Placement orders, adoption and associated contact- key legal issues for 2026

In public children law proceedings, adoption often arises as part of parallel planning, making a clear understanding of the legal framework essential for practitioners.

This webinar explores the distinction between revocation of a placement order and applications for leave to oppose an adoption order, with reference to recent case law. It will also consider judicial approaches to contact during placement and post-adoption contact under s.51A, alongside how placement orders differ from other permanency options, the transfer of parental responsibility, and key processes such as Adoption Panels, the role of the Agency Decision Maker (ADM), and matching.

Topics covered include:

• Parallel planning and permanency options
• Placement and adoption orders
• Criteria for granting a placement order and processes
• Adoption agencies regulations and their application in practice
• Adoption panels and processes – approving, matching and recommending
• Revocation of placement orders – when would this be relevant and what the criteria?
• Leave to oppose making of adoption orders – what is the correct position with these applications?
• When will the court grant permission to oppose and adoption application?
• Child’s permanence report (written report)
• Interrelationship between s.26 ACA 2022 and S.51A ACA 2002.
• Consideration of case law developments
• Views of the President of the Family Division and adoption contact, together with the Public Law Working Group recommendation for best practice in adoption