Adoption Panel Annual Report

1 April 2014 - 31 March 2015

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Overview

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the South Eastern HSC Trust Adoption Panel work from 1 April 2014 - 31 March 2015.

The Adoption Panel has three primary functions;

To consider and make a recommendation to the adoption agency on:-• Whether adoption is in the “Best Interests” of a particular child and if so, the most appropriate

legal route by which this can be achieved

• Whether an applicant is suitable to be an adoptive parent

• The suitability of a proposed placement for adoption of a child with approved adopter/s.

Additionally, the South Eastern HSC Trust Adoption Panel has responsibility for:-• Providing an opinion on the suitability of a proposed placement of a child for whom the care

plan is adoption, with prospective adopters on a foster care basis

• Providing a consultation service to the Trust on adoption issues

• Making recommendations in respect of the payment of adoption allowances. Introduction

This is the second Annual Report for the South Eastern HSC Trust Adoption Panel.The Panel has continued to sit on the first and third Tuesday of each month and will normally sit for a half day, although it can be extended in time, or additional panels scheduled if required.

The Panel has held two review days during the year,19 August 2014 and 17 February 2015. At each meeting, Panel progress was reviewed and objectives set for the next six months. The recommendations of theses review days will be addressed within the body of this report.

The Panel’s aim has remained the provision of a contemporary Adoption Panel that is capable of providing a high quality service to both children and prospective adoptive parents.

The targets set at the last Annual Report for the coming year were:-

1. To consolidate the new Panel membership.

2. Improve the turnaround time of Adoption Panel minutes.

3. Encourage Panel members to attend relevant training to increase their knowledge base.

4. Introduce a Feedback Tool to be used by Social Workers and prospective adoptive applicants who have attended the Adoption Panel.

5. Re-arranging of Adoption Panel Agenda Items to ensure the Panel runs more smoothly and prospective adoptive parents are not waiting for a lengthy period.

The Panel has continued to maintain a high standard and has addressed all the objectives set. One of the key priorities was to maintain the progress achieved and consolidate the Panels learning over the previous year. The structure and profile of the Panel has remained largely the same since the last report which has been helpful in regards to consistency of decision making.

Panel members have availed of training with regard to same sex couples and concurrent placements over the last year.

The booklet for prospective adoptive parents provided prior to their attendance at Panel is now well established in practice. Comments received in respect of the booklet have been very positive. This booklet also includes a feedback form which prospective adoptive parents are encouraged to complete following their attendance.

During the twice yearly review days, the Panel focused upon the way in which it conducts its business and agreed the first scheduled meeting on the day of Panel will be is in respect of prospective adoptive parents. This is to ensure that any potential delay is minimised for the applicants.

Panel will normally have a set agenda of three cases per panel, an additional slot is available to address urgent matters or for seeking Panels advice. The fourth slot is consistently used, and on occasions, additional Panel days are still required during the year.

Adoption Panel Membership for this period is set out below:-

ADOPTION PANEL 1 April 2014 - 31 March 2015

Ms Priscilla McLoughlin Independent Chair Person

(from October 2013 – Present)Director BAAF (NI)

Mrs Kate AndersonSenior Manager, Fostering & Adoption

South Eastern HSC Trust

Fostering , Adoption and LAC Senior Manager

Dr Eileen McAuley Medical Advisor

Mr John Trethowan Non-Executive Trust Board Member

South Eastern HSC Trust Board Representative

Mrs Deepa Mann-KlerNon-Executive Trust Board Member

South Eastern HSC Trust Board Representative

Mr Sean RaffertyAssistant Principal Social Worker Adoption & LAC

South Eastern HSC Trust(Panel Advisor)

Mrs Janine Walker Independent Member

Mrs Nicola Cherry Independent Member

Mrs Sandra Ruddell Independent Member

Mrs Claire Brennan Independent Member

Ms Sinead Owens and Ms Emma O’Neill Directorate of Legal Services

Panel Legal AdvisorNon -Voting

Mrs Ann Walsh APSW Cared For / Looked After Children(Social Work Representative)

Mrs Lisa Hine APSW Cared For / Looked After Children(Social Work Representative)

Mrs Gillian Forrest Principal Practitioner – Court (Social Work Representative)

Mrs Jacqui McGarvey Assistant Director Cared for Children**

Mr Conor Smyth Panel Administrator

Ms Suzanne Barr Administration Manager (oversees process in the absence of Mr Smyth)

**It is the role of the Agency Decision Maker to review the Adoption Panel recommendation and any other matter they feel necessary before making a decision on behalf of the Trust. The Agency Decision Maker can approve the recommendation, refuse the recommendation, ask for additional information or request further work is completed.

