AFA Cymru Launch – 3rd December 2015
Responses to Questions for the Panel
Question 1
After a baby is placed for fostering, the foster parents and home may be the
only parents and home that the baby has known prior to a subsequent
adoption.
Separation from the baby’s familiar environment to a new adoptive home
inevitably results in a period of intense emotional trauma.
This experience occurs during the period of maximal rate of neuronal
development (from birth to three years of age).
Experiences during this developmental period may be hard-wired into the
developing brain with long-term or permanent consequences.
To try to avoid such trauma is it feasible in Wales to introduce a system of
‘fostering-to-potentially-adopt’ as our default method of fostering babies?
What are the difficulties? To what extent can these difficulties be overcome?
Response
Suzanne Griffiths, National Adoption Service
Yes! We will want to develop this as we go forward but we need to be ready
to focus on it and do it properly. The priority so far has been to ensure that
most children are placed in a timely way including those who have traditionally
been harder to place but I do see a time in the not too distant future when we
will be able to look at this.
In terms of a legal framework for this, under current legislation it is possible to
dual approve prospective adopters –this happens now in a small number of
cases. We are therefore confident that when we reach the point to move
forward with this, we have a legal framework in which we can do it.
Liz Lockwood, Welsh Government
It is legally possible to dual approve carers. The Minister is passionate about
de-escalation and placing children within their families where it is safe to do
so. However, there is a legal framework and consideration of the child’s
wellbeing would provide the impetus to provide these placements when it’s
appropriate.
Question 2
The SS&WB (Wales) Act has, as a key principle, a focus on well-being outcomes
for children who need care and support. Permanence in placements is
fundamental to well-being. What are the priority skills that should be built into
training to equip the workforce to achieve this?
Chris Dunn, Voices in Care
A placement should provide permanence – as a young person in care you need
this. This one area of your life is hugely important for any young person. It
impacts all areas of your life, for example your experience of attending school.
Consistent communication with young people is essential, especially when the
focus is on wellbeing and the National Wellbeing Outcomes. Without good
communication we can overlook the tiny details that make a difference little things make big differences.
Cecile Gwilym, NSPCC
We need to acknowledge permanence and that this covers a range of options.
It includes a return to the birth family and we are pleased to see an emphasis
on this in the act. It’s essential that we get the return home right – to make it
positive.
I think that key skills here are about risk assessment and assessing parental
capacity to change. There also has to be time for parents to think and the right
resources to support parents.
The NSPCC has recently developed a risk assessment framework and this will
be on our website.
Question 3
How do you see theAct supporting young people moving from foster care after
system into independence?
Response
Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner
Moving to independence – this is dear to my heart.
Chris Dunn, Voices in Care
We need to look at best practice and learn from this. It’s in Part 6 of the
SSWBA, and we need to improve transitions and planning.
Children and Young People say it’s getting better and this is down to some of
the schemes that are out there. For example some schemes offer training
flats, there are places that have use peer mentors etc. these things can help a
lot.
We need to share this good practice –this is possibly a role for AFA?
When I’m Ready is very positive but it is one part of a bigger picture and it’s
not the right thing for all young people. We need to think about what we need
to do for the other young people. For example what about young people who
have been in residential care for whom WIR doesn’t provide any options.
Young People also need full information about what’s available for them.
We also need to think about how we deliver transitional support. I was
recently speaking with a young person about preparing to leave care. She was
only 15 and she was learning independent living skills, she was terrified. It’s an
important educational time too so thinking about this early is not necessarily
right for everyone. Independent living skills shouldn’t be done in a discreet
manner – they should be embedded and built into the fostering environment.
Liz Lockwood, Welsh Government
The Government is looking at adding to When I’m Ready for YP in residential
care. Part 6 of the SSWBA outlines the details; personal advisors are in there
too – embedded in the pathway to independence. We are hoping that When
I’m Ready will be a real positive.
Question 4
a) How do you see services supporting kinship carers, foster carers, Special
Guardians and in private arrangements developing under the new act?
Do the panel feel that support services need to be strengthened and if so what
would this look like?
b) As a grandparents group we experience difficulties in getting open and
transparent engagement with professionals during care proceedings
despite the fact that research shows that kinship placements have
positive outcomes. We have experience of wider family members who
don’t feel that they have been given sufficient opportunities to be
assessed as cares for their grandchildren; who have been given only a
few days to process the impact of major decisions before they are
enacted. Most of our members are unable to access legal aid and so
have to represent themselves
Please could you share your thoughts about how the SSWB Act will help
with these issues
Response
Phil Evans, ADSS
First duty is to protect services that are essential and to build on strengths. We
should aim for improvement and we need to learn some lessons from the
development of the National Adoption Service. This has resulted in better
coordination of the sector and it’s an example of Voluntary Sector Adoption
Agencies working together to submit government grant bids.
In Fostering there has been a successful Big Lottery bid. We need to increase
the levels of support, and perhaps customising this is a possibility. Timing is
essential.
The new Act provides the opportunity to do some work with social enterprises
– perhaps carers can come together and develop resources?
Julie Doughty, Cardiff Law School
While care proceedings are on-going there is a clear emphasis in the SSWBA on
kin and it will provide a policy driver to keep children within their families.
Research shows that these placements are successful.
Cardiff Law school would welcome undertaking some work with AFA Cymru in
this area, potentially joining up with Professor Joan Hunt.
Access to legal advice for kin involved in care proceedings can be an issue
following the changes to access to Legal aid. People in these circumstances
may be able to get assistance from the Personal Support Unit in Cardiff court.
The judiciary recognise this – it’s a pro-bono service.
The only other point I would make in relation to the new Act is the revised
guidance about court orders and PLO that has been drawn up in England (this
is available on the Research in Practice website ) as it really brings out this
emphasis on kin. It would be good to see this reflected in Welsh guidance.
The Judiciary should be exploring these options within these proceedings.
Liz Lockwood, Welsh Government
Just to add that unfortunately Welsh Government can’t do anything about
Legal Aid.
Sarah Coldrick, AFA Cymru
This isn’t in the new Act but the role of pre- proceedings protocol and Family
Group Conferences is worth considering here. When there are limited
resources and a lack of money this can be a good investment and provide a
sensible way forward.
Phil Evans, ADSS
We would also like to see improvements made to Viability Assessments.
We anticipate a continuing trend to see kinship placements. One word of
caution – we really want to see a positive engagement with families but social
workers also need to exercise proper caution and ensure that this is the
correct placement for a child or young person, and not just rushing into
creating a situation where placements may break down in the future.
Question 5
Does the panel feel that we are doing all we can to support siblings remaining
together?
Response
Suzanne Griffiths, National Adoption Service
I believe that there is still more that we need to do.
Splitting sibling groups is a heart-breaking task for social workers when they
have to do it. It’s hard to for social workers to reach into research at that point
– that is AFA Cymru’s role – making research available to staff when they are
doing the day to day job. Most importantly we need the right carers – when
they are not there - there are no options for siblings to be placed together.
Adoptive parents taking siblings groups need the right support to be available
and this is something we need to continue to develop in Wales.