Guidance on completing the…
CHILD’S PERMANENCE REPORT and
FAMILY PROCEEDINGS (ADOPTION) RULES 2005
REPORT BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITY UNDER RULE 29
APPLICATION FOR PLACEMENT ORDER
Name of child:
Date of birth:
01/01/0000
Date of review that made preferred
option decision:
Date of agency decision:
01/01/0000
Date of placement order:
01/01/0000
Date of this report:
01/01/0000
Dates of any amendments:
September 20131
General Guidance
The purpose of this report and the appendices is that information can be recorded here for the joint
purpose of the Child’s Permanence Report and through the Annex B report the provision of information
for applying for a placement order.
The Annex B aspect of this report will serve a single purpose. It is the information required by the court
at the time of requesting a placement order.
The Child Permanence Report aspect of this report will have many uses over the future years.
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It will be the source of information used by the agency decision maker in order to determine if
an agency decision can be agreed for a plan of adoption.
Alongside discussions with the child care social worker it will be the main source of information
used by the adoption social worker in considering the suitability of a match.
This will be the initial critical information that is read by prospective adopters when considering
the possibility of becoming parents to the child.
This will be the source of information about the child that is utilised by the adopters in the years
ahead of parenting the child.
This will be the information accessed by the child as an adult and will present to them the reasons
for being adopted and their understanding of their birth family identity through people and events.
Different parts of this report will therefore have different implications for the child at different times.
These are a few thoughts to have in mind when completing this report:
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The agency decision maker will want to know that the plan has been fully considered, especially
where siblings are concerned and also in relation to the feasability of placement within the
extended family.
The court will want evidence that this plan and the subsequent request for a placement order is
the correct action on the part of the local authority.
When considering the suitability of the placement, prospective adoptive parents value words that
both bring the child alive and interpret difficult experiences for the child.
Where little is known about a birth father (for example) the attempts to gather just some simple
information about appearance personality or interests can be significant for the child when they
are older.
Consideration will need to be given to how people are addressed in those parts of this CPR that will also
be used for the application for the placement order. Thus ‘Jane Smith’ or ‘Ms Smith’. The report may
need to be amended between uses for this reason.
Adoption Agency Details
September 20132
Name of social worker completing this report:
Telephone number:
Email address:
Is the social worker qualified to prepare this report under the
Restriction on the Preparation of Reports Regulations 2005
Please Choose...
Team manager:
Telephone number:
Email address:
Name and address of local
authority:
If the social worker is not qualified, who has supervised the preparation of this report?
Name:
Designation:
Telephone number:
Email address:
Details of other workers and managers involved in the preparation of this report:
Name:
Designation:
Name:
Designation:
Name:
Designation:
The following reports have been accessed during the preparation of this report:
September 20133
Title of report
Author of
report
Professional
status
Date of report
Confirm
agreement to
share with
adopters
01/01/0000
This report contains the following appendices
Applicable to CPR
Genograms
Background history of the child
Background history of the birth mother
Background history of the birth father
Medical Report
Summary of Medical Report
Foster carer’s description of the child
Wishes and feelings of the child
Views of the birth mother on this report
Views of the birth father on this report
(School or nursery report)
Photograph of birth parents
(ADD)
CONTENT
September 20134
Applicable to Annex B
Section A
Details of the child
Page:
Section B
Details of birth mother
Page:
Section C
Details of birth father
Page:
Section D
Details of the actions of the agency
Page:
Section E
Exploration of extended family
Page:
Section F
Details of the adoption plan
Page:
Section G
Contact arrangements
Page:
Section H
Summary and recommendation
Page:
Section A - Details of the CHILD
September 20135
Name:
Gender:
Date of birth:
Place of birth:
Ethnicity:
Current address:
01/01/0000
Photograph of child:
(insert photograph here)
Identity
(This should include details of culture, religion, language, any disabilities and all information that
determines the child’s individual identity.)
Physical description
September 20136
Personality
Social development
(This section should include information about emotional and behavioural matters as well as
attachment experiences. It should also include consideration of the amount of moves a child has had
and the number of carers and therefore the implications of this.)
Health
(This section should not be a copy of the child’s medical report but contain an overall impression of the
child’s health and history.)
Educational history
September 20137
(This section will become relevant at the point that the child starts to attend any nursery setting. It will
also contain details of any special educational needs and any statement of educational needs either
completed or in the process of being assessed.)
Legal status and any previous orders concerning the child with details of dates and
courts
Inheritance Rights and any claims to damages under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 the
child stands to retain or lose if adopted.
Any other relevant information
Details of siblings
September 20138
Name
Relationship
Ethnicity
Date of birth
Circumstance
(This should include all full and half siblings.)
