8.13 Relinquished Baby

This chapter was added to the manual in October 2024.

Introduction
Policy
Purpose
Notification of a Relinquished Baby
NARRATES Assessment Form
Legal Advice & Placing into Foster Care
Adoption is the Plan
Withdrawal of Consent

1. Introduction

The term "relinquished baby" is used to describe a child under the age of 6 weeks whose parents are making the choice of adoption for the child.

This process deals with the first stage of the adoption process for relinquished babies (i.e. identifying that a child should be placed for adoption). It also summarises the counselling and support that will be made available to the birth family in these circumstances.

2. Policy

Manx Care is committed to providing counselling to parent(s) who may be considering relinquishing their baby, in order to assess the needs of the baby and identify suitable legally binding carers.

3. Purpose

In accordance with guidelines in respect of:

UK Adoption and Children’s Act 2002;
Isle of Man Adoption Act 1984;
Isle of Man Adoption Minimum Standards 2013;
Children and Young Persons Act 200.

4. Notification of a Relinquished Baby

A notification in respect of a relinquished baby could be made by a parent, midwife or the hospital to either the Family Placement Service or the Initial Response Team.

If a parent approaches the Family Placement Service directly to seek guidance in relation to relinquishing their baby, a supervising social worker from the Family Placement Service will need to provide, support, guidance and information about the options available to the parent(s.) This could include:

Staying with the parent(s) with close support;
Short-term foster care, with the aim of returning the baby with support;
Long-term placement with the baby’s wider family;
Termination of pregnancy;
Placement for adoption.

If it is a concealed pregnancy, sensitivity is required. An understanding needs to be gained in terms of the reasons for the concealed pregnancy and a discussion held with regards to the importance of tracing and informing birth father.

Once the parents decide to relinquish their baby for adoption, a Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) will be completed and sent to the Initial Response Team within 24 hours.

The Initial Response Team (IRT) would ensure that the referral is recorded electronically, along with the names of the parent(s), address, DOB and estimated delivery date of the unborn baby, if applicable.

IRT will need to allocate the relinquished baby to a social worker and initiate a NARRATES assessment within 24 hours.

Consideration needs to be given to attend the Permanence and Legal Decisions Panel, if a foster placement is required.

The Adoption Practice Lead will allocate a supervising social worker, who will also become the family finder and will undertake pre-birth counselling with parent(s). The allocation must take place within 24 hours.

The pre-birth counselling of parents, via the supervising social worker, is not compulsory but would be encouraged.

IRT will need to request case transfer to care management before a joint visit to the parent(s) is undertaken. The care management social worker will need to update the IRT’s NARRATES (Needs Assessment, Robust Risk Analysis and Timely, Effective Support Assessment Form and will need to hold the case until the Adoption Order is granted.

As part of the assessment process, a joint visit will need to be arranged between the baby’s social worker, supervising social worker and parent(s) to discuss the adoption process, reviewing their options and gaining their consent to proceed to adoption. Contact must be made with the parent(s) within 2 working days.

5. NARRATES Assessment Form

When completing the NARRATES, the child’s social worker must evidence the following:

Efforts to trace and involve birth father if information about him is not forthcoming;
Efforts to trace and involve birth mother, if she chooses to disengage or the baby is abandoned;
Will/does the father have parental responsibility?
The reasons for relinquishment?
Exploration of the baby’s right to grow up within their birth family vs adoption;
The emotional and physical well-being of the parent(s) and their capacity to consent;
Ongoing support for parent(s);
Contact arrangements post birth (including any birth siblings);
Collating information and memorabilia for the purposes of life story;

The NARRATES must be shared with the social work team manager for quality assurance and authorisation.

A copy must also be provided to the parent(s) and the outcome recorded on the child’s file and cited within the chronology. Only factual amendments can be made to the NARRATES and any parental signatures/comments also need to be uploaded to the child’s file, by the child’s social worker.

6. Legal Advice & Placing into Foster Care

In addition, the child’s social worker will need to seek legal advice and arrange for matters to be heard at the next available Permanence and Legal Decisions Making Panel no later than the second Statutory LAC Review. Decisions as to whether Manx Care should issue legal proceedings may be made at this panel, if there is no one exercising parental responsibility for the baby.

If the parent(s) consent to the baby being placed in a foster placement, the baby’s social worker will need to complete a Placement Request and Family Finding Referral and forward this to the Family Placement Service within 2 working days from S25 consent being sought from parent(s) or upon the Interim Care Order being granted. It is good practice, particularly in pre-birth planning, that any referrals of this nature are done at the earliest opportunity.

The Family Placement Service will identify a suitable foster placement for the baby and will notify the baby’s social worker with the details of the prospective foster placement(s). Please see Fostering Placement & Matching Policy.

The child’s social worker will need to consult with the parent(s) in respect of placement availability. Their wishes and feelings will need to be considered as part of the fostering matching process.

The family finder for the baby will act as the foster placement co-ordinator and will need to arrange a Fostering Matching Meeting and Family Finding Meeting within 28 working days.

The Family Finding Meeting would need to consider:

The needs of the baby;
The ability and the experience of the carer(s) to meet the baby’s needs;
Wishes and feelings of the parent(s);
Contact plan. (Ideally to take place in the carer’s home);
Any support arrangements required for the baby, carer(s) or parent(s);
Timescales relating to the process and when the Moving on Book and Later Life Letter will be completed.

Upon the baby being placed in a foster placement, the Fostering Placement & Matching Policy, will need to be followed.

7. Adoption is the Plan

Upon the decision being agreed at Permanence and Legal Decision Making Panel that adoption is the best plan for the child, the baby’s social worker will need to complete the Child’s Permanence Report, arrange for an Adoption Medical and request a date at the Adoption Panel for a Best Interest Decision (BID) by the second Statutory Review.

In parallel, the family finder would identify suitable prospective adopters, using the information gathered at the Family Finding Meeting. Prospective Adopter’s Report(s) will be shared with the baby’s social worker, who will provide a verbal overview of the potential families identified. It is important that sensitive information about prospective adopters is not shared with birth family.

The baby’s social worker and family finder would visit the prospective adopters and follow the Matching Process. Please see Family Finding & Matching (including Life Appreciation Days) policy.

8. Withdrawal of Consent

Parent(s) can withdraw their s25 consent (must be in writing) at any point, up to the making of the Adoption Order, unless the Interim Care Order is already in place.

On receiving the notice of withdrawal of consent, Manx Care is required to immediately review its decision to place the baby for adoption. Consideration needs to be given as to whether or not legal advice needs to be sought to secure permanency for the baby/child.

Where the consent to the placement is withdrawn, whilst the baby is in the foster placement (within the first 6 weeks,) then the baby must be returned to the parent(s) within 7 days, unless the Department decides to apply for an Order or an Interim Care Order is in place.

Where the child is placed in a pre-adoptive placement, by consent under s25 and that consent is withdrawn, the child must be returned to the parents within 14 days, unless the Department applies for an Order or in Interim Care Order is in place.

End