Agenda item

Report of the Service Manager Adoption Tees Valley

Vicky Davidson-Boyd, Service Manager, Adoption Tees Valley presented Adoption Tees Valley Bi Annual Summary Report 1 May 2018 to 30 September 2018 and outlined the work that had been undertaken across the Tees Valley during 1 May 2018 and 30 September 2018.

Adoption Tees Valley commenced operating as a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) on the 1 May 2018 bringing together the former Local Authority adoption agency services of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton.

The submitted report reviewed the adoption activity, as defined by the Adoption Leadership Scorecard (ALB) measures for the first 5 months of operation; outlined the key aim of the RAA on the impact of timeliness of children waiting for adoption and on the time that adopters wait for a match; and detailed the support offered for adopted children and their families and adopters.

The Service Manager also highlighted the future challenges faced by the RAA including sufficiency of adopters, completion of Life Story Books, continuing to develop links with health and schools and data transfer.

Members questioned the working relationship between Darlington and Teesside and the Service Manager advised that there were no reported issues and good cohesive regional working was in place; how Members scrutinise timeliness; the average age of children being adopted; support available for children into early adulthood, especially if they decide to seek their birth parents; and adoption within the black and minority ethnic community.

The Head of Transformation and Performance advised Members that adoption performance data was currently reported and Tees Valley data will also feed into this authority’s reporting mechanism.

The Service Manager advised Members that the average age was 7 to 9 years of age; a Young Persons Forum was due to commence in April to shape and understand services and offer support to these young people; adopters are encouraged to keep in contact with birth families; and there was only a small number of black and minority ethnic children coming through the system for adoption and these children are racially matched.

RESOLVED – That the Adoption Tees Valley Bi-annual Summary Report 2018 be noted.