01/01/0000
(Where is the child living, with whom and under what
circumstance including any orders? This information will
be important when considering the child’s plan alongside
that of siblings and future contact arrangements where
children are not to be placed together. Where children are
in proceedings the details of this and the court should be
included. This is important information when applying
for a placement order.)
Name
Relationship
Ethnicity
Date of birth
Circumstance
01/01/0000
Name
Relationship
Ethnicity
Date of birth
Circumstance
01/01/0000
Name
Relationship
Ethnicity
Date of birth
Circumstance
01/01/0000
Name
Relationship
Ethnicity
Date of birth
Circumstance
01/01/0000
Name
Relationship
Ethnicity
Date of birth
Circumstance
01/01/0000
The wishes and feelings of the child
September 20139
(There should be a clear statement here about the child’s understanding of their plan, how they have
been included in this and their wishes and feelings both unsolicited and also when specifically sought.
The extent of this information will depend on the child’s age and understanding. The Appendix also
contains a form for completing with the child.)
Any wishes expressed by the child in relation to contact arrangements or previous
proceedings and dates when these views were ascertained.
(This section is particularly relevant for the application for a placement order. Consultation is likely to
be needed with workers previously involved with the child.)
Section B - Details of the BIRTH MOTHER
September 201310
Name:
Date of birth:
Ethnicity:
Address:
Brief chronology of the history of birth mother
Date
Event
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
Identity
(This should include details of culture, religion, language, any disabilities and all information that
determines the person’s individual identity.)
Physical description
Personality and interests
September 201311
Dates of previous marriages or civil partnerships
Health
Educational history
Employment history
September 201312
Any other relevant information
Details of current contact arrangements with the child
(It is useful to record the arrangements and the parent’s commitment to these arrangements.)
Details of contact arrangements for the child with anyone else in the maternal family
Current relationship (if not with the birth father)
September 201313
History of relationship between birth mother and birth father
(This section should not repeat information that is recorded elsewhere such as in individual background
histories. However especially in a long term relationship it may be a parallel account that focuses on
the impact of historical events on the relationship. In this case the focus should be the relationship
rather than the events. It can be important to know how both parents have operated as a couple. It can
also be important at a later date to understand the circumstance in which a child was born especially
where the relationship was not lasting.)
Has the birth mother received counselling from an independent person in relation to
the plan for adoption?
Has the birth mother been given the opportunity to express her views on the adoption
plan for the child?
(Detail what action has been taken and what the response has been. The Appendix contains a form for
completing with the birth mother.)
Section C - Details of the BIRTH FATHER
September 201314
Name:
Date of birth:
Ethnicity:
Address:
Brief chronology of the history of birth father
Date
Event
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
Legal status of birth father in relation to the child
(It is important for future use that this information is recorded accurately. Does the birth father have
parental responsibility and if so how was this acquired. If not on what basis has he been reasoned to be
the birth father?)
Details of any issues in relation to paternity and the action taken by the local authority
(Issues of paternity need to be clarified so that the right people are being assessed and the correct
extended family are being considered. Uncertainty on these matters can cause significant delay. This
is important information for the child in understanding their own identity as they grow up and it is
information which is unlikely to be uncovered at a later date. There are also medical implications and
issues of uncertainty for the rest of the child’s life.)
September 201315
Identity
(This should include details of culture, religion, language, any disabilities and all information that
determines the person’s individual identity.)
Physical description
Personality and interests
Dates of previous marriages or civil partnerships
September 201316
Health
Educational history
Employment history
Any other relevant information
September 201317
Details of current contact arrangements with the child
(It is useful to record the arrangements and the parent’s commitment to these arrangements.)
Details of contact arrangements for the child with anyone else in the paternal family
Current relationship (if not with the birth mother)
If the details of the birth father are not known, the information that has been
ascertained, the source of this information and the efforts that have been made to
gather further information
(Where this information is not available it is important for the child and their adoptive family as well
as those being asked to make decisions that there is evidence of the efforts that have been taken to try
and gather any information.)
September 201318
Has the birth father received counselling from an independent person in relation to the
plan for adoption?
Has the birth father been given the opportunity to express his views on the adoption
plan for the child?
(Detail what action has been taken and what the response has been. The Appendix contains a form for
completing with the birth father.)
September 201319
Section D - Details of the actions of the Adoption Agency
Chronology of the actions taken by the agency with respect to the child
Date
01/01/0000
Event
(This should be an account of the actions of the local authority as an Adoption
Agency. It is not necessary to record the history of the child or that this section
should read like case notes. It is a chronology of the significant actions
undertaken in pursuing an adoption plan.)
