Find out how adoption works in the UK. The adoption process is defined by the government, and all agencies follow a broadly similar set of procedures to support, assess and guide prospective adopters. During the early days of your adoption journey, you will be gathering lots of information about adoption, and finding an adoption agency that suits your needs. CCS has an adoption Information Pack and provides an opportunity for people living in the South West to talk to an adopter by submitting an enquiry form.

Information Event

Our regular online Information Events provide an opportunity to find out more about the children, the process for adopting and us. Meet the team, hear from some of our adopters about their experiences and ask your questions.

Book an Information Event

Preparing to Adopt Training

CCS will provide four full days of preparation training and some additional workshops during the course of your Stage 1 and Stage 2 assessments. During training, you will hear from adoptive parents who will share their experiences of the joys and challenges of becoming an adoptive family.

Stage One

A series of training days and interviews over a minimum of two months with your social workers. Covering many aspects of your life, this allows us to get to know you and understand your potential strengths and vulnerabilities as an adoptive parent. We are required at this stage to carry out a number of checks and references.

Stage Two

Following a review meeting you may take a break, or continue on to Stage Two, which takes a minimum of four months. Further training and assessment visits lead to your Social Worker writing a PAR (Prospective Adopters Report) that on completion, is submitted to the Adoption Panel, which then gives a decision regarding approval.

Adoption Panel

The Panel meets monthly and makes a recommendation about whether or not your application should be approved. 97% of the time they say yes at CCS. You can attend the Panel and take part in the discussion. The Panel’s recommendation then has to be ratified by CCS’ Decision Maker.

Finding your Children

Once approved, we share your profile with children’s social workers, and you get to see children’s profiles. Your social worker helps find potential children for you and make a match that best suits both them and you. The match is approved by a local authority panel and we then start Introductions where you gradually get to know the child, or siblings, and welcome them into your life.

Enquire about Adoption