How are disagreements resolved during the foster to adopt process?

Disagreements during a foster to adopt placement are managed by separating the issue into its practical, safeguarding and legal elements, then involving the professionals with authority to make that decision. The appropriate route depends on what the disagreement concerns: the child’s immediate care, family contact, medical or educational arrangements, the proposed permanence plan, or the conduct of a professional service.

Start by identifying the decision in dispute. Some disagreements arise because people have different understandings of their roles. Foster to adopt carers provide day-to-day care, but they do not normally have parental responsibility for the child. The local authority, birth parents and the court may retain responsibility for particular decisions, depending on the child’s legal status and any orders in place. The child’s social worker should explain who can make the decision and whether the carers have delegated authority to act.

• Routine care: this can include ordinary arrangements such as clothing, meals, activities and day-to-day routines, where authority has been delegated to the carers.
• Significant decisions: medical treatment, education, travel, religious or cultural matters and changes to contact may require consultation with the relevant person or agency.
• Permanence decisions: a foster to adopt plan remains subject to the child’s legal proceedings, assessments and court decisions. Carers cannot treat adoption as certain until the relevant legal steps have been completed.

When a disagreement is raised, each person should set out the specific concern, the information on which it is based and the outcome they believe would best protect the child. Keeping the discussion focused on observable facts helps avoid assumptions about motives. A written record may include dates, what was discussed, advice received, decisions made and any follow-up action. Records should be factual and stored in line with the organisation’s confidentiality requirements.

Safeguarding concerns take priority. If a carer believes the child may be at immediate risk, they should follow the safeguarding instructions provided by the fostering service and local authority rather than waiting for a routine meeting. A concern about injuries, unsafe contact, a significant change in the child’s behaviour or a failure to meet a health need should be reported through the appropriate professional route. Carers should also record what they observed and what action they took.

For less urgent issues, the child’s social worker will usually clarify the care plan and seek the views of the relevant people. The supervising social worker can help the carers prepare for that discussion, explain fostering requirements and ensure that the concern is considered within the support and supervision arrangements. An adoption social worker may also be involved where the issue relates to permanence planning or the assessment of the carers as prospective adopters.

Family contact can be a particular source of disagreement. Carers should follow the agreed contact plan and raise concerns about its practical arrangements, the child’s response or any safeguarding issue through the professionals responsible for that plan. They should not independently cancel, extend or rearrange contact unless they have been authorised to do so or immediate safety requires action.

If the disagreement affects the child’s care plan or the proposed permanence arrangements, it may be considered through a formal review. The independent reviewing officer can examine whether the plan remains appropriate, whether the child’s needs and wishes have been considered where appropriate, and whether actions agreed at earlier meetings have been completed. A review does not replace the court’s role, but it can identify unresolved issues and require professionals to respond to them.

Where the concern is about the service provided by a fostering agency or local authority, carers can use that organisation’s complaints procedure. The procedure should explain how to make a complaint, who investigates it and what further stages are available if the response is not satisfactory. A carer may ask their supervising social worker, an independent advocate or a legal adviser to help them understand the process. Legal advice can be especially important where the dispute concerns parental responsibility, court directions, placement changes or the possibility that the foster to adopt plan may not continue.

Carers should avoid discussing confidential information about the child outside the professional network and should not make promises about adoption, contact or the child’s future while matters remain unresolved. They can, however, ask for the decision and its reasons to be explained clearly, request that their views are recorded, and check what will happen next. If the issue remains unsettled, asking for a written action plan with named responsibilities can make it clear how and when it will be reviewed.

Professional disagreement does not automatically mean that a placement will end. It does mean that carers should raise concerns early, follow the agreed reporting routes and keep the child’s safety, stability and welfare at the centre of each decision.