Any experiences of adopting from an LA when you work for the service?

[Alltheusernamesaretaken321]

Hi,

What it says above really...I work for children's services and am at the stage where we would let go set the ball rolling to be assessed as potential adopters. In a previous role I worked alongside the adoption team preparing littlies for the transition to their adoptive family and doing LSW so know a lot of SW in adoption. I currently work with adolescents and their families, many of them are adopted so I also work with the PAS team from time to time (although less directly)

Our LA is the one I would definitely choose to work with if it wasn't for this...just wondered if anyone has any experiences to share? Obviously I need to ask them directly (going to enquire in DH's name to protect my confidentiality) but just wondered what other people's experiences are and whether they'd do anything different.

Our LA has recently merged with adoption teams countywide so it would make sense for us to work with SW and prep group from a neighbouring town (if we're even approved for stage 1...don't want to be presumptuous!) but don't know if it's as simple as that?

TIA

[DINKY2016]

Yes but I don't work in Childrens Services, although do work for the LA. Happy for you to PM.

[GirlsWhoWearGlasses]

This was sort of my situation, but it was a bit more complicated.

To keep things totally above board we went to panel in a neighbouring LA despite going through the process with our own LA and adopting from within the LA. My experience was that they bent over backwards to be fair, to the extent that possibly we actually had a harder time of it.

It's hard, wondering what your colleagues do or don't know. I dealt with it by never discussing it with the people I worked with until we'd been matched.

[luckylucky24]

A SW from our LA was also an adopter and had had to adopt with another LA to ensure no bias.

[Alltheusernamesaretaken321]

Thanks guys, I'll contact the LA and ask their advice. Panel elsewhere is something I hadn't even considered might be an option

[Jellybean85]

Same as pp I work in children's services, mostly at the initially stage of removal proceedings etc, a lady from our department adopted twice and was assessed by another team, it was all then processed and matched as normally iirc
Good luck on your journey just apply, let them worry about logistics there will be procedures in place for this

[Alltheusernamesaretaken321]

Thanks jellybean.

Dinky, I did get your PM, thank you. Can't find where PMs show up on my phone!