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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Initial Action
3. Strategy Meeting
4. Investigation and Action
5. Concluding the Investigation

1. Introduction

Allegations or suspicions that a prospective adopter has caused Significant Harm or that a child placed for adoption or already adopted and in receipt of adoption support services has suffered Significant Harm will be investigated thoroughly, speedily and sensitively under this procedure and will involve open and honest communication with and support to all those affected.

Historical allegations by children placed for adoption or already adopted and in receipt of adoption support services should be responded to in the same way as contemporary concerns. It will be important to ascertain if the person about whom the allegation is made is currently working with children and if that is the case, to consider whether the current employer should be informed.

Where allegations are made in relation to prospective adopters, the welfare and safety of all children in the prospective adopters' household, and children with whom the prospective adopters may have contact, must also be considered during any Section 47 Enquiry.

In relation to any allegations made, it is important to note that, although there may be insufficient evidence to support a Police prosecution, this does not mean that action cannot be taken to protect a child nor, for example, that the termination of a prospective adopter's approval cannot be considered.

The expectation is that:

1. At the time of a child's placement, prospective adopters will be provided with detailed information as to the child's background and in particular the context of any abusive experiences of and/or previous allegations made by the child - see Placement for Adoption Procedure;
2. All prospective adopters will receive preparation and guidance to help them provide a safe environment for the child and all members of the adoptive family;
3. All prospective adopters will have received information about this procedure.

In addition, in relation to the Adoption Service, it is an expectation of the Adoption National Minimum Standards 2011 that:

• A senior manager within the Adoption Service is identified to be the designated allegations manager who liaises with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) in all cases to which this procedure applies and manages the allegations process.;
• All staff within the Adoption Service are aware of the requirements of this procedure.

2. Initial Action

Any person who receives information or suspects that a child has suffered or is suffering Significant Harm in an adoptive placement or during an introduction to an adoptive placement must immediately inform the child's social worker. Where such an allegation or suspicion relates to an approved prospective adopter who lives in the city and with whom there is no child currently placed, a referral must immediately be made to the Referral and Assessment Service (RAS).

On receipt of any such information, the child's social worker or RAS social worker must immediately:

• Inform his or her line manager;
• Inform the prospective adopter's link worker and his or her manager;
• Inform the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer;
• Inform the LADO and the Designated Allegations Manager within the Adoption Service), so that a decision can be made as to whether the matter should be treated as a child protection children matter and referred for a Strategy Meeting (see below) or a concern about standards of care, in which case the convening of an urgent Placement Planning Review Meeting - see Placement for Adoption Procedure - or an urgent review of the adoptive placement should be considered - see Chapter on Adoption Reviews Procedure;
• N.B. If there are serious and/or multiple referrals about standards of care, it may still be appropriate to consider the matter as a child protection issue and refer the matter for a Strategy Meeting for a full investigation;
• The prospective adopter's link worker will, in consultation with the Designated Allegations Manager within the Adoption Service Inform the social workers for any other child in the placement;
• Inform any other local authority with an interest in the adoptive placement;
• Provide support to the prospective adopter.

Where the prospective adopter is approved by another agency, the agency concerned will be asked to confirm in writing to the child's social worker that the above action has been taken.

Where it is appropriate to treat the allegation/suspicion as a child protection concern, the child's social worker or RAS social worker will initiate the Coventry Safeguarding Children Board Procedures Manual in relation to the allegation/suspicion. 

In relation to a prospective adopter resident in the city where there are any allegations or suspicions of Significant Harm, a Strategy Meeting will be convened in accordance with the Coventry Safeguarding Children Board Procedures Manual as soon as possible after concerns have been identified and within a maximum of 2 working days of the referral.

NB Where a child who has already been adopted but is still in receipt of adoption support services makes an allegation of abuse, including where the allegation is of historical abuse, this must be referred to the child’s social worker/adoption support worker, who will take the action set out below or, as appropriate, make a referral to Children’s Social Care Services for the area where the child lives in order that the relevant LSCB procedures can be followed.

Any action to protect the child in question or any other children in need of protection should not be delayed because of the Strategy Meeting. 

Prior to the Strategy Meeting, the prospective adopter's link worker should notify the Regulatory Authority of the allegation/suspicion and invite them to be represented at the Strategy Meeting.

Where the prospective adopter lives outside the city, the child's social worker will make a referral to the relevant local authority and that local authority will be responsible for implementing their own local Child Protection Procedures, although there will need to be a discussion and agreement with that local authority about who should take the lead in the investigative process.  In some cases, it may be agreed that Coventry should take the lead in implementing the child protection procedures.  Where this is not the case, at the very least, the child's social worker and prospective adopters' link worker should attend the Strategy Meeting, where the roles and responsibilities of all agencies in any investigation must be clarified and agreed.

3.Strategy Meeting (for prospective adopters living in the city or where Coventry has agreed to take the lead in the child protection process)

The purpose of the meeting will be to plan the investigation of the allegation/suspicion. 

The Chair will be from the Safeguarding Children Service.

The following people will be invited:

1. The LADO;
2. The child's social worker and his or her manager;
3. The manager of the social work team undertaking the investigation, if different;
4. The prospective adopter's link worker who will liaise with the designated allegations manager;;
5. The Police Child Abuse Investigation Team;
6. Any other agency involved with the child or adoptive family;
7. A representative of the Regulatory Authority;
8. A minute taker;
9. The child's Independent Reviewing Officer.

