Adoption Agency Review Panel

Information about the Final Stage of the Adoption Representations Procedure.

What Is The Review Panel For?

To check :

• The adoption application process has been carried out properly and fairly.
• The conclusions of the Adoption Agency are reasonable and fair.
• That any decision taken is appropriate to the circumstances.
• Whether or not your expectations have been met and, if not, what might reasonably be done.

It is not to:

• Conduct a new assessment, or re-hear your application.
• Deal with any new matters which were not part of the original application.
• Cover anything which should be dealt with by a Court.

What Is Reasonable And Fair?

• Did you have a fair opportunity to express your views and be listened to?
• Was any decision on prospective adoption based on whether or not you can meet the needs of children, where it has been decided that adoption would be in their best interests?
• Were reasons for any decision given clear, and was the decision consistent with the duty of the Agency to give first consideration to the needs of children?

Please remember, the purpose of adoption is to meet the needs of children. No one has the "right" to adopt a child, or to be "assessed for approval" as adopters. This is a very important point, and it is vital all involved in the Review Panel process keep this in mind.

Who Is Involved?

• The Review Panel is chaired by an independent person who does not work for the Council, and is not a Councillor.
• The other two Review Panel members are Councillors.
• There is also a Review Panel Administrator who will deal with all the paper work, arrange the meetings and send out letters.
• There will be a Council Solicitor present to advise the Review Panel on the procedure and the law.
• You will be invited to attend, and you can bring someone of your choice with you if you would like. (This person can speak for you but cannot legally represent you, i.e. if the person is a Solicitor they cannot act on your behalf in a paid capacity).
• Officers from Solihull Council who have been involved in making decisions about your application will also be there. (They cannot be represented by a legal advisor either).

What Happens, and When?

Before The Review Panel Meet:

• You will be sent a letter telling you the date, time and place of the Review Panel meeting.
• You will also be told who will be on the Review Panel.
• We will ask you if you will have any special needs for the meeting, e.g. wheelchair access, interpreter, etc.
• You will be asked to write down what it is you want the Review Panel to review about your application, and/or the way it was dealt with. You will also be asked if there are any documents you wish to supply to the Review Panel, and if you wish anyone else to attend the Review Panel with you. (All written material must reach the Review Panel Administrator at least five working days before the meeting).
• We will write a report for the Review Panel.
• We will make sure you and all the Review Panel members receive copies of what has been written. This will be done at least three working days before the date of the meeting.

When The Review Panel Meet:

• The meeting will be as informal as possible.
• You will be asked to tell the Review Panel what you want them to review, and what you want us to do.
• Our representative will be asked to speak about the adoption application process, and what their conclusions were in relation to your application.
• You can then tell the Review Panel your views on the response to your application.
• If there is a continuing disagreement about what happened and how it was responded to, other people may be asked to attend the Review Panel meeting.
• You, or the Council, can ask other people to help the Review Panel in this. These people will only be in the meeting for the time when they are invited to speak by the Review Panel. This must not be confused with a "re-hearing" of your application.
• When the Review Panel has heard from everyone you are all asked to leave the meeting. The Panel will then consider all they have seen and heard at the meeting about your application.
• The Review Panel will make a decision and make any recommendations in response to your representation.

After The Meeting:

• The Review Panel decision will be put in writing, within 24 hours of the meeting.
• The administrator will write to you with the Review Panel's decision, and any recommendations made, within five working days.
• The administrator will write to you to tell you what the Executive Members have decided about the Review Panel's recommendations within 20 working days.

This is the end of our adoption representations procedure.

What If I Am Still Unhappy?

You can go to the Local Government Ombudsman, within one year of the date of the Review Panel decision.

Local Government Ombudsman 2 The Oaks Westwood Way Westwood Business Park Coventry CV4 8JB Tel: 02476 695999

Contact Details

Adoption Team
Education and Children's Services
Jubilee House
655 Auckland Drive
Smith's Wood
Solihull
B36 0SN

Telephone: 0121 749 8100

Email: ssplace@solihull.gov.uk

For general information on Children and Family Services, please email childrensservices@solihull.gov.uk