To receive the Adoption Agency and Fostering Service Statements of Purpose for 2014/15 and the Adoption Reform Grant for 2014/15.

The Panel considered a report which introduced the Adoption Agency Statement of Purpose 2014/15, the Fostering Service Statement of Purpose 2014/15 and the Adoption Reform Grant (Part B) 2014/15 for Members’ consideration.  Copies of these documents were attached to the report at Appendices A, B and C respectively.

Members noted that it was a statutory requirement to make explicit the Statements whilst the Adoption Reform Grant document provided a progress report on how the Grant money was spent during the first three Quarters of 2014/15.

The Interim Team Manager Adoption introduced the report and worked through the accompanying appendices, drawing attention to issues of particular interest.  A Member then raised various queries regarding the Statements of Purpose.  In response to the first the Interim Team Manager Adoption explained that, as the result of a legislative requirement, the term ‘Agency’ rather than ‘Service’ had to be used on the cover of the Adoption Service’s Statement, though the term ‘Service’ was used within the document itself.

The Interim Team Manager Adoption then confirmed that, as stated throughout both Statements, they would be reviewed in March 2015 even though this was only a month away.  The Head of Corporate Parenting acknowledged that there had been a substantial delay in submitting the Statements to the Panel and stated that they should have been brought before Members for consideration at a far earlier date.

The Member then requested that the period covered by the Statements be more clearly defined by the addition of the start and finish months on their covers.  She also suggested that Appendix A to the Fostering Service Statement, which set out the structure of the Corporate Parenting Service, should also be included as an appendix to the Adoption Agency Statement.  The Member went on to suggest various amendments to the Adoption Reform Grant at Appendix C.

The foster carer representatives present expressed concern regarding the level of consultation undertaken with them, the absence of feedback and that the data within the Statements was out of date.  The Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations assured the foster carer representatives that the data would be fully revised in time for the next version of the documents.

Debate then took place on the need for certain issues considered by the Panel to be scrutinised and, if so, which body should undertake this function.  The Chairman stated that he would discuss this matter further with the Member outside the meeting.  The Member emphasised that she had wanted to make clear that challenges were made and matters were not merely approved automatically.

In conclusion the Panel discussed the statement within the Adoption Reform Grant document that the number of children adopted continued to increase.  The Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations was of the opinion that this increase was not certain.  He advised of the impact of the Family Courts in making adoption decisions and the downward pressure this was having on the number of adoptions approved.  He also referred to those cases which had arisen as a result of the approach towards care proceedings adopted by Bedfordshire County Council as one of Central Bedfordshire’s legacy authorities and that this number would naturally decline as the cases were dealt with.  A Member expressed the hope that the outcome of the former County Council’s policy had now peaked.

RESOLVED

that the content of the Adoption Agency and Fostering Service Statements of Purpose 2014/15 and the Adoption Reform Grant (Part B) be approved subject to incorporating the amendments raised by Members and outlined in the preamble above.