Local Authority and DfES

I'll be updating this throughout the day, as I speak to the different people involved and find out more about what is going on with our papers!!

Firstly, I spoke to Admin at our Local Authority this morning and they were adamant that one of the missing pieces of paper (Agency Decision Makers letter) WAS included with our dossier, Admin knew how important it was and put it right on top of the pile. I believe them, I remember having a conversation with Admin and asking had we really passed Approval Panel, as we hadn't received the ADM's letter and I was getting a bit panicky. Admin replied that of course we had passed and she had been holding onto the ADM letter as the original had to be sent to DfES with our papers and sent me a photocopy.

Admin also said the UK Medical form wasn't requested in the list of papers to send, and that our LA has the policy of asking the applicants GP if they feel a medical is needed. Our GP (who has done quite a few adoption medicals for us in the last few years!) obviously thought we didn't need another one, and the Agency Panel Medical Advisor obviously agreed with him - so why do DfES have a problem with it??

Admin said she would check what post they've received from DfES and get back to me. We are both worried by the wording of DfES letter "returning your adoption aplication to Local Authority"!!! Does this mean they have sent ALL the documents BACK to our Local Authority!?!? Or that they have written to our Local Authority and asked for the missing documents to be forwarded onto them? I'm hoping its the latter, as the first has such potential for EVEN MORE documents to go missing!!!!

I've sent an email to DfES pointing out all of the above, and received the automated out of office reply - bleeping frustrating!!! I'll be on the phone to them as soon as the line is open again!!!