Agenda item

Report of the Service Manager, Adoption Tees Valley

Vicky Davidson-Boyd, Service Manager, Adoption Tees Valley presented Adoption Tees Valley (ATV) Annual Report 2019/20 and outlined the work that had been undertaken across the Tees Valley during 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020.

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 outlined the embedding of the practice, procedures, and systems for delivery of the adoption service to the Tees Valley Local Authorities; outlined the continued development of adoption in Tees Valley and new ways of working by listening to the views of adopters and those who use the service; and the expansion of the Adopter Partnership Forum.

The Service Manager advised Members how the Coronavirus pandemic had affected the service since March 2020 but that adoption work was able to continue throughout lockdown; outlined what had gone well and the key challenges; provided some case studies and benchmarking data for adoption across the Tees Valley; outlined the work undertaken by the Marketing Officer over the last year; advised Members of the ongoing recruitment process and timescales for assessment of prospective adopters and detailed the preparation training provided by the Service; outlined the role of the Adoption Panel which had been increasing; detailed work in relation to Non-agency adoptions; the embedded procedure for all 5 Local Authoritieswith ATV that children are referred at the earliest point at which adoption may become their plan: Early Notification;the increase in the numbers of children who are placed for adoption including a profile of those children; and highlighted the level of support available to adoptive families.

The submitted report also detailed staffing levels within the service; the Quality Assurance mechanisms in place for managing and monitoring the work of the agency, and the quality of work; outlined Service Plans for 2020/21; and detailed the ATV shared budget including the general budget and the interagency budget.

Members referred to the number of children from ethnic minority backgrounds adopted from care and in particular the numbers of families approved from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) heritage and discussed how to promote the needs of black and minority ethnic (BME) children; queried evidence these children generally wait longer for a suitable adopter; questioned the benefits and potential drawbacks of Early Permanence carers; and requested the reasons why there were occasions when children have a revocation of their adoption plan.

The Chair requested that future annual reports contain governance information so that Scrutiny Members can be assured that the Director of Adults and Childrens’ Services of the authority is attending or being represented and that all lead Members are attending their six monthly meetings as set out in governance arrangements;

and thanked Vicky Davidson-Boyd for attending the meeting and also for the work of the ATV.

RESOLVED –That the 2019/20 Annual report of Adoption Tees Valley be noted.