Issue - meetings

NOTED the verbal update given by the AD Safeguarding on the Pan-London Adoption bid. The Committee was reminded that two options for the Pan-London Adoption model were: 1) A local authority trading company delivery model with a strategic VAA partnership operating in a hub and spoke, or 2) a local authority/voluntary adoption agency joint venture operating in a hub and spoke model. The Committee noted that following detailed assessment of the respective viability of the two options London Councils had, following the receipt of legal advice, expressed a preference for the first option.  The reason that option 1 was preferred was as a result of the additional steps required to implement option two and the greater uncertainty for stakeholders, as well as the likely delay involved in setting up the model and the additional expense. Whereas, option 1 offered a quicker and more cost-effective model. The next steps involved further development of the preferred option to better understand what this would mean in practice

The original rationale for the regionalisation of adoption services was outlined as a consideration by central government that 33 London local authorities, each with their own separate adoption service was not an efficient or effective way to run adoption services. The focus was highlighted as being on adoptive recruitment and matching, with recognition that each of the London local authorities was essentially trying to recruit from one large catchment area and the negative consequences that this entailed, as well as the financial benefits that result from the economies of scale. The Chair highlighted to the Committee that the Secretary of State had powers to force local authorities to join a regionalised body and the general consensus was that it was better for authorities to voluntarily come together to determine what the best model was.

In response to a question, the AD Safeguarding advised that in terms of the implementation date, the bottom line was 2020, however there was significant political pressure to implement this as soon as was practicable. The DCS advised that he was expecting a pan-London briefing paper to come to Members in the autumn. The DCS further clarified that the bid related to just adoption bids and not Special Guardianship Orders.

In response to a further question, the AD Safeguarding advised that there was a National Adoption Board, chaired by Andrew Christie and there was also a London Adoption Board, which was working with advisory groups and stakeholders to develop the proposal on behalf of London local authorities. Officers also reassured Members that adoption services in Haringey would continue business as usual, whilst this process unfolded.