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Shortlisting Interview experience

Apparently the social worker and family finder interviews were not previously so frequent (though not unusual). With the changes covid has brought though, the number of potential adopters has dramatically increased and now outnumbers the number of children seeking families (for the first time I believe)!

So, I have been through two of these interviews now. Both lasted about three hours, though that's probably as much a reflection on the number of questions I had for them as anything else! 

This isn't just a process for them, it is also for me to check this is the right match for me. They are looking at me and my home/ surroundings to understand the full picture. 

By this point, they've already seen my full PAR (Potential Adopter Report) and they've sent over the children's CPR (Child Permanence Report) and we've both decided to go ahead. 

My process (for what it's worth) was to fully read through the CPR in full, then to go back through making a note of any questions/ bits I wasn't sure on & then go through one more time thinking about what they might want to ask me... How would I react to their behaviours when unregulated? Did I have any previous experience of x,y,z? What is my understanding of what they might need? What does my support network look like now? What drew me to think we'd be a good match?

I was able to bounce ideas off my social worker to understand what she thought they might ask or what I should be thinking about too.

I was then able to run through these questions in the interview, asking their social workers and family finders, with my social worker there as support too

After all interviews are complete, a linking meeting is set up to agree the best match (if any). The potential adopters' social workers are also usually present for part of this.

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