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Contents

1. General
2. CPR
3. Matching Reports
4. Anonymising the CPR Reports

1. General

• The Panel starts with no knowledge of the child and or the match being proposed, they are looking to the social worker to give them this and to provide all aspects of the child's life and to explain the Care Plan and the match for the child. What you write, will be what they know.
• Use simple language throughout the Report to Panel.  There is no need to use social work language or terms.  Be direct and straightforward.
• Be clear about the recommendation you are seeking: should be placed for adoption (SHOBPA); long term fostering; special guardianship; seeking panel's advice
• Go through a blank report to make sure you are aware of the sections and what should go where
• The information in the report builds towards the final recommendation (Section A4 'summary of the reason why adoption is the preferred permanence plan for the child')

2. CPR

• Each child in a sibling group, where you are seeking a panel recommendation for that child, requires their own complete report
• Child's basic details, check that all are correct and you have all the child's names.  Do not assume the previous worker has got it right.
• Tell the child's story.   Describe all aspects of the child's life, how the child ticks, bring the child alive to the panel.  Provide the essence of the child. Ask foster carer to write about the child and provide a description of their routine, their day.
• Your report will be read by the child in the future.  It is important for them to understand the events of their lives and how decisions were made.  Explain why certain things happened and who were the significant people for the child.
• Describe the child physically, emotionally, developmentally, and their character - bring a photograph to Panel.  Provide a balance between strengths and weaknesses and give all sides of the child.
• Child's history since birth - make sure all events are relevant and help towards an understanding of the child.  These should only be key events and milestones that reflect the events in the child's life. Do not confuse with Chronology of the decisions and actions of the agency - see below.
• Interests - how are these being developed and supported, this will provide a rounded picture of the child.
• Health - Make sure the child has an adoption medical before panel if seeking 'should be placed for adoption' (SHOPBA) recommendation otherwise ensure statutory health assessments are up to date and provide the latest reports; have all the previous recommendations been followed up, for example, recommendations re HIV Tests, Immunisations etc.
  
  Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHs) - Has/should a Referral be made?  If the child is moving to a different area, will a referral be made.  What will be the focus of work by CAMHs to support the placement?
• Education - Provide school reports, information and statements and the plan that the local authority is undertaking to address any problems at school.
• Identity: Race/Ethnicity - how does the child see themselves, provide details for example, if they are of Afro Caribbean origin what island does their family originate from.  Do not just leave it as White UK, what part of the UK.
  • Language - What language/dialect is associated with their parents place of   origin.
  • Religion - Provide details, is it part of their lives, do they practice? How will this be maintained and promoted.
  • Culture - describe the influences which have led to the development of the child's culture
• Chronology of the decisions and actions of the agency - this is the section where the actions of the agency are placed. Do not confuse with child's history.
• Child's Views - what is their understanding of what is being proposed, what are their fears and/or expectations and their wishes.
• Obtain the views of others, for example, child's guardian, Independent Review Officer (IRO), Foster Carer, family members.
• Family - Provide all names, dates of birth and whereabouts of family members if known, provide descriptions and a Geneogram and the importance of each individual in the child's life.  If someone has got lost and is no longer in contact with the child, state what efforts are being made to find them.  Make sure that information to the Panel provides that history is balanced and that it includes positives about the family. Very few people have no redeeming features. 
• If the local authority or another local authority has files or information about a parent which provides information about their chronology, social and medical history, make sure you read these files and include parents' history
• Part A4 - make sure you refer to and summarise the conclusions reached in relation to assessments of family members and other relevant persons
• Summary of the reason for the preferred Permanence Plan:-
  
  Analyse the child's needs taking into consideration all of the above.  Make use of research where necessary.  Draw a conclusion as to how the child's needs will be met.  Show how your plan will be implemented and developed.  What are the time scales for the plan?
  
  It is important to show how (analysis) the local authority has arrived at their conclusions and what (plan) will  happen next to promote the child's welfare - consider the five outcomes.
• Ask for the Panel's advice, if needed, this can carry some weight in Court.
• Complete CPR sections B-G as necessary
• Section D should be completed if there are siblings - full or half, part or not of these care proceedings/considerations

Prior to Panel

CPR should have a chronology, which includes the Court Hearings and outcomes, so that the Panel can see the flow of the case.

Birth certificates should be obtained if this has not already been done.

All expert reports (or the exec summaries) go with the CPR.

Obtain a short report from the foster care in regard to the child.

Include school/nursery reports.

Obtain some photographs of the child/ren.

Draft the Statements in support of the Placement Order/s, if that's what is being asked for.

At Panel

The social worker should know what the reasons were for any difficulty in Court.

Take photographs.

Immediately after the Panel.

Finish the PO statements (if needed).

Send them to legal, with the birth certificates, if this has not been done yet.

3. Matching Reports

• For the child - use Child Permanence Report  and amend and update this or you can use Form E parts 1 and 2  for the child if long term fostering match.
  
  and
  
  For the family - Form F and up to date approvals etc as detailed in  checklist at front of matching report template
  
  and
  
  Matching report 
• When considering matching, start from the child's point of view, ensure that there is no risk of replication of past placement breakdowns or replicating the child's family of origin circumstances.  Show how the child's needs will be met and make reference to ethnicity and culture.  Provide examples in the report about how the child's needs will be met in the new home.
• How was the match decided upon - how will the needs of the child be met?.
• Contact - what is contact like for the child.  What would help the child in the future.  Contact needs to fit with the plan, for example, do not consider weekly contact for long term fostering, look to the needs of the child.  Are the family members supporting the placement or are they likely to give messages to the child about returning home?   Describe what work will be undertaken with the family members regarding contact. Include sibling contact.
• How will the foster carers/adoptive parents support contact and help the child with contact issues.
• What will make the placement last.
• Matching - ensure that the Foster Care/Adoption Agency has done all the work and that the family are approved as long term carers/adopters for the age range, ethnicity and gender of the child.  Ask the Agency for all the documents regarding checks and references and do not assume that it has all been done
• Ensure that the family does and can meet the child's needs and if there is any shortfall how these will be addressed.
• How will the foster carer/adoptive parent meet the challenges that will arise in the future, for example, adolescence. 
• Are both carers/parents equally involved. 
• How will the foster carers/adoptive parents provide the compensatory parenting that the child needs.

4. Anonymising the CPR Reports

When you book a child for the adoption panel (if you are seeking a recommendation of 'should be placed for adoption' {SHOBPA})  you will be given a three letter code (e.g. XYZ) for the child - you must  include this in  place of the child's surname in all the reports you need to prepare.

Use this code in place of the surname only for the child and all those family members sharing that name and use the original first names e.g. the child Jack Williams becomes Jack XYZ, his mother Mary Williams becomes Mary XYZ and a sister Jenny Williams becomes Jenny XYZ.

You do not need to refer to Jack Williams as Jack XYZ all throughout the report - you can just use the first name.

For all other names, use the first name and the initial of the surname e.g. Peter Jones becomes Peter J.

Remove all identifying details (e.g. address details of parents, foster carers, schools - just refer to the general area). Leave in the dates of birth.

If you are attaching genograms, chronologies or reports from other professionals, you need to remove identifying details from them, too.

Reports for long term fostering (Form E and the matching report) do not need to be anonymised.

Expert reports - relevant reports including those referred to in the CPR can be sent to the Panel Adviser in advance. They do not need to be anonymised. Must be single sided.

You should also refer to their main points and key recommendations in the CPR   (particularly useful for the Part A4) to show how you have arrived at your plan for the child. You can also use the information contained in the reports (e.g. they often have useful social background/family histories about the parents).

End