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3.8 ADOPTION LEAVE AND PAY
Unpaid leave – for periods of unpaid leave refer to section 3.15 in relation to entitlement for pension purposes.
Leave Eligibility and Adoption Periods | Where the officer is the child’s main adoptive parent they are entitled to 52 weeks adoption leave at or around the time of adoption. |
Pay Eligibility | An officer identified as the “main adopter” who has at least 1 year’s continuous service by the week in which an approved match is made with a child, as notified by an adoption agency, is entitled to be paid Occupational Adoption Pay (OAP) |
OAP Provision | OAP is 18 weeks full pay for the first 18 weeks of any period/periods of adoption leave or13 weeks full pay for the first 13 weeks followed by 10 weeks of half pay plus the equivalent of half the rate of SMP. |
Statutory Pay Provision | Where not eligible for OAP the officer may be entitled to Statutory Adoption Pay.Where any period of paid adoption leave coincides with statutory adoption pay periods, OAP will be offset by statutory adoption payments. |
Adoption Start Date | The officer can start their adoption leave at any time up to 14 days before the child is placed with them, and no later than the day they receive the child. |