Adoption: The Adoption Panel

All adoptions agencies are required to establish an Adoption Panel whose role is to consider whether:

• A child in care of the Council should be adopted
• Prospective adopters should be approved to adopt
• Prospective adopters are suitable for a particular child or children

In Wirral the adoption panel is made up of the following:

• an independent chairperson
• an agency advisor
• a social work team manager
• a social worker
• someone who has previously adopted
• the medical adviser
• a consultant psychotherapist
• a Wirral Councillor

The recommendations of the Panel are passed to the Head of Branch for Children’s Social Care in the Children and Young People’s Department who will make the final decision as the ‘agency-decision maker’. The final decision is made within seven working days of the panel’s recommendation and the prospective adopters are written to.