# Help with choosing a local authority



## HRM (Feb 2, 2010)

Hi everyone, 


My husband and I have made the decision to end our IVF journey and create our family through adoption instead.
I have spent the last 2 days researching the difference between joining a private agency and local authorities and think we have decided to go with a local authority. However... we live in Cheshire and have over 9 local authorities within a 50-mile radius and are struggling to decide who to go with.


We understand that the local authority have to decide whether we are suitable for them/the children they have, however, we don't really want to meet up with over 10 authorities just to discover this. I have spoken to a few on the phone and read all the Information Booklets (which seem very similar) and just can't seem to tell them apart and make any decisions. 


We have looked at the stats from 2012 for the number of children in care and the % adopted for them all, but again, just feel confused. 
We live within Cheshire West and Chester and are also respite carers in this area, so are know to social care and the adoption team (as the child we look after is adopted), so this may be a benefit in terms of the process of being accepted, however, we don't want to reduce our chances of being successfully matched by sticking to what we know. 


How did you all choose which authority to go with and what would your advice be - are we missing something!?! 
Although early in our journey (and currently on our 6 month wait to start anyway, which they all seem to have as a rule after IVF), we think we will be suggesting 2 siblings, both pre-school aged. 


Any advice and help would be gratefully accepted!
Many thanks, 
H xxx


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## funnychic (Feb 2, 2012)

Hiya

Bit of a minefield choosing who to go with.  First thing I did was go to my own authority, I assumed that was going to be the easiest route, mistake number 1!!  They had an outstanding Offstead report so I was very happy with my choice.  After being accepted they kept me waiting 10 months to get on a prep course (which in my authority is the first step) at this point I jumped ship.

I went with another nearby authority which I have since found out is a good thing as I can now be matched with a child from there area, you cannot be matched with a child in your own authority if that is where the child was originally from.

My advice for what its worth, ask if the prep course comes first, how long before you can get on one?
Secondly how soon after will you be appointed a sw to start homestudy, there is no point in an early course if you will be waiting months for a sw. 
What time frames are they completing homestudies and getting people to panel.  I did mine in 6 months which is quick.

Lastly my personal choice was to use an L.A as  voluntary agencies don't have children of their own to place and have to go to local authority or the national register anyway,  I believe they also place mostly older children or harder to place kiddies.  

I am no means an authority this was just my personal experience of the system.

I am now matched and my daughter will be home end of Jan!!


very best wishes I hope this was a bit of a help. xx


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## HRM (Feb 2, 2010)

Thanks Funncychic, that was really helpful  
Congratulations on your little one - I bet you are just beside yourself!!! 


I will make some more calls tomorrow and ask those questions - it's nice to have somewhere to go with it now! 

H xx


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Hi hrm,

I second everything funny chick has said. We too are surrounded by many authorities and didn't know which to choose. Sad i know but i made a grid with each question i wanted answered - these ranged from their attitude taking on someone out if locality, ave wait till prep, time till sw allocation, number of children in our desired age range in the care system. The last question was gut feeling! I then phoned all of them (approx 15)  and compaired the answers. Some didn't get back to me, some where very dismissive - but they varied greatly.  I then went on every forum possible asking for people's experiences.

In the end we had initial visits from 3. One sw I just didn't like, the other said we should think again as our age range  really wasn't likely (even though they were very encouraging on the phone!!!)  In the end the biggest decider for us was our gut instinct. We went out of authority to the la next door and it has been the best decision we made. They are VERY small and very personal - just what we wanted.

Hope you find your answers soon x

I forgot to say our chosen la didn't make us wait 6 months, only 2/3 which as you can imagine was a huge bonus lol


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

I agree that gut feeling is the most important. Like you I am on my wait we live rurally so only had limited choices not loads like you. However we spoke on the phone and read info and like you found it very samey. We then went to open evenings and this was where we found a clear difference. One stood out they were so positive and well coming. Where as the others I felt were looking for achievale perfect people. They focused on the importance of processing people as so many children  wait. They said it doesn't matter if their children don't match you children else where will and that would be less children waiting. Others said they priorities people that match the children they have waiting but how they can tell this from one screening interview is beyond me x


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## Belliboo (Dec 23, 2007)

HRM I've sent you a pm xxx


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## HRM (Feb 2, 2010)

Thanks ladies, 

That's all really useful and it's also just nice to know other people out there have found this bit tricky too!! Flash - I also have a spreadsheet, how funny are we!!? I'll ring around and get similar info I think. 

