 assessments of adoptive children 178 in the context of the adoptive family. When assessing persons other than the immediate adoptive family, local authorities will need to use whichever of their existing assessment tools is the most appropriate to the particular case, taking proper account of the adoption context in undertaking the assessment. 9.48. Section 4(8) of the Act gives local authorities the power to assess adoption support service needs at the same time as undertaking another assessment, so that local authorities can undertake a single assessment process avoiding the adoptive family having to undergo a number of different assessments. 9.49. If needs identified during an assessment relate to services provided by bodies other than councils with social service responsibilities, and it appears that there may be service implications for health or education services, the local authority must consult the relevant primary care trusts (or local health boards) or the local authority’s education department during the course of the assessment. In view of the time frame governing the assessment process at the time of matching, it is vital that the relevant bodies are notified and consulted as early as possible. Failure to do so may result in a delay in the child’s placement. Where the adoptive family live or are going to live in the area of another local authority it will also be important for the assessing local authority to consult with the authority where the family live. The ASSAs of both local authorities should be able to assist in this process. 9.50. It will usually be necessary during the assessment for the local authority to interview the person whose needs are being assessed, and ASR 14.3 requires this, where the local authority consider it appropriate. In the c