will they be able to maintain a link through Post-box contact and will they continue this and not just pay lip service to it.
What age, gender and number of children are they looking to adopt and is this realistic given their home, experience and financial situation.
Are the applicants willing to consider
A child who needs to maintain face to face contact with birth family members – parents, siblings, grandparents, other family members.
Please state who they would be willing to have contact with.
Ongoing Post-box contact both now and in the future.
A child whose legal situation is complex or delayed
A child whose ethnicity is different to their own
A child whose religion is different to their own.
Have the applicant/s identified potential testamentary Guardians for their child in the event of their death?
Who would they ask to be Guardians
For joint applications have the applicants considered if their relationship were to break down what are the implications for the care of the child
