Health reviews
Foster carers will require regular health reviews as part of the review process, and likewise those prospective adopters who have not yet had a child placed will also require a review.
Adopters
Regulation 29 of the England Adoption Agency Regulations 2005, regulation 30 of the Adoption Agencies (Wales) Regulations 2005, and the Northern Ireland Adoption Regional Policy and Procedures 2010 require the agency to review prospective adopters’ approval periodically until a child is placed for adoption with them or a match is under active consideration. This review must be held in England and Northern Ireland a year after approval and then at yearly intervals; two years after approval and thereafter two-yearly in Wales, or earlier if the agency considers it necessary, for instance, if a couple separates or there are substantive changes in health. In Scotland, an adoption agency is required to review approval of adopters in certain circumstances. These are that either no child has been placed with the adopters within two years of approval, or a child has been placed but there has been no application to the court and the agency thinks that a review is needed ‘to safeguard or promote the welfare of the child’ (regulation 10(2) or (3), Adoption Agencies (Scotland) Regulations 2009).
At such reviews, prospective adopters should be asked whether there has been any change in health since their previous health assessment. The agency medical adviser should be consulted as to whether it is necessary to obtain further information or carry out a comprehensive assessment. CoramBAAF Form AH2, which was designed to provide an update from records of information on Form AH, may be used if further information is needed.
Foster carers
There are no specific statutory requirements to review the health of foster carers, although there are provisions across the UK for a range of reviews of continuing approval. Agencies will have a policy.