Agenda item

A focus group was held on 11 December 2014 with several adopters and potential adopters to inform the review. Attached is a write up.

7.1  The chair, Councillor Ali, and Councillor Akoto reported back on the focus group with adopters and potential adopters. The chair explained she had produced the grid to highlight the main issues. There was a lots of praise for for staff and some room for improvement. One person there reported that Southwark had said that she had no chance of adopting as she was white and there was no consideration given to her adopting a child of a different ethnicity. Although this did happen several years ago , and before the recent  change in government policy towards trans-racial adoptions,  the chair said she  was still concerned about the councils stance as she had received recent feedback form a constituent that the services was not positive about trans-racial adoption . Officers said that are some fantastic examples of trans-racial adoption, but there are some children it is hard to find a home for. Older children, black children and children with more challenging issues are harder to place and tend to wait longer for a permanent placement.

7.2  A member commented that there appeared to be a communication gap after a positive panel decision and that there was also slowness to produce life story books.

7.3  The project manager reported that following concerns raised at the focus group on the quality of school support for adopted children she had been put in touch with an adoption network  which is doing work with an organization called PAC –UK . They have  been recommended for their work with schools in supporting the education of permanently placed children - she has asked this organization for more information for the committee. Members asked officers is there is a training programme for teachers, governors and SENCO. Officers responded that most Southwark children are adopted outside of Southwark; however there is a wider responsibility to adopted children and the adoption team will be taking this away and thinking more about this. Members pointed out that teachers have to do CPD on a weekly basis and that by training governors, and trainers, even if only once every few years it can cascade.

7.4  Members reported that one feedback was that they like the post adoption feedback, including peer support. Mirander Gregory, a local adopter, set up a peer support network. She had helped gather people for the focus group. We are Family blogs here https://wearefamilyadoption.wordpress.com/.

7.5  A member of the committee asked if there were many same sex adopters. Officers said about a third of adopters were same sex, and members commented that this was reflected in the focus group.  Officers reported that Southwark was one of the first councils  to pioneer same sex adopters and it is a real  area of strength.

7.6  The committee discussed the feedback that the induction process was quite bleak and if this needed to be softened. Members commented that it is a balance as people do have to have the have the mettle, however the focus group emphasized the need to communicate the realities, both the joys and pains of parenting. Officers commented that they would be thinking about this and noted that people value hearing from people with experience of the adoption, both being parents and giving a child up for adopting. Officers explained they invited some communication people came to induction meetings to improve the process.

RESOLVED

Information from PAC – UK on their work with schools will be circulated.