Verbal Update on Pan London Adoption Bid
Minutes:
NOTED the verbal update given by the Director of Children’s Services on the Pan-London Adoption bid. The Committee was advised that a paper went to Cabinet on 13th December which set out the London wide arrangements and agreed to Haringey joining the London wide arrangements on a provisional basis. The preferred option for a pan-London adoption was a local authority trading company delivery model with a strategic VAA partnership operating in a hub and spoke model. The DCS reiterated that there was no ‘do nothing’ approach and that the Secretary of State had powers to force local authorities to enter into joint arrangements. The only realistic alternative to joining the London wide adoption scheme was entering into arrangements with Coram. The Committee was advised that most London local authorities had joined the pan-London scheme, with Bexley entering into a joint arrangement with Kent and Harrow joining Coram.