Summary of Panel activity

During this period the Panel continued to meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month and had an allocated time frame of a half a day. Due to the volume of cases extra Panels had to be added as required and a number of panels had to sit well into the afternoon. A summary of panel business is as follows:-

Children Figures 2013 / 2014

Best Interest for Adoption Recommendations Twenty Twenty

Children Adopted Thirteen Twenty five

Freeing Orders Granted Seven Seventeen

Best Interest for Adoption Recommendations Rescinded Zero Four

Matching Recommendations made

Twenty six Of these, seventeen

were informal and nine were formal matches

Twenty three

• Thirteen Adoption Orders were granted in the period 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015 in respect of children from the South Eastern Trust area. Of these children, six were male and seven were female

• The age of children Freed during this period ranged from one year and one month (consented at birth) to five years and five months (this child was placed with kinship carers initially on a fostering capacity and was subsequently adopted by the family after a lengthy period of assessment)

• Of the twenty six matching recommendations, nine were formal matches and seventeen were informal matches.

Freeing Orders

• Seven Freeing orders were granted during the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

These children ranged in age from twelve months to six years and two months. Six were male and one was female. The timeframe from Best Interest Recommendation to the granting of a Freeing Order ranged from six months to twelve months. Six of the children were placed in stranger placements and one in a foster placement where the foster carers were undertaking an adoption assessment in respect of this child.

Of the total number of children where Freeing Orders were granted in this period, two of the children were siblings who were in separate foster placements and subsequently placed for adoption together. One child freed for adoption was placed alongside her two older brothers who had already been freed for adoption and adopted by a family.

Observation

Three children were placed in other Trust areas in Northern Ireland; the remaining four were placed with permanent families in the South Eastern HSC Trust area. The primary reason for children being placed outside the Trust is as a result of volatility of birth parents which impacts upon the geography of placement. An additional constraint can be the religious preference of parents in respect of placement.

Best Interest for Adoption recommendations were made by the Panel in respect of twenty children during this period, these are broken down as follows:-

Number

Single Children Ten

Siblings Ten (three sets of two and one set of four)

Best Interest recommendations rescinded

Zero

It is acknowledged that the age of a child at placement is a significant factor in relation to achieving placement stability. The Trust therefore is working towards identifying and placing children at the earliest juncture. Legal profile of children referred to the Panel for a Best Interest Recommendation

Number

Voluntarily Accommodated Four

Interim Care Order Ten

Care Order Six

Relinquished Zero

Domestic applications where recommendations where made at Panel

Domestic Adoption Applications recommended for approval by Panel Fourteen

Category of applications

Approval ranges amended One couple’s approval range changed from one to two children

Approvals deferred None

Approvals to Adopt rescinded by Panel Zero

Adoption Reviews Nine

Approved Adoption Applicants on Trust Adoption Register as of 31 March 2015 Twelve

Approved Adoption Allowances for this period Four households approved (four children)

Total Number of Adoption Allowances paid Fifty nine households , which corresponds to Seventy five children

Domestic applications for assessment received by the Trust Adoption Team

In total twenty two applications from prospective adoptive parents were received by the Trust Adoption Team during the period. • Three couple’s subsequently withdrew their applications

• Another applicant was considered not suitable to proceed

• A further applicant had medical issues and did not proceed.

The remaining eighteen applications are at different stages of the assessment process and are not captured within the current reporting period. These applications will be presented to the Adoption Panel upon completion and addressed in the next Adoption Panel Annual Report.

During this period, the number of prospective adoptive applicants who chose to become dually approved carers significantly outstripped those who wished to await the outcome of Court proceedings i.e. Freeing Order. This change has been maintained from the previous year. One couple have also been approved as concurrent carers.

The Trust plan to offer a range of options in the future, ie. dual approval, concurrent care, straight adoption (after the granting of a Freeing Order), however it is envisaged that the vast majority of adoptions will continue to remain in the dual approval category.

Adoption Reviews

Most applicants have obtained a placement within the first year of being approved as prospective adoptive parents. Geography and religion were factors in children not being placed within 6 - 12 months of applicants being approved. Also, for one couple the sex of the child was a factor. One couple were approved in October 2010 and are still awaiting placement. They have been offered placements but felt these were outside their range of acceptance. The review number remains low due to families not being reviewed under this format following placement.

Adoption Allowances

A recommendation that Adoption allowances should be paid was made in respect of four children during 1 April 2014 - 31 March 2015. In total, adoption allowances were paid to fifty nine households. This was in relation to forty six male and twenty nine female children (seventy five in total).

Number of Domestic Adoption applications (by Trust Area)

Area Number

North Down Nine

Lisburn Six

Downpatrick Seven

Northern Ireland Regional Overview

Adoption Orders granted Sixty seven Adoption Orders granted

Step-parent adoptions Seventeen adoption orders granted

Adoption Abroad Zero

Adoption Relative Three orders granted

Intercountry Adoption Eight

Freeing Orders Ninety two

Intercountry Adoption in the South Eastern HSC Trust

Number of Adoption Applications approved by Panel via Intercountry Adoption

Three

• One couple approved to adopt from Ethiopia.

• One couple approved to adopt from Thailand.

• One single carer approved to adopt from Thailand.

Adoption Orders Granted

Three

• One Female child from Russia

• One male child from the Philippines

• One Female child from Thailand

Applications and placements have been from Hague convention ratified countries (eg. Thailand, Philippine’s). Previous placements have included non-ratified countries (Russia / Ethiopia), This means there is a different process to be carried out in finalising the adoption of each placement. Hague convention placements (with the exception of the Philippines) do not