This is the official form that social workers are required to complete and eventually presented to the Adoption Panel.

The social worker conducting the assessment will visit you and your family on a number of occasions to compile the report. For couples, they may well see you both together and individually.

The social workers have a duty to allow you to read the report when it is completed and you should then be given an opportunity to make comments about the report itself and the way the assessment was conducted. Make sure you do this in time for your comments to be considered by the Adoption Panel.

Personal details

The first part of Form F gathers basic factual information about you - personal details, religion, language spoken and details about work.

It also requires details of any children who you already have, including those who may not be living with you.

Your home and neighbourhood

You will also need to specify who is living in your house and their relationship to the applicant (lodger, friend, relative etc). In addition you will need to say what sort of home you live in including the type of accommodation and how many rooms.

You may be given homework to prepare you for adoption. It is likely that background reading and videos will be left with you. You will need to do some research into what local amenities are available, for example, health centres, schools, clubs and activities for the children.

Who you want to adopt

It is now that you will need to specify what sort of child you are looking to adopt, including their age range, if they have a physical or mental disability, medical conditions or history of abuse. You will also need to stipulate what sort of children you would not be able to accommodate.

You will also be asked what support you might need from the agency. The report will also detail what training you have had and what you may need in the future.

References

The assessment will require the agency to seek a number of references for a variety of sources.

Some of these referees should know both you and your family very well. A member of your family may also need to be a referee and it is possible that the referees will be visited by the agency.

These will be on top of the statutory references from the probation service, police and the area health authority.

Health checks

Many agencies ask you to complete a medical questionnaire. You should always make a social worker aware of any medical condition you may have. Many will not affect your application. Those with life-threatening or debilitating degenerative conditions will find it much harder to be approved for adoption.

You will have to undergo a health check by your own doctor. There will be a fee for this, which you will have to meet. The fees vary from GP to GP but the recommended fee is about Your doctors's report will be considered by the Adoption Panel medical adviser who will comment on your suitability to adopt.

Profiles

The second part of the Form F is a more subjective report which will usually include a profile on each applicant including present and previous relationships, background, education, employment, interests and motivations to be an adopter.

There will also be a profile on each child and any other adults living in the household.

The assessment social worker will want to know what support you are likely to receive from friends, relatives, neighbours, etc. They will also look into the lifestyle of your family, any financial considerations and your level of knowledge of the difficulties some children may present.

Infertility issues or what prompted you to decide not to have any more children will also be covered in detail in the report. If in a couple, you will also be seen at least once separately. If you already have children, their views will also be sought.

The home study is far more than looking at the sort of house you live in and other facts about your life. It looks at you as an individual, as a couple, with or without children, your lifestyle, strengths and weaknesses, as well as thinking more deeply about the sort of child who would fit into your family.

The next stage is the social worker's report will be considered by the Adoption Panel.

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