Common Health Issues for Panels considering suitability of prospective adoptive parents – Short and Smart Session – 1 hour only – Part 3 of 3 Panel Sessions

Who this is for

Panel Members, Chairs and Panel Advisors.

Details

In this presentation, Dr Jenny Chopra, Consultant Community Paediatrician and Medical Advisor for Adoption and Fostering, will explore key health and lifestyle issues that adoption panels may encounter when assessing the suitability of prospective adoptive parents.

She will begin by outlining the role of the medical advisor in reviewing adult health information, interpreting medical histories, and advising on potential implications for parenting capacity. Using current UK health data, she will highlight the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and lifestyle-related risks in the general population — and what this means for adoption decisions today.

Through three anonymised case examples, Jenny will explore how conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high Q risk scores can affect long-term parenting capacity. She will also cover chronic illnesses such as coeliac disease, cancer in remission, anxiety, depression, and alcohol use.

The presentation will highlight the importance of a balanced, consistent, and realistic approach when considering health concerns. Recognising both the potential impact on the child and the ability of prospective adopters to parent successfully with appropriate support.

This session will offer practical insight into the decision-making process and support adoption panel members in asking the right questions, understanding medical advice, and making informed, child-focused recommendations.

Learning 0utcomes 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role of the medical advisor in reviewing prospective adopters’ health information and advising panels on implications for parenting capacity.
• Interpret common adult health issues—such as obesity, Q risk, diabetes, coeliac disease, cancer remission, anxiety, depression, and alcohol use—within the context of adoption suitability.
• Evaluate how physical and mental health conditions may impact short- and long-term parenting ability.
• Apply current UK health data to inform realistic and fair assessments of prospective adopters’ health and lifestyle.
• Develop confidence in asking appropriate health-related questions during panel discussions and interpreting medical advice provided in reports.
• Adopt a balanced and child-centered approach to decision-making that considers support needs, prognosis, and individual circumstances rather than exclusion based on diagnosis alone.

About the trainers

Dr Jenny Chopra

Jenny is a Consultant Community Paediatrician and Medical Advisor for Adoption and Fostering, with wide-ranging experience supporting children in the care system. She works clinically and strategically to improve health outcomes for looked-after children in her local area. Her expertise includes childhood disabilities, developmental disorders, and lived experiences that impact emotional and physical health. Jenny has worked with children throughout the care and adoption journey, gaining valuable insight into the carer’s role and how their health and lifestyle may affect both the child’s wellbeing and their own. Passionate about holistic, joined-up care, she supports approaches that benefit families and professionals alike.

Jan Way MBE

Jan has been a social worker since 1975. For the last 35 years she has worked in the adoption field, specialising in intercountry adoption and working as a senior manager for Coram IAC. She now acts as the training and research advisor for the agency and as a panel chair. She has published several articles in journals on intercountry adoption and the issues and challenges that arise with these placements and runs specialist training sessions on these topics. In 2019 she was awarded an MBE for her work in intercountry adoption.  She is also an adoptee and an adoptive mother.

Instructions

A member of staff will contact attendees one week before the event as a reminder — HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE NO PRE-EVENT PACK FOR THIS SESSION.

If you have any questions regarding this webinar, please contact us at [email protected]. We will aim to answer your query within two working days.

CVAA accept online payments only. In case you do not have instant access to your company card, we suggest using your personal card instead to book a training event and claim it back with your agency in your expenses. Requesting an invoice to pay for our standard practice events is not possible.