'Difficult' Matching Panel

[abeandhalo]

Hi. We're due to go to matching panel next week, and our social worker thinks that judging by how they've been so far, it will be quite a 'difficult' panel.

I don't think anybody has any doubts about the match - it's perfect - but I guess you never know how a bunch of strangers are going to see it.

Has anyone gone through what they would consider to be a 'difficult' matching panel? We're just wondering what exactly to expect. What things might be press us on?

I would read through your PAR, particularly sections where any potential vulnerabilities are mentioned, and then give some thought to how you might respond to questions relating to them.

The usual panel prep would also be good, being ready for questions around identity, support network, and your plans for adoption leave/return to work.

We did. I think the main thing we were questioned about was that the children we were matched with (sibling DS5 & DD3) was different for the one pre school child we'd originally thought we would like originally. The children were also deemed to be very demanding and needing constant supervision and a lot of work on their relationship as well as a family relationship.

I felt like we were being grilled but not in a nasty way.

I think the panel genuinely wanted to check we knew what we let ourselves in for and that we had plans in place for our introductions and early placement on how to work on relationships and also our support network. Why we'd changed our mind about siblings and why these particular children.

I am an open book and found that just giving honest, well thought out answers and not just paying lip service to what I thought they wanted to hear worked.

Good Luck!

Thanks these are very helpful comments. We've got a 6 hour journey with our social worker on Thursday so we've got plenty of time to prepare!