The Strategy Meeting must consider:

• The current allegation and how it is to be investigated;
• Whether there should be a concurrent police investigation;
• Any previous allegations or concerns about the prospective adopters and the outcome of previous investigations;
• Any previous allegations made by the child in question and the outcome of previous investigations;
• The suspension of introductions or whether the child should remain in placement whilst the investigation is carried out;
• The need to call an urgent placement planning review meeting - see Chapter on Placement for Adoption Procedures - or an urgent review of the adoptive placement - see Chapter on Adoption Reviews Procedures - and the timing of any such review;
• The safety and well being of other children living with, or having contact with the prospective adopters;
• Support to be offered to the children in the family during the investigation;
• Who will inform the prospective adopters of this meeting and ascertain the prospective adopters views;
• Who will support the prospective adopters through the investigation process;
• Contact and information to be given to the parents of the children concerned; how and when this should be done.

Whether or not the Strategy Meeting considers that the allegation or suspicion has any foundation, the matter should be investigated unless there are exceptional circumstances, and the Regulatory Authority must always be kept informed. 

The Chair should complete a decision sheet at the end of the meeting summarising the actions to be taken and the date of the next meeting.  This should also clearly state who is responsible for what actions, record timescales for completion of any agreed actions and reporting/information sharing systems.

Copies of the decision sheet and the minutes should be held on the child's file and Adoption Case Record and the prospective adopter's Adoption Case Record.

4.  Investigation and Action

The actions agreed at the Strategy Meeting should be implemented by those responsible within the agreed timescales.

If the person raising suspicions or making the allegation wishes to remain anonymous, these wishes should be respected.

Unless there are circumstances when the details or nature of the allegation cannot be shared immediately, the prospective adopters should be advised of the allegation as agreed at the Strategy Meeting and of the process to be followed in the investigation, including the possibility that an Initial Child Protection Conference may be convened in relation to their own children, subject to the outcome of the investigation. 

Depending on the level and nature of any concerns and whether they are immediate, the prospective adopters may be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations before any final decision is made about necessary action to protect the child and other children in the household.  Such protective action may include asking the person against whom the allegation has been made to leave the household while the investigation is conducted.

Any decision to suspend the approval of the prospective adopter while the investigation is being conducted should be communicated in writing to the prospective adopter by the Placements Service Manager.

Those supporting the prospective adopters must contact the prospective adopters as soon as practicable after they are made aware of the allegation, and explain their role.  They must make clear their responsibility to report to the local authority, the Police and in some circumstances to the Court if any information relevant to the investigation comes to their attention. 

They must provide to the prospective adopters:

1. Access to this procedure and the relevant part of the Coventry Safeguarding Children Board Procedures Manual or those of the relevant area;
2. Advice about consulting a solicitor.

Where the prospective adopters are in receipt of financial support, they should be informed of any implications for the payment of such support, where placements have been suspended. 

If an Initial Child Protection Conference is convened in relation to the child who is placed for adoption but not yet adopted, the Conference Chair must be consulted in advance to discuss whether the prospective adopters should be invited to attend.  In any event, the prospective adopters' views must be obtained and communicated to the Conference as agreed at the Strategy Meeting.

5. Concluding the Investigation

Where the prospective adopters live in the city, the Strategy Meeting will usually be reconvened once an investigation has been completed, particularly where no Child Protection Conference is then held. The same people will be invited and the same person will chair the meeting.

The purpose of the reconvened Strategy Meeting is to agree on the outcome of the investigation and responsibilities for any further action, including the need to refer the matter to the Independent Safeguarding Authority and/or to call an urgent review of the adoptive placement - see Chapter on Adoption Reviews Procedures and reporting on the matter to the Adoption Panel.

The meeting should determine who will write to the prospective adopters, informing them of the outcome of the investigation.

The child, the parents, other relevant agencies and the Regulatory Authority (if not in attendance) will also be informed of the decisions made at the meeting. The Chair and the child's social worker will agree the most appropriate way of informing the child and parents, and also who will notify the other agencies and Regulatory Authority.

A report should be presented to the next available Adoption Panel.  As well as the investigation, the report should address the ability of the approved adopters to help come to terms with past events and to handle future behaviour, and whether the proposed placement or placement continues to be suitable.  The procedure to be followed will be the same as for reviews of prospective adopter's approval - see Chapter on Assessment and Approval of Agency Adoptive Parents Procedures.

The social worker preparing the report should consult with the Panel Adviser to the Adoption Panel and the Chair of the Adoption Panel who will advise on who should attend the Panel meeting (usually the child's social worker and the prospective adopter's link worker) and whether or not a special Panel meeting should be convened - see Chapter on Adoption Panel Procedure.

Any allegation made against a prospective adopter or a member of the household and how it was dealt with and decisions made should be recorded on the child's file and the prospective adopter's respective Adoption Case Records.

All relevant documents in relation to the investigation, whatever the outcome, must be retained for 100 years after the adoption order is made or if no adoption order is made in accordance with local policy - see Retention and Destruction of Records.

Consideration should be given to holding a debriefing meeting for all involved as to the impact of the allegations and the investigation, whatever the outcome, and any necessary assistance should be made available as necessary. 

End