The Voluntary Adoption Agencies (Amendment) Regulations 2005

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Voluntary Adoption Agencies and the Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2003 (“the Regulations”).

Regulation 2(4) inserts a new Part 4A which will apply to a registered adoption society (“agency”) which may provide adoption support services. Regulation 2(5) and (6) amends Schedules 1 and 3 to the Regulations to impose additional obligations in relation to the agency’s statement of purpose and staff records where it may provide adoption support services. The new Part 4A modifies the Regulations to reflect that the agency will be providing adoption support services. In particular an agency which provides adoption support services to children will need to produce a children’s guide (regulation 24C); regulation 24F requires the agency to ensure that adoption support services are appropriate having regard to the assessed needs of those receiving services and regulation 24G requires the agency to maintain records about the provision of adoption support services. A new definition of “adoption support services” is inserted by regulation 2(2)(b).

Regulation 2(2)(a) and (3) make other minor amendments to the Regulations consequential upon the coming into force of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 on 30th December 2005.

A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared for these Regulations and a copy has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament. Copies of the regulatory impact assessment can be obtained from the Department for Education and Skills' website http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ria/.