To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

Further to minute CPP/13/25 Members were advised that Children in Care Council (CiCC) representatives had attended a meeting of the All Parliamentary Group for Looked After Children and Care Leavers to discuss entitlements for Looked After Children and care leavers.  A number of recommendations had arisen from that meeting and, in order to ensure that they meshed with the forthcoming presentation by the Assistant Director Housing Services on housing and Looked After Children, it was intended that the CiCC representatives report to the next meeting of the Panel in February followed by a response by the Assistant Director Housing Services (Minute CPP/13/31 also refers).

In connection with the Virtual School the meeting was advised that a number of changes had taken place regarding this body.  The Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations undertook to provide an explanatory report to the next meeting of the Panel on this development.

The Chairman stated that, locally, National Adoption Week had proceeded well though he was unsure as to whether it had generated interest from prospective adopters.  He added that he had been interviewed by Three Counties Radio and he believed this had generated good publicity.

Arising from the above the Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations advised the meeting that the number of local adoptions had more than doubled from 7 last year to an expected 16 in the current year and that, overall, good progress had been made in this area.  He then reminded the Panel of the recent changes within the field of adoption and the challenges which had arisen.  He drew Members’ attention in particular to the expectation by the courts that all relevant information on a proposed adoption would be available for presentation at the first hearing.  Whilst this situation enabled judges to make their decisions in a far speedier manner than previously it generated an extremely high level of work for local authorities and had already led to criticism by the courts of those councils which had failed to meet this requirement.

In response to a query the Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations explained that the changes had not merely seen the ‘frontloading’ of the workload but an increase in the amount of work and a reduction in the time available in which to do it.  Furthermore, whilst the costs for expert reports had been shared amongst various bodies in the past these now fell in full to the Council to pay.

Discussion took place on the need to ensure the wellbeing of the child remained the priority and concern was expressed on impact of a poor, hasty decision by the courts on children who were already vulnerable.  In response the Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations stated that whilst adoption might not be suitable in all cases the courts did usually find the correct way forward.

Further discussion followed on the breakdown rate for adoptions, coupled with reference to the situation in other European countries.  Whilst the Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations was unable to confirm if the rate had increased nationally he acknowledged that an increasing number of children, often in sibling groups, had much wider needs than had been found in the past and this factor was likely to lead to an increased number of breakdowns.  He explained that even if a child was removed from abuse or neglect at a very early age the long term impact of psychological damage remained and this could generate stresses leading to a breakdown in the adoption.  Nonetheless, he emphasised that, for the majority of children, adoption was the single most effective action that could be taken for their benefit.  Further, the Council retained responsibility to assist adoptive families should they require support.

Following further discussion the Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations undertook to report to the next meeting of the Panel on both national and local breakdown rates for adoption.