ns must be recorded on the child’s and/or prospective adopters’ case record, as applicable. 1.56. The decision-maker must make the decision within seven working days of receipt of the reports referred to in AAR 17.2D or, as applicable, the recommendation and final set of minutes of the adoption panel or independent review panel. The child’s parents or guardian and prospective adopter should be informed orally of the agency’s decision within two working days and written confirmation should be sent to them within five working days. Where the independent review panel had reviewed the case, a copy of the decision must be sent to the contract manager of the independent review mechanism (IRM) (see paragraph 60). 1.57. Where the decision-maker makes a qualifying determination on the suitability of prospective adopters, the letter in chapter 3 must be used. The independent review mechanism 1.58. The IRM is a review process that can be used when an adoption agency has made a qualifying determination. The Independent Review of Determinations (Adoption and Fostering) Regulations 2009 and the AIR define qualifying determinations as:  a qualifying determination made under AAR 30B(5) is a determination made by the agency’s decision-maker when they do not propose to approve the prospective adopter as suitable to adopt a child. A qualifying determination may be given in respect of an application to adopt a child from the United Kingdom or from outside the British Islands after either a brief or full prospective adopter’s report has been prepared and considered 28 by the adoption panel and agency or where the agency decides to change an earlier decision to approve the prospective adopter and that too has been considered by the adoption panel and agency;  a qualifying determination mad