Adoption report shared with council leaders

Wiltshire Council is an adoption agency as it retains responsibility for children requiring adoption. It is also part of the regional Adoption West, which has responsibility for recruitment, assessment and approval of adoptive families, family finding and adoption support.

Local authorities submit information as part of the National Adoption Scorecard. Current figures show Wiltshire is performing strongly against national data, with quality assurance checks in place to analyse practice outside of any target ranges.  

The report to council leaders at cabinet included information on the management and performance of Wiltshire Council's Adoption Service and the Adoption Scorecard. Information included numbers of children who require adoptive families and those who are placed; any disruption of placements and children where the plan for adoption changes. It also includes summary information about the recruitment and approval of adopters by Adoption West and the work of the Adoption West Panel.

Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, said: We have a clear commitment reflected in our business plan to protect those who are most vulnerable and provide permanent homes for children in care. The process of placing a child with an adoptive family needs a careful and considered approach to ensure the child can have a home that is right for them and helps them to thrive and achieve their goals. We are pleased that we are performing strongly against other local authorities, but we are always looking at ways we can improve. We continue to focus on ways to cut unnecessary delays; however, we will always take the time to ensure a match is the right one for a child and that will take the time it takes.