Is the process always delayed?

[minceorotherwise]

Sorry, bit of a vague question
My friend is in scotland and going through the process of trying to adopt. She wants to be a single parent and is finding the process stressful which I guess is par for the course. But she has found that things move ally quickly then come to a complete standstill for months, then suddenly start again. Is this usual? Is it all part of the process of assessment ? And how long does it usually take to be processed one way or another and find out the outcome. She is at social worker stage where they are at reference taking point
Thanks for any info!

Yes, stop start sounds pretty normal, for a variety of reasons. I think they are supposed to get everyone through from prep course to panel within 12 months, though some move faster, others slower.

Hope your friends gets there in the end

It is frustrating but varies hugely around the country. Home study for us was under a year but we waited for 2+ years for a match. Your friend should be prepared I'm afraid.

Thanks for the replies. I guess she is just stressed worrying that she has been rejected or done something wrong if they don't get in contact for a while.

I think the target from prep course to approval is now 8 months. But that is probably just for England. Then, of course, you wait to be matched and that can happen really quickly or take years.

Does your friend trust and like her social worker? Is the agency generally reliable? Have they explained to her why these delays keep happening?

yup - stop, start and flurry of activity then stop sounds about the norm to me.

She did say she liked the social worker, but that was before it all went quiet and he doesn't appear to have moved forward! They don't seem to explain the delays and I think that's what causes the stress. I suppose the process is just wrought with stress anyway and the worry that you are not saying or doing the right things. It was just the stop, starting that made me wonder

I'm not sure of the situation in Scotland, but certainly in the main part of the British Isles (oh lord sorry I don't know how to say "places not in Scotland or in the republic of Ireland for that matter) but I am in the Midlands and certainly the reason for the delays in assessments are being caused by LAs being horrendously short staffed - some of the inner cities are running at 30% vacancy rates and a lot of staff off on long term sick with stress related illnesses. This of course puts more pressure on the sws left and whilst SSD have always been under resourced, the way this coalition is slashing budgets means that posts are frozen because they don't have the money to pay new entrants even though they are much needed. Catch 22 really.

I am still in touch with some of my old colleagues in SSs and they say it is pretty grim now (and this was a Shire county where I worked for 30 years with a specialism in fostering & adoption) and the sw practice was very good. Sadly that is no longer the case, and the frozen posts are a national problem. I blame the coalition but better keep politics out of it.!