lodgers

[Char22thom]

DH and I have decide we would like to start the adoption process. We are currently renting our 2 spare rooms out and putting the money away to clear our overdraft and save money to enable me to take 9-12months off work post placement (about £3000 needed). We are also saving from our salaries too. We will need to rent out the rooms until Dec/Jan to do this. Would we need to wait until then before applying or could we start the process as long as the lodgers had left prior to matching? Has anyone been in similar situation? X

We have had lodgers too, but we didn't apply until after our last lodger moved out. I can't see that SS would have any massive problems with it on paper, obviously they are a temporary situation and it is a sensible use of spare rooms etc, yet in practice they might be funny about it. Maybe if you can time it so that stage 2 starts around the time that you are looking to get rid of lodgers, as stage 1, whilst you may have a SW visit, is mainly admin and paperwork.
Mind you, just the fact that the lodgers are in the house when you apply may mean that they need to have DBS checks etc.

We've got a lodger at the moment and are going to panel soon - though he's less of a formal lodger and more of a friend living with us who pays a bit of rent. We mentioned to our agency at the beginning that we might have various people living with us throughout assessment but all would be short term. They've not assessed our lodger as he won't be living with us by placement, but we've been advised that it's best for him to leave before we meet the children's SW. Fortunately it's not a problem for him to leave at short notice as he's got family nearby, but basically post-approval they'd expect them to be making a move pretty soon I think. Best to check with your LA/VA when you apply, but it shouldn't be a problem. I think they just want to know that nearer the time it's not going to hold things up with matching/placement etc.

Tell them that you will serve notice on the lodgers when you get approved .

Then , once you've are approved, say that you will serve notice once you have serious interest in a child . Because you might approved for a year before anything happens , and that's a years worth of rent that you would be losing .

I'm assuming that your lodgers are on one months notice . If it's three months , then you might have to get the out once you are approved .

Believe me, almost everything in adoption happens really REALLY slowly . There's little chance that you will hear about a child, have SW visits and matching panel all within 4 weeks . Even if you do , you can show any visiting SW the letters showing that you have given notice to your lodgers .

I had a lodger for a few months whilst going through the assessment process. I had said she would move out before going to approval panel and SWs were fine with this.