What happens if I am not approved?

Before you get to this point, however, your social worker should keep you informed throughout the assessment process, and will tell you if they have any concerns or feel that adoption or fostering is not right for you. They may also be able to advise you on what you need to do before going to the adoption or fostering panel. For example, gaining more childcare experience or making changes to areas of your lifestyle to allow more time to care for a child.

If you have not been approved, find out what your next step might be for either adoption or fostering.

Adoption

If you are not approved, agencies have procedures to review such decisions.

Throughout the UK, if you wish, you can approach other agencies and start again. Sometimes people not approved by one agency go on to be approved by another. If you apply to another agency, it is best to be honest about being turned down from the start. The circumstances of your previous application will be taken into consideration by the new agency.

Procedure does vary slightly depending on which area of the UK you live in:

England
Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland

England

Before an agency can decide not to approve you, it must tell you what it is proposing, and give you the reasons. You then have the opportunity to make further representations either through the agency itself or the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). You need to apply for a review within 40 days of being informed that the agency is not intending to approve you. You can only appeal to the IRM, or to your adoption agency - not to both.

The IRM will organise an independent review panel to examine the information that was put before the original adoption panel and, if necessary, seek further information from the adoption agency. Once the panel has considered all the information, it will make its recommendation on your suitability to adopt. The adoption agency must take this recommendation into consideration when making its final decision.

Wales

The Independent Review of Determinations Panel (IRDP) is an equivalent review process that covers Wales. Currently, you need to apply to the Welsh National Assembly for a review within 20 days of being informed that you are not going to be approved.

Scotland

Agencies generally have procedures to review such decisions if you are not happy with them.

Northern Ireland

One of the recommendations of the report, 'Adopting the future', was that a similar service to the Independent Review Mechanism for England should be planned for Northern Ireland.

Have you seen our informative features on the process of adoption and fostering?

Fostering

If you are not approved, you should receive notice of this in writing from your agency, and a copy of the fostering panel’s recommendations, which will include the reasons why the panel has recommended not to approve you. If you do not agree and wish to appeal against the decision, you must write to the agency decision-maker, usually within 28 days. The agency’s fostering panel, usually a different panel to the one which considered your original application, must give further consideration to your application, and you should be invited to attend the panel to put forward any additional information. The panel will then make a further recommendation. They may uphold their previous recommendation not to approve you, or they make a new one.

The final decision will be made by the agency’s decision-maker, usually a senior member of staff in the agency. If you are unhappy with the decision, or the service you have received, you can make a complaint through the agency’s complaints procedures. Your agency should provide you with details. You may also apply to foster with another agency, who may decide to approve you. It is best to be honest about having been turned down by another agency from the start. The circumstances of your previous application will be taken into consideration by the new agency.

Have you seen our informative features on the process of adoption and fostering?

Last updated: 01 March 10

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