The assessment process has clear cut aims
The aims of the assessment process is to:
- Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the prospective adopters
- Form a view of potential adopter's capacity to adopt a child
- Assess the stability and permanence of a couple's relationship
- Support and guide the prospective adopter towards becoming an adoptive parent (usually seeing why you shouldn't be a prospective parent rather then supporting you towards becoming one!)
- Identify areas where, if approved, the potential adopters will need further development, including the provision of adoption support (may not be applicable to inter-country adoption)
- Prepare the prospective adopter’s report, after evaluating the information gathered from preparation course, during the assessment process, and evidence from references, checks, enhanced CRB and other reports
- Finally, to enable the social worker to propose to the adoption panel whether the prospective adopter is suitable to adopt.
