Adoption Service
Annual Report 2013 – 14
Overview
Investment from Adoption Reform Grant money has enabled us to increase activity within the
service over the last 12 months. A number of changes to key processes have resulted in
significant improvements and better outcomes for children. Fostering to Adopt which includes
concurrent planning has been further embedded in our permanency planning. The fast
changing pace of new government policy and legislation has been very demanding for all staff
providing adoption services.
Recent case law is resulting in more cases being affected by delays as a result of an increase
in appeals against placement orders and challenges to adoption orders.
For further in depth information please read: OFSTED Annual Dataset 13/14
OFSTED Dataset 13/14 Section F
Recruiting and Assessing Adoptive Parents
There has been a 31% increase in approvals of adoptive parents. The conversion rate for
enquirers to approval has significantly improved from 16 % to 24%. Two concurrent carers
have been approved and two fostering to adopt placements made. Our redesigned
recruitment, assessment and application process is now up and running. Whilst this is
resulting in a more transparent and streamlined service the timescales are challenging and
need improvement. By addressing specific processes causing delay we plan to move from
60% within timescale in13/14 to 85% by March 2015.
Targeted recruitment has resulted in a greater number of single adopters approved and
families for sibling groups. There has been a significant number of new adoptive parents living
in the Ipswich area; however as many of the children needing placement originate from
Ipswich, they require placements elsewhere in the county. This highlights the need to target
other parts of the county more effectively this year. Recruiting adopters for disabled children
continues to be challenging and will be an area of particular focus in the coming year.
We have strengthened early training for new adoptive parents to equip them better for
parenting a traumatised child.
1|Page
Matching and Placement
The number of children matched and placed
this year has risen in line with the increase in
plans for adoption in 2012/13.
A new planning and referral service has
resulted in better planning at an earlier stage.
Use of profiling events both internally and
within the Consortium has resulted in 8
Suffolk children with complex needs being
placed with new families.
23 of the 86 children matched were placed
with out of county carers.
We anticipate that this will reduce further in
2014/15 as our number of in-house approvals
have gone up. 93 children were adopted this
year. The proportion of children leaving care
through adoption orders has risen to 27%.
This compares with 13% nationally. We
believe our high performance is due to robust
early decision making. A case audit is being
undertaken to test this.
Disruptions of children placed for adoption
have remained low at 2%.
In 19 cases a plan for adoption changed
before the final court hearing; 5 became
subject of a Residence Order, 5 Special
Guardianship Order’s, 4 Permanent Fostering
and 5 returned home (1 on a Care Order)
Timescales
Our time scales for the child's journey
from coming into care to placement
in their new family are good and have
further improved this year.
Timescales for children who have
been adopted in 2013/14 at one
particular stage of the process had
not improved; the adoption of 2 older
sibling groups with highly complex
needs have impacted significantly on
these figures. These children are in
our hardest to place group who
would otherwise remain in care. A
scorecard action plan with ambitious
targets has been developed to
ensure we focus on key areas to
improve on timeliness. A number of
key changes in practise were
embedded in 2013-14 and early
indications for timeliness in Q1 of
2014/15 show significant
improvement to an average of 133
days for the 29 children matched: a
figure well within the expected D of E
timescales.
Post Adoption Support – Families, Children & Adults
During 2013-2014, the team has seen an increase in number and complexity of children
referred to them. 63 families were referred which included 15 who were previously known to
the service. 48 of these families received a package of support. Previously we have seen
referrals peaking at key developmental stages. This remains the case for boys but referrals in
relation to girls span all age groups.
. Through training for staff members, utilising their skills and joint work with our CAMHS
services access to local therapeutic services has improved for adoptive families.
The team coordinates and supports a total of 1082 Letterbox Agreements (indirect contact
with birth families) throughout the year. 720 requests for social work input have been made in
2013-2014 involving a range of contact issues. The impact of social networking sites such as
Face book has been huge on adoptive families and birth family members. As a result
unplanned reunifications are happening more frequently and at times placing vulnerable
adopted children at significant risk.
111 adopted adults and birth relative have sought information, counselling and support when
seeking information about their history within their birth family. This includes reunions between
adopted adults and their birth family members.
An increase is seen in these referrals when the topic is covered by the media such as TV
programmes.
2|Page
Panel Vice-Chairs’ Report
Lyndsay Davidson joined us as Independent Permanence Panel Chair at the end of April.
She has replaced Jane Held who left in December 2013 to concentrate on other work.
Jane brought to her Panel responsibilities considerable energy, rigour, emotional
intelligence and interpersonal skills; we wish her well for the future.
The Vice Chairs kept the ‘show on the road’ during the interregnum. The Panel Advisor
and Administrative Team were painstaking in supporting us while continuing to ensure
paperwork arrived in good time and the minutes maintained the very high standard we
have come to expect.
We welcome new members this year as social work, independent and county councillor
representatives. Panel members have matured and learnt together across the years, so it
is refreshing to welcome ‘new blood’ and be stimulated by fresh perspectives on our
work.
Like all professional people, Panel members are expected to undertake regular training to
ensure they have the necessary knowledge, skill and expertise for the role. This year we
have benefitted from development sessions on a range of topics. . Panel Business
Meetings have been held regularly, proving a valuable forum to discuss national and local
developments.
Panels have met regularly throughout the year and considered an increased number of
adopter applications; the ‘matching’ workload has included children placed under
Fostering to Adopt or Concurrency arrangements and those influenced by Activity Days
and Presenting Children Events. It has been encouraging to see the positive impact of
these innovations. As we learn more of the importance of robust support plans to
placement success, so we have focussed on strengthening these where necessary and
encouraging new parents to consider these as part of the placement plan rather than last
resorts when all else has failed.
Panel has been very pleased to welcome a number of children in person to give their
views and ensure these are properly considered in the assessment of their parents as
prospective adopters; or permanent fostering approvals. Others have submitted drawings
or written comments. These are invaluable opportunities to capture ‘in real time’ young
people’s feelings and perspectives and well worth the extra planning and time to
accommodate them sensitively. We hope to have even more of this direct ‘voice of the
child’ contribution in the year ahead.
We look forward to developing further with Lyndsay ably guiding us from the ‘chair’.
Linda James, Anne Peppitt and Barry Darch, Permanence Panel Vice-Chairs.
3|Page
Plans for Adoption
93 plans for adoption were agreed by the Agency Decision-Maker between April 2013
and March 2014. With the process established, we have ensured that children’s social
workers have been able to submit timely agreed plans to the Court.
Of the plans for adoption considered the following background characteristics have
been evident (There may be more than 1 characteristic per family)
Birthparents background issues
Plans for adoption
Drug use by parents
41
Alcohol use by parents
32
Birth parent a ‘Looked After Child’ themselves,
previously or currently
22
An abusive relationship with current partner
37
Mental health difficulties
21
Diagnosed learning disability
11
Diagnosed personality disorder
4
Significant criminal convictions
8
Diagnosis of depression
28
Experienced abuse and/or neglect in their own
childhood
Previous child adopted or have another child with
a plan for adoption
45
16
Priorities for 2014 – 2015
Reducing timescales for approving adopters and placing children
Analysis of trends in care planning for young children
Increasing approvals of adopters for children with complex needs
Developing Fostering to Adopt placements
Review and redesign of adoption and permanence support team
Working with partners in the region to improve performance and meet gaps in services
4|Page