# Home study



## sass30 (Apr 16, 2011)

Anybody know how many  HS you get?


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## Sq9 (Jan 15, 2013)

We've got 8 sessions plus one each individually I think over about 4 and a half months 1 session a fortnight.  The new timescales are much quicker than that so may not be as many sessions.  Hope that helps


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

We had 4 sessions, including separate ones and 1 more to sign off par . Good luck


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

We had 9 over 5 months but Christmas in the middle. But things are all changing at the moment so you may well have fewer depending on when your official application is accepted


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## Frangipanii (Nov 21, 2011)

We had nine over four months!!!!
x x x


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## julesF (Apr 7, 2009)

we had 6 plus one each over 10 weeks
then SW shredded notes by mistake and we had to do it all again in a week!


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## Frangipanii (Nov 21, 2011)

Oh wow that's awful!!!!!! Xx


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Oh the joys of ss!!!!!


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)




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## oliver222 (Oct 8, 2009)

We had 9 joint and 3 individual. Took 5 months too complete.


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## sass30 (Apr 16, 2011)

Indervidually(yikes) i best make sure the wife speaks fondly of me hahaha. Thats a lot of home studies.


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

We start prep on 12th June so will be going through at similar times. Our prep is a day a week not in a block though so we won't be done till first week in July. Then it'll be waiting for SW to be assigned. Agency said this normally happens in a couple of weeks. Good luck x x


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## MummyPea (Jun 11, 2012)

We started our HS on 18th April. Last session is 4th July. Mostly been every fortnight though over the next three weeks SW will be visiting every week as we have a joint, then hubbys then my individual sessions.

The first couple of weeks were tough as you're having to talk about really personal stuff with someone you barely know. But now we are completely at ease with our SW and know she's on our side. They aren't trying to trip you up, just trying to make sure they do the best for LOs and you!

Good luck. Make sure you have tea, coffee and biscuits to the ready


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## sass30 (Apr 16, 2011)

Gwyneth27 we start prep 11th june and its 4 seperate days we finish on sat 22nd june. Not long for us x


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

Oh we'll really coincide then that's great. Our last day of prep will be 3rd July. Not sure if we are following the old 8 months or new 4 months system yet. If it's 8 months then prep counts as one of the 8 and so does 3 weeks your PAR has to be in before panel. So that would mean panel in January 2014   other new system I think would be 4 months from SW allocation which would mean panel in November 2013  . In reality with Xmas in the middle not that different (so I keep telling myself  ) I think HS will be the same either way it would just be how frequent sessions are that changes. I might be wrong that's just my gut feeling. SW's and Panel will still want all the same things covering and same information gathering however it is or isn't presented.


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## sass30 (Apr 16, 2011)

4 months bliddy hell i hope not we offically get civil partnered in november so all money is going in to that at the moment lol. 
  i thought by booking our wedding(booked this week) we would hve something else to focus on to make the time fly by. We got our application forms through and told to bring them to prep with us. Let me know how it goes x


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

Will do huge congratulations on booking your civil partnership. Could be perfect approval just before CP then CP and honey moon to fill the wait for a match  x x


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Don't worry about the individual sessions (we each had 2 each)  First one was family and childhood - of course totally different and so no point having a joint session.  The second was our relationship.  I think she wanted to check we were saying similar things and that we could talk freely about one another without the pressure of the person in question listening in    The third session followed on from the relationship session and looked into how we managed certain situations as a couple.  We had worksheets to complete prior to the sessions so we had an idea what she would be discussing with us so we could talk about it together first.

Congrats on your upcoming civil partnership, so many exciting things to look forward to


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## sass30 (Apr 16, 2011)

Thank you x-lolly-x. Its daunting as we have been together 6 years and planned for the past 2. Gave up planning and on a whim we said lets just do it. So lots to do but it will be good as LO will take my surname and now so is my partner. 
      HS terrifys me as i get embarrassed and shy and slip up when im discussing personal stuff ect. i just want to be approved so we can start buying things like baby gates ect. We have asked fir age range. 0-3 no pref on boy or girl. 

x-lolly-x when do u go to panel?

Sarah


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

We have also been together 6 years.  I love the 'lets go for it' plan!  Sometimes you just have too!  Nice you will all have the same surname.  That is what I want too.  We have been engaged for just over a year now and have decided that once AO is through we will have a small wedding ceremony and maybe a naming ceremony for LO.  We will then all share the same name and be a proper family unit    Although I guess we will have to see what's occurring money wise by this point... I may well have bought the whole of toys r us by then  

I think HS gets easier as you get to know your SW.  Luckily ours did our initial visits, was at prep and then HS, so it felt like we got to know her well.  We started pretty basic stuff, eg, upbringing, and crossed the sensitive stuff (IVF etc) once SW and us felt comfortable talking that openly with each other.  By that point we felt more at ease, although I did have a cry and still felt a little embarrassed   but I guess that's human nature 

We went to panel just over 2 weeks ago and got a yes so we are now playing the waiting game!  Like you we decided on one child, 0-3, boy or girl (although DF has a secret preference for a boy  )


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## oliver222 (Oct 8, 2009)

You will be fine with HS. Best advise is just be honest with your SW as you will go over the same things a million times. It's hard first few times discussing things with a stranger but I am at the stage now that I think my SW knows more about me than I do about myself. 

Congrats for your civil partnership. It's going to be an exciting busy year for you.


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## sass30 (Apr 16, 2011)

X-lolly-X your partner sounds exactly te same as mine, she really wants a boy and i really want a girl. To settle the argument we said lets see who we are matched with. Congrats on getting your yes at panel its very exciting. 

Oliver222- honesty is the best policy but i just panic incase i answer wrong lol


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## MummyAuntieKatie (Oct 18, 2012)

Ah bless you! I can't really remember how many sessions we had but they became like informal chats with a friend after a while, if the weather was nice we sat in the garden and luckily out SW loves to chat!!!  You'll be fine, you can't answer wrong and remember the interview technique, if you aren't sure of your answer take some time to consider your reply.  Just say 'I'm going to have to think about that, I'll make a drink, ask me again when I get back'... etc

Congrats on your upcoming wedding!


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## sass30 (Apr 16, 2011)

Thanks auntiekatie, maybe regretting it now as i have 6months to plan lol.  im really looking forward to prep and then HS just nt sure how personal they want to know about us lol


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## Doofuz (Mar 9, 2008)

We had 7 together visits, H had one on his own and I had 2. We always looked forward to pour appointments, I miss them now as nothing happening! We would have loved to do them in the garden but it rained at all the wrong times. Congratulations too on your upcoming celebrations, I'm sure you will have it all planned perfectly


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## Mel99 (May 20, 2010)

We had 9 sessions including 1 indivual session each - it took 2 months . The last session felt very strange, it's hard to believe but we actually missed our SW when we finished   Be honest with your SW and try not to worry about individual sessions, once you get into the swing of it, its not nearly as scary as you think it is going to  be - good luck and keep smiling we were approved in Dec and are just waiting for a phonecall  to confirm our link with 2 little ones    x


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