Issue - meetings

      Report by Chief Executive Officer – Terence Herbert

Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Skills presented the report which provided a year-end report to Cabinet about the performance of the Council’s Adoption Service within Wiltshire Council for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. The report also informed Cabinet about the effectiveness of Adoption West.

Cllr Mayes explained that the Council retains overall responsibility for the adoption of children whilst other functions are undertaken by Adoption West. The Cabinet were reminded that Adoption West is a Local Authority Trading Company that is owned by the six partner Local Authorities and commissioned by them to provide defined adoption services.

The Cabinet noted that Wiltshire Council’s adoption work was inspected by Ofsted in June 2019 as part of a wider inspection of Families and Children’s Services, with an overall inspection judgement of Good. It was noted that Cllr Jon Hubbard was the Chair of Adoption West Joint Scrutiny Panel that scrutinised information from Adoption West. Cllr Mayes and the Leader of the Council thanked all the staff involved in the Adoption Service for their hard work in achieving excellent outcomes for the children in Council care.

Resolved: That the Adoption Service 2019/20 Year End Report is noted and accepted and the contents of the report are considered against the Corporate Parenting Strategic Priority for children looked after to have a loving home, good relationships and respect.

Reason for Decision:

Wiltshire Council is an Adoption Agency registered with Ofsted. The 2014 Adoption Minimum Standards (25.6) and 2013 Statutory Guidance (3.93 and

5.39) describe the information that is required to be reported to the executive

side of the local authority, on a six-monthly basis, to provide assurance that the adoption agency is complying with the conditions of registration whilst being effective and achieving good outcomes for children and service users.

Adoption West will be subject to separate scrutiny arrangements through its own Scrutiny Board, arrangements which are still in development.