We live in the UK but we are not British - can we adopt in the UK?

You have to have legal residency for at least a year before a UK adoption agency will consider assessing you.
Many agencies will want to feel that you intend to stay in the UK if you want to adopt a British child because often there may be contact issues for the child and their birth family to consider.

Depending on your cultural background, you may also find that even if you are approved to adopt, finding an agency prepared to place a child with you may prove difficult. This is because agencies like to match up children with adopters from a similar heritage. But don't despair, it may be harder but not impossible.

It may be more advantageous for people in this situation to consider international adoption - though it is obviously more expensive.
It is also worth noting that as the law stands, once parents have officially adopted a child in this country, there is usually nothing that can legally prevent them from moving to live in another country.

However, for a child that may already have had a lot of upheaval in their short life, and who may be in contact with birth parents or siblings, parents should seriously consider what impact this move could have on the child before arranging it.