ter to cases where there is concern for the safety of a child. This means that an adoption check may not automatically involve a check to see whether a child of the family has been the subject of a child protection plan unless such a check is specifically requested. The prospective adopter may have lived for only a short period in the area of their local authority. In such cases, the agency should obtain information from the prospective adopter’s former local authorities. Counselling, Information and Preparation for Adoption 3.40. AAR 24 requires the agency to provide adoption preparation for the prospective adopter. Some prospective adopters may already have recent experience of caring for a child, as parents, foster carers or child minders. Some may be applying to adopt for a second time. The agency should discuss and agree the nature of the preparation that is most appropriate for the prospective adopter. Adoption preparation may be provided by the agency itself or by another agency or an adoption support agency. In order to maximize the use of resources, and to avoid unnecessary delay, agencies should consider creatively whether they can make arrangements with neighbouring agencies to provide joint preparation groups. 3.41. All prospective adopters will need some form of adoption preparation. The agency will need to decide its form and substance, arranging preparation that takes into account the prospective adopter’s circumstances. Preparation should be designed to help prospective adopters make an informed decision about pursuing adoption based on an understanding of the qualities they have to offer a child. The agency should build on these strengths when working with the prospective adopter. Stage One – Pre-Assessment Decision 3.42. Stage One should take no more t