Agenda item

Vicky Davison- Boyd, Service Manager will provide an overview of the annual report to the Board.

The Chair welcome Vicky Davison – Boyd Service Manager for Adoption Tees valley (ATV) to provide an overview of the key findings and information from the annual report.

 

 The annual report covered the period 1.4.2021- 31.3.2022.

 

Overall ATV has continued with slightly lower levels of adoption activity overall within this year, with numbers of children being placed with adoptive parents.

 

Within the Tees valley and Middlesbrough:

 

•        Slight reduction in children referred overall

Middlesbrough has had an increase with 61 referrals, 58 previous year

 

•        Fewer children with an adoption plan (ADM)

Middlesbrough has remained the same- 33 ADM each year

 

•        Marginal reduction in Placement Orders (POs)

Middlesbrough has had a marginal reduction 28 PO’s, 30 previous year

 

•        Fewer children placed

Middlesbrough has increased placements with 26 placements, 24 previous year

•        Fewer adoption orders granted

Middlesbrough has had a slight decrease – 24 AO’s,  25 previous year

 

•        1 disruption in this year- finding the right family for the child.

•        4 of the 13 children placed for adoption have been from ethnic minority background.

The Manager provided some statistics for the Tees Valley in respect to placements and placement orders as well as early permanence. The board were advised that it is a fully system change and takes a great deal of consideration before placing a child on their journey to adoption. There has been a great deal of training undertaken with local authorities and sharing good practice. 

 

The Child’s adoption journey was also shared with the Board.

 

In terms of timescales, there has been a real improvement and there has been a lot of work undertaken into early permanence and early family finding and supporting children in finding placements close to their home.

There has been a significant improvement in the time between starting care and moving in with adoptive parents;

 

•        Middlesbrough 301 days , 385 previous year (target is 426 days)

•        Overall ATV – 383 days, compared to 445 England average

•        Significant improvement in time from Placement order to match

Middlesbrough 189 days, 301 days previous year ( target is 121 days)

•        Overall ATV – 174 c/w 198 days England Average

•        On 31.3 22 only 1 child with a Placement order was not linked

In terms of National and regional trends:

•        slight increase in adoption orders nationally , decrease regionally in 2021-22, c/w previous year

•        Fewer placements nationally and regionally c/w 2020-21

•        Fewer ADM’s and PO’s than previous year

The manager also referred to the somerset ruling, which had previously been discussed with the Board. The Somerset ruling was a legal case around requirements of the medical advisor in relation to ADM. It was impacted on adoption activity and ATV know that 14 children were delayed in being matched and placed due to the ruling.

 

In terms of adopter approvals, there have been fewer adopters approved than previous years, 46 compared to 64 previous year. Fewer people have enquired, however ATV are now seeing the longer term impact of the pandemic and there are significant delays with adopter medicals.

 

The Manager finally spoke around other elements of adoption work and within the annual report:

 

•        ATV were awarded the Early Permanence Quality Mark (Coram BAAF) – one of 2 Regional adoption agencies  to achieve this last year

•        Secured funding for regional Early permanence Sufficiency Project

•        Brought young people together to make a film around their experiences of education

•        Collaborative work with the Virtual Schools- funding an Education Support worker, and delivering education support - helping 90 children. This post has now been made permanent.

•        Independent Adoption Support Audit – positive findings- more strategic work with health required.

•        Under 11s group and Teenage adoption group would also be regrouping over the next few weeks.

Following the presentation, the support in place for adopted children in schools was discussed and offering advice to schools in supporting adoptive children and their families e.g. premium plus is available for adoptive children and supporting children with an ECHP. It was evident as well that not all children who are adopted are known to teachers and this should be the case.

 

AGREED- that the annual report be noted.