Adoption Assessments, Court Reports and Registered Counselling

Kim Nixon Consulting have a large number of Assessors approved, trained and highly experienced in undertaking Adoption Assessments and Court Reports. From mid 2016 until 30 June 2020 KNC were engaged in a public/private partnership with Department of Communities and Justice, to undertake a large scale project to address the backlog of adoption applications. The team was initially known as the Adoptions Taskforce. When the project wrapped up KNC had achieved 194 Adoption Orders with another 50 cases well on the way to orders, within a four year timeframe, using 10 FTE staffing positions. This project introduced a ‘one stop shop approach’, with the contractors fulfilling the role of an Adoption Caseworker and an Independent Assessor, the average timeframe from Enquiry to Filing in the Supreme Court, was reduced to under twelve months (from a previous average timeframe of five and a half years). 

Standard Adoption Assessment and Court Report

KNC now quote for the Adoption Assessment and Court Report at the same time, to provide a timely and smooth transition between these two tasks. Two separate quotes are provided so if for any reason the Assessment does not progress to Approval, no invoice is provided for the Court Report.

In line with our DCJ tender requirements, we aim to contact the carers within one week of receiving a Purchase Order number. In a straightforward adoption matter, the files are read within 4 weeks of receiving access to them. The adoption assessments are generally completed within 3 months of reading the files.

If KNC staff complete the Adoption Assessment, we aim to complete the Preparation of the Court Report within 6 weeks of receiving the Approval to Commence Adoption Action and any additional information required for this report. If we have not prepared the Adoption Assessment, then the timeframe is consistent with the current DCJ terms of the contract, requiring completion of the Court Report within 3 months and the quote will include the assessor reading all of the case files.

Registered Adoption Counselling

Registered counselling can be conducted in person or over the telephone depending on the age and capacity of the person receiving the counselling. Following the counselling the Counsellor prepares and provides a Statement of Counsellor plus a written report where counselling was provided to a child giving consent or a parent under 18 years.