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The Placement Begins.
Until an Adoption Order is made by a Court, the local authority is still legally responsible for the child's welfare, and the same pattern of visits, reviews and supervision for foster placements apply. Adopters can often feel uncomfortable during this period, feeling that they are under scrutiny, and that the child is still not 'theirs'. However, you must bear in mind that your Link Worker and the child's Social Worker will be as committed to the success of the placement as you are. Their priority will be to help you make the transition to an adoptive family by talking through any problems or anxieties that you may have. We are all on the same side!
Confusion can sometimes arise in adopters' minds about the roles of the child's Social Worker and their own Link Worker. Both will visit you during the placement. Their roles are distinct with the social workers focus most clearly on the child and the link workers role being more supportive of the parents. Applicants can generally expect regular visits throughout the placement of the child until the adoption order has been made.
The child's Social Worker is the officer in the local authority who exercises our legal responsibilities in relation to the child, and deals with all matters related to their welfare. Naturally, the Social Worker works within a system of supervision, management and procedure. The child's Social Worker will want to meet the child on each visit, but they will also want to talk to you about how you feel the placement is going.
The Link Worker is responsible for the preparation, assessment and support ot the adoptive parents. The focus of the Link Worker's visits will be your views and feelings about how you and the child are integrating with one another as a family. The Link Worker may well meet the child in the course of their visit, but this is not the main focus of their work.
Important discussions affecting the child such as consent for medical operations and holidays abroad will need to be referred to the child's social worker. If you have any doubts about who to approach, discuss this with your link worker.
Naturally, the pattern and nature of our involvement with an adoptive home will vary depending upon whether the child is a baby, toddler or school-age child. There are different rewards and expectations depending on the age of the child, and these issues will be fully explored during the preparation group and the assessment.
In addition to the Social Worker's visits, there will be Case Reviews at intervals of 4 weeks, 3 months and thereafter every 6 months from the start of the placement. These reviews are a statutory part of the local authority's responsibility for every child looked after by them. The meeting will be chaired by a member of the Council's Independent Reviewing Team, and attended by the adopters, the child (when appropriate), the Link Worker, the child's Social Worker and, at times, others who may be actively involved with the child such as a teacher.
