To review the effectiveness of the adoption service; To approve the adoption service statement of purpose and children’s guide to adoption. 

The adoption service manager for Herefordshire provided an overview of the performance of the adoption service which had consistently been rated as good by Ofsted in the last three inspections. Cabinet were advised that the statement of purpose and the children’s guide to adoption had been reviewed and refreshed. It was noted that the service had a wider remit than simply facilitating adoption, retaining responsibilities to adopted children into adulthood and to adopting families.

In response to questions from cabinet members the following points were noted:

·         Differences between national/Herefordshire rates of adoption were likely to be accounted for by the respective courts rates of making adoption orders

·         Seeming discrepancies in activity rates across years were due to the reporting of the varying decision points required on the adoption journey of any one child which frequently straddled more than one financial year; it was agreed that consideration be given to in future providing a simple summary of data to enable members to be assured that adoptions were being progressed in a timely manner

·         Consideration be given to lobbying MP’s for action to reduce the tension between the courts reluctance to place children for adoption and the need to secure a stable family placement in the best interests of a child

In response to queries by members in attendance the following point was made:

·         Action was always taken to follow up initial enquiries from prospective adopters swiftly and using a variety of methods

Resolved that:

(a)          the performance of the adoption service as outlined at appendices a and b to this report be reviewed, any risks to achievement of objectives noted and relevant mitigating actions approved ;

(b)                      the statement of purpose attached at appendix c to this report be approved; and

(c)                      the children’s guide to adoption attached at appendix d to this report be approved.