Approval Panel

[ForestMoon]

Any tips on what to expect at approval panel?

Getting excited but also a little nervous!

What type of questions did panel ask you?

How long did it last?

Thanks everyone!

@ForestMoon

Nerves, terror, excitement !! All perfectly normal.

Remember that your SW wouldn't be
taking you to panel if they didn't think you would be approved.
Try to relax and be yourself.
They will probably ask why you want to adopt, your support etc. If you specified an age range/sex etc they may ask you why.

At my panel the SW went in first and came out to tell me the questions the panel were focused on which helped.
Your SW should really tell you what to expect and how it's run because I'm sure it varies from LA to LA.

Good luck!!

Depending on which panel you are attending you may be sent the questions the day before, which you can talk through with your social worker. I'm sure you will have a pre-panel meeting either way. In terms of questions - you know your 'weaknesses', so be prepared to talk a bit about those (but you will have gone through all of it in Stage 2 with your social worker). For me, I have a disability so one of the questions was about contingencies/strategies for if I was unwell. A fairly common question seems to be something along the lines of how you picture a typical day with a child/what you are looking forward to the most. Also why did you choose that age range.

Remember that panel really wants to say yes and that you wouldn't be put forward for panel if your social worker didn't think you were ready! Our panel was less than half an hour if I remember correctly, though we waited an hour to get in as they were running behind. I think the waiting was worst part. Best of luck, I'm sure you will be fine and please try not to worry :-)

We attended of panel a few weeks back. Prior to this we obtained a 50 page report from of SW which the panel also received.

The morning of panel, we were given 7 preset questions. We also had time to formulate a response and run this past our SW.

We were very nervous but it went very smoothly.