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Agenda item

Vale, Valleys and Cardiff Adoption Collaborative - Annual Report

To present the Vale, Valleys and Cardiff Adoption Collaborative Annual Report for 2017/18 for consideration and comment.

Minutes:

The Chairperson welcomed Councillor Graham Hinchey (Cabinet Member, Children and Families), Angela Harris (Regional Adoption Manager), Claire Marchant (Director Social Services and Deborah Driffield (Assistant Director Children’s Services) to the meeting.

 

Angela Harris presented the report, and advised Members that this was the third annual report and covers the period between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018.  A Best Value Review was commissioned and reported on.  Members noted that most of the actions arising from the recommendations have been completed, although there are still some outstanding. As far as the recommendations as a result of the review, The range of measures report on has increased each year which has required more comprehensive recording. 

 

Members were invited to comment, seek clarification or raise questions on the report.  Those discussions were summarised as follows:

 

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Members noted the slightly unusual geographical footprint of the Vale, Valleys and Cardiff Adoption Collaborative, particularly as it was now based in Barry.  It was the largest of the five regional collaboratives but further information could be provided outlining the reason for the footprint of the Vale, Valleys and Cardiff region.

 

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Members sought further information about the Marketing & Recruitment Co-ordinator post and were advised that the post was created to help track and harness the enquires with a view to increasing the number converted into application.  Members were concerned to note that it was a fixed term contract, but that progress was already being made in both the professional and timely manner in which they are being dealt with. It is important however to ensure that the process, one an initial enquiry has been made, is thorough. 

 

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Members referred to the frustration outlined by both financial and staffing issues when the previous report was presented and queried whether there has been improvement in those issues.  The Manager advised that the Best Practice Review was commissioned as a result of work undertaken to consider the capacity of the service; resource did not meet demand. Members noted that since the review two further Social Worker posts have been created. Whilst there has been a high turnover of staff more recently the additional resource has not been fully appreciated, however, the Adoption Service Team is more stable because of the additional resource and more able to cope with the demand and to reduce waiting lists. 

 

Officers advised that it is vital that capacity is kept under review in terms of both the recruitment of adopters and also adoption support. 

 

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Members queried the flexibility of the training provided to potential adopters and were advised that it is important to attract a wider range of prospective adopters.  The training is a 3 day course, but a further one day has been introduced because of the time lapse between the course and the process.  It is offered over a weekend period to try and assist working families.  There are plans to change the regulations in Wales next year to make it a two stage process, with 2 months for the enquiry, training and checks and then  there will be 4 months to allow for the assessment.

 

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Members asked whether birth parents are becoming more involved in the process and were advised that it remains a challenge both locally and nationally.  All children are allocated a family finder who will undertake birth parent counselling, to send anonymised letters and to go to the home of the birth parents.  The team will try various different ways to reach out to the parents, who can be quite aggrieved with the process.  Often the parents will get in touch with the team once the Court process has been completed.

 

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Members noted that whilst it has to be accepted that some placements have broken down the figure is relatively low, it is relatively low nationally as well.

 

AGREED – That the Chairperson writes to the Angela Harris (Regional Adoption Manager) on behalf of the Committee expressing their comments and observations outlined during the way forward discussion.

Supporting documents:

 

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