# Matching timelines/Selection Meeting



## EverHopefulmum (Sep 23, 2009)

So following a meeting on Friday, it looks like we have met our match so to speak. Both ours & LO SW want to proceed...The complication being LO SW was going on holiday straight after our meeting with her and then our SW is leaving 4 days after she comes back from holiday (we have no idea who our new SW will be yet).

[/size]In our meeting both SW's talked about needing to schedule a "selection meeting" but no idea what this entails or if it needs lots of paperwork doing...then meet FC, medical adviser & birth mum....then submit matching paperwork, matching panel, ratification & then introductions. I think thats right, but have i missed anything?
[/size]I know i'm probably asking a stupid question but can more experienced adopters help me understand what needs doing when and how long things tend to take (although i know christmas is looming, which will delay things). Do they plan everything at once, ie tell you matching panel date and intro dates as soon as selection meeting is done? Is it LO's SW who drives the process or our SW? Realistically could matching panel be Jan & intros early Feb?Hubby is being very cautious and doesn't want to say anything to anyone until after matching panel, but its already killing me not to be able talk to anyone about it....thank goodness for you guys.ps....i'm not moaning, i know how lucky i am to have found a match this quickly, just such an impatient girl [size=1em]


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## snapdragon (Jun 27, 2011)

Congratulations, fantastic news. The selection meeting should be a formality. It wont really involve any preparation but its a case of getting the two sw's and their managers together. You will probably get a panel date fairly soon. We actually got ours before the meeting. The sw's will then have to work with it in getting their matching report submitted a certain amount of time beforehand. January might be possible but with lo"s sw's holiday and your sw leaving could be more difficult plus it depends on availability. We had to wait 3 months.


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## MummyPea (Jun 11, 2012)

Hi honey!

We didn't have to attend the selection meeting, it was mostly for the SWs & FF. Our process from initial linking has been fairly quick. But it really can vary.

The one thing I would do now if I was you is have a conversation with your SW to see if your case can be handed over sooner rather than later. It means you'll have a bit of time before going to panel etc to get to know the new SW. It'll also mean your current SW can hand over properly rather than just leaving some paper work.

It's normally LOs SW who sets the dates as MP is held in LOs LA not yours (unless you're in the same one!). 

We've only told family and close friends about the link. We're going to announce it properly after we've been the panel but I could have spent 6 weeks keeping it a secret!!!


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## Ipswichbabe (May 17, 2005)

Hey, great news! We are at the same stage as you! We are now waiting til jan for medical advisor, foster carer, school teacher meeting etc.... been given panel date, and intro week penciled in. 
What i would like to know is this a given cert that we are to be this little ones parents or could panel say no still!!!
I am so excited but so scared!


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## EverHopefulmum (Sep 23, 2009)

Snapdragon, thanks for putting my mind at rest.....i hope that we get a panel date as soon as the LO's SW gets back from holiday.....i'm just so impatient, which has not been a good trait for going through this process!!!


Jesp, thanks for advise. Spoke to SW yesterday about the handover & he has arranged a meeting with him, us & new SW for end next week.....as LO SW is on holiday for 2 weeks i'm assuming nothing will happen until her return but just wanted to make sure we were all good to go as soon as she's back & have a feeling old SW wants to duck out asap!


Ipswichbabe, congrats on your news too.....isn't it a strange mix of excitement & fear it will be snatched from you? While i'm sure that technically they could say no at matching panel its highly unlikely. We have been told we would need to meet birth mum before panel, and told we can get FC to start using a name we choose so i'm sure they wouldn't do that if there was any doubt (but you never know).  Did you find your LO, or we you approached by SW? if they approached you then i'm sure they now you tick all the boxes panel are looking for. When is you panel date?


I know i'm a fool, but spent a large part of yesterday looking at LO's photo...he looks a lot like DH - wonder if thats what made SW think of us for a match!


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

If it's anything like ours then the process is like this...


You have read LO's CPR and inform LO's SWs that you want to proceed.
Wait 1 Week - LO's SWs agree on paper that you are the right match.
LO's SWs, your SWs and yourselves have a meeting to discuss Lo in more detail and answer any questions you may have that were missing from the CPR. (Selection Meeting??)
LO's SWs will agree that they still want to proceed.
You inform LO's SWs that you want to proceed.
You meet LO's Foster Carers and ask more questions about LO that only they would know.
You inform LO's SWs that you want to proceed.
Matching Panel date is set with possible dates for Intros too
This is where we are up to.

Between the paper match and the 'Selection meeting' we waited almost 5 weeks due to SWs holidays!


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## EverHopefulmum (Sep 23, 2009)

Thanks Pauliboo, but our process seems slightly different to your experience in that we did not get the CPR in advance. Instead LO's SW and our SW bought the report around with her to visit us &  we discussed the child in detail there and then. It was explicitly said in the meeting that they both wanted to proceed with the match.....not sure if we need that in writing?? 


We also told them there and then we wanted go ahead and then emailed her later to confirm our eagerness to proceed, along with some minor questions following a detailed review of the CRP.....almost immediately we got a response which included answers from the foster carer. Unfortunately straight after that she went on holiday & not back until 18th.....not sure if that leaves anytime to sort any provisional dates before christmas, but don't know what that involves? Is it just checking if a panel date is available? 


As far as i'm aware the official "selection meeting" is just my SW & his manager and the LO SW's & their manager having a meeting. They did say this was just a "paper exercise", but i'm still nervous! But, we are adopting from within the same LA, so that probably helps right?


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

Congrats!    Yes, a selection meeting is internal, it's just getting their side of things sorted out.  Getting a matching panel date will be a case of them checking which panel has space on the agenda still - do you know how often they have matching panel meetings?  Monthly?  Bi-monthly?  That's useful knowledge to have.  They might be able to sort it out for a Jan panel meeting, but I think it might be more likely Feb now.  There's usually at least two weeks I think between panel and intros starting, for the Decision Maker to ratify the decision, although this can be fast-tracked if there's a good reason.

When you're chivvying along, remember to push it from the perspective of it not being good for the LO to be in care for any longer than they need to be, rather than your impatience.  

Christmas delays are really hard, but focus on how different your Christmas will be next year!


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## EverHopefulmum (Sep 23, 2009)

AOC, thanks for your response......I really need people telling me it's a formality.....hubby is firmly on the fence of font get excited, nobody ever gets the first child they are matched with.....grrrrr  

my LA has panel's every week but technically it's split into one week for "east" and one week for "west", so really they are bi-weekly......guess it all depends on a) what dates still have spaces & b) what else all the SW are working on. When we were doing our assessment we were told we had to take second priority to matching......I hope this goes in our favour this time  

Everhopefulmum x


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