I also didn't know that you could have home visits from more than 1 authority - I thought it was a case of once you booked for them to come, it was a done deal, so nice to know we might have the opportunity to meet a few and then go with our gut. 

Exciting times!! Thanks again for all your help. Another question... have any of you bought good books on the subject of adoption? Want to start getting my head around some reading but not sure which of the many books to choose from. 

Thanks,
H xxx


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## Frangipanii (Nov 21, 2011)

Hi just wanted to wish u luck on your journey. And also make a point about Va's just for your information. VA`S dont just have access to older children and harder to place children, in fact they have access to the national register. Our va have placed children very very young from al sorts of areas natinally etc. We never even thought of looking at a LA and have found an excellent va. Think every agency is different and we interviewed three(they interviewed us also ha ha) and i actually said to them what makes u better then the other agencies. Why not it made interesting answers!! 
I wish u all the luck in the world...much love f x


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## Zargus (Jan 9, 2012)

Hiya.  I'm in similar position.  HAve a few LAs around us and didnt know who to go with.  I spoke to several and like you received info from them all which was all very similar.  We went to an info evening of the LA in the area we acually live.  I was only 2 months into my wait following IVF and came out no longer wanting to adopt.  I just didnt like their attitude and found the meeting was very much them talking at me and they sounded condescending.  Perhaps it was still too soon following my IVF I dont know, but we left it a month before contacting any other agencies.  We decided to try an agency a few boroughs away and we went to their info evening and something just clicked.  We decided there and then that was the agency we were going to use.  We had an info evening booked with a VA the following week but we decided we would cancel as something just felt right about Bromley.

So my advice would be to go along to as many info evenings as you can.  You'll know when it's the right one.  Some will have rules about who they'll accept as adopters.  But they'll tell you this from the outset.

Good luck with your journey.

x


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## GERTIE179 (Apr 20, 2005)

HRM

Re books check out the below link many of these I've read when I was at your stage
http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=244029.0
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[/size]Best wishes


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## HRM (Feb 2, 2010)

Thanks everyone, lots more useful and supportive information 

We have sent off forms for North Wales and have 2 introduction meetings booked with Liverpool and the Wirral this month, as well as considering Cheshire West - where we actually live. So going to do as advised and speak to them all and go with gut instinct. If none of them feel right, we've got another 10 or so we could look at!!

All your info has been great, thanks. Keep it coming!! 

H xx


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

Sounds good enjoy your fact finding x


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## aseagrim (Oct 2, 2011)

This is a really helpful thread thank you. we live in London and have approached a few LA's and voluntary agenices. It is hard to know which one is best.


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## HRM (Feb 2, 2010)

Aseagrim, I'm glad you found it useful... it's such a confusing time isn't it?!! 

We went to the Wirral evening this week and found it really useful. They didn't tell us anything I didn't already know/hadn't already read, but was nice to know my research had paid off and it all felt more real being with the Social Workers. They were all lovely and 1 in particular we felt we could build a good relationship with, so fingers crossed we get her! I think we've decided we're going to go with them and are currently just waiting for the interest form to arrive so we can return it and have our home visit booked. Fingers crossed we'll be on our 3-day training course at then end of April. 

In the North West, there are 22 LAs, so if you haven't been matched 3 months after being approved, then you become 'open' to all 22 authorities, known as 'Adoption 22'. And of course there is the National Register as well and other methods of seeing potential children. So think we're going to go with them, despite it being our first meeting as I think it doesn't seem to matter too much who you're with as you'll have the same opportunities in the North West anyway. Does everyone think this sounds right?? 

H xx


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## funnychic (Feb 2, 2012)

In terms of what you are saying about adoption 22, I am in the same area, so yes we all have the same oppurtunities within the framework but before you are available to be matched with children from other area's your own L.A will try to match you with a child from their area, so to me it did matter to me that I was confident in their abilities, their ofstead reports and how many children they had matched the previous years.

Don't decide straight away, check out at least a couple so you have something to balance one against the other.


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## Frangipanii (Nov 21, 2011)

Seems a few of us from NW. If anyone wants to Pm chat feel free! x


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