General Statement re Adoption Functions

1. Children with Adoption Plans

Planning for children with an adoption plan continues to be undertaken by Surrey Children's Services. This includes children where parental agreement for adoption has been given, and children where authority to place for adoption is granted following a court process (through the making of a placement order).

For information with respect to adoption planning for a children subject to care proceedings or who are looked after, please see Adoption and Permanence Services.

2. Remaining Adoption Functions

From April 1st 2020, these have been transferred to Adoption South East (ASE) a regional adoption agency working on behalf of 4 local authorities: Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex County Councils and Brighton and Hove City Council under the terms of a partnership agreement. ASE undertakes the following functions:

• Adopter recruitment and assessment;
• Family finding and early permanence placements (foster2adopt);
• Court reports concerning children subject to a non-agency adoption application, including child adopted from overseas;
• Provision of adoption panels;
• Adoption support for previously looked after children and children adopted from overseas;
• Adoption support for adopted adults;
• Adoption support for birth relatives of adopted children and adults.

Some ASE functions are provided regionally as part of a hub, and others remain locally based in spokes out in the local authorities. The Surrey spoke is situated at Quadrant Court in Woking.

For a fuller breakdown of the schedule of responsibilities see adoption documents.

For enquiries concerning adopter recruitment and assessment processes, please contact ASE via their website www.adoptionsoutheast.org.

Enquiries regarding adoption support and non-agency adoption* please contact the Woking spoke on 01932 794347 or adoption@surreycc.gov.uk.

*Surrey residents wishing to apply to adopt a child from overseas will need to contact Inter-Country Adoption Centre: www.icacentre.org.uk (Please be aware that applicants using this service must self-fund.)