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
01/01/0000
The ability and the willingness of the parents to care for the child (including details of
any assessments undertaken)
(This section is a detailed account of the birth parents circumstance and the work that has been
undertaken which initially may have been in order to keep or return the child home but has now
become part of the determination that the child should be placed for adoption. It is important to give
details of any assessments undertaken. Quotes and references can be made to any parenting assessment
manual work. Where other assessments have been undertaken and especially by professionals outside
the authority then these reports should be listed at the beginning of this report and the assessment
report included in the appendix. This will make them available to the agency decision maker. This
section should provide the key evidence and the rationale for the local authority pursuing a preferred
option of adoption on behalf of the child.)
September 201320
September 201321
Section E - Consideration and exploration of extended family
(An accurate genogram should determine the extent to which family members should be explored. This
is likely to require individual profiles of grandparents, aunts, uncles and adult siblings as well as any
other relatives that have played a significant part in the family and are mentioned as such in this report.
A statement should then be made to summarise both the extended maternal and paternal families
beyond these people.)
Name
Relationship to child
Details
Name of social worker
undertaking this
consideration
(There needs to be clear evidence that a viability assessment has been
completed, that significant concerns have been considered or that the
person has ruled themselves out. Where this has not been possible there
needs to be clear evidence as to the attempts that have been made to
contact people or to gather information for contacting people. It is not
intended that this should cause delay but that a reasonable effort has been
made to work with the extended family.)
(Please put both the name and the title and team of the social worker)
Name
Relationship to child
Details
Name of social worker
undertaking this
consideration
Name
Relationship to child
Details
Name of social worker
undertaking this
consideration
September 201322
Overall statement on exploration of other maternal family members
(This section should be completed rather than listing other members of the family individually. In some
families there are great aunts, uncles and cousins that appear on the genogram but have either not been
part of the family support network or whose whereabouts may be unknown. A general statement can be
put here to cover why these people have not been explored.)
Overall statement on exploration of other paternal family members
(This section should be completed rather than listing other members of the family individually. In some
families there are great aunts, uncles and cousins that appear on the genogram but have either not been
part of the family support network or whose whereabouts may be unknown. A general statement can be
put here to cover why these people have not been explored.)
September 201323
Wishes feelings and views of others in relation to the adoption plan and contact
arrangements
(Record here any communication with the extended family and any views expressed about the adoption
plan and the proposed contact arrangements.)
September 201324
Section F - Details of the adoption plan
Details of the adoption plan (to include impact on siblings where relevant)
(The details of the local authority’s adoption plan should be recorded here. This will need to include
the reasons where siblings are to be separated including reference to any assessments that have
contributed to this decision. In order to support the separation of siblings there needs to be evidence of
the assessment and analysis that supports this action. This is important information for anyone making
a decision about siblings but especially also for the siblings themselves in future years as they seek to
understand more about their history and the decisions that people have made.)
September 201325
If consent has been given for the child to be placed for adoption and also consent for
the child to be adopted, the names of those who gave consent and the dates such
consents were given. If such consents were subsequently withdrawn, the dates of
these withdrawals.
If any statement has been made under section 20(4)(a) of the Adoption and Children
Act 2002 that a parent or guardian does not wish to be informed of any application for
an adoption order, the names of those who have made such statements and the dates
the statements were made. If such statements were subsequently withdrawn, the dates
of these withdrawals.
September 201326
Section G - Contact arrangements
Proposed Contact Arrangements
Arrangement (including for children, which adult will
Person
facilitate this arrangement) and Purpose
Relationship
(The arrangements for contact need to be clear and the purpose of this
contact needs to be outlined)
September 201327
Proposed Contact Arrangements
Arrangement (including for children, which adult will
Person
facilitate this arrangement) and Purpose
Relationship
September 201328
Section H - Summary and recommendation
Summary
(This section should stand up on its own as a summary of the reasons for determining that a preferred
option of adoption is the right decision for this child.)
Recommendation
(There needs to be a clear recommendation of a plan of adoption for the child)
September 201329
Views of the CAFCASS Guardian
The relative merits of a placement order and other orders with an assessment of why
the child’s long term interests are likely to be best met by a placement order rather
than by any other order.
September 201330
Recommendations as to whether there should be future contact arrangements (or not),
including whether a contact order under Section 26 of the Children and Adoption Act
2002 should be made.
September 201331
In the making of this recommendation I have taken into account the welfare checklist
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The ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child
Physical, emotional and educational needs
The likely effect on the child (through out his/her life) of having ceased to be a
member of the original family and become an adopted person
The likely effect of any changes
Age, sex, background and characteristics
Any harm which the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering
The capability of the parents to meet the child’s needs
Signatures
Author of report
Signature
Date
01/01/0000
Social worker qualified to prepare this report
Name
Signature
Date
01/01/0000
Team Manager
Name
Signature
Date
01/01/0000
September 201332
APPENDICES
Genograms
Background History of the child
Background History of birth mother
Background History of birth father
Medical report
Foster carer’s description of the child
Wishes and feelings of the child
Views of the birth mother on this report
Views of the birth father on this report
September 201333