Guidance and regulation

Local authorities and regional adoption agencies can apply for therapeutic funding for eligible adoptive, special guardianship order and child arrangement order families.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 15 December 2023

Summary of the main changes and provisions of the act and how they may affect children and families.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 30 September 2014

Statutory guidance for local authorities and adoption agencies.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 18 July 2013

Departmental advice containing the national minimum standards applicable to adoption agencies and adoption support agencies.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 25 July 2014

What you need to know about registering with Ofsted if you want to open or manage an adoption support agency.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 18 December 2023

Ofsted's variation fees for children’s social care services.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 1 April 2024

A summary of what attending a review panel is like and the documents that you can submit to the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM).

• From: Independent Review Mechanism
• Updated: 19 September 2023

How you can ask for an independent review if you disagree with an adoption agency’s or fostering service provider’s qualifying determination letter.

• From: Independent Review Mechanism
• Updated: 31 July 2020

Letter confirming the British national(s) in question are not resident in the UK and the child isn't being adopted under British legislation.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and 1 others
• Updated: 19 February 2014

How adopted persons and birth relatives can apply for a review of an adoption agency’s qualifying determination letter.

• From: Independent Review Mechanism
• Updated: 31 July 2020

For inspection from 1 April 2018. The letter of notice and form to complete (Annex A) for voluntary adoption agency inspections.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 23 March 2018

The letter of notice, pre-inspection form and case list form for adoption support agencies inspections.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 5 April 2024

Tell Ofsted about a serious incident in a voluntary adoption agency.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 26 October 2023

Tell Ofsted about a serious incident in an adoption support agency.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 26 October 2023

The letter of notice and form to complete (RAA A1) for thematic regional adoption agency inspections.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 1 September 2023

SC4 is the form voluntary adoption agencies use to notify Ofsted of a new branch.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 18 December 2015

What you need to know about registering with Ofsted if you want to open or manage a voluntary adoption agency.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 22 February 2021

A summary for caseworkers and line managers of what attending an IRM review panel is like, including the documents you’ll need to submit.

• From: Independent Review Mechanism
• Updated: 29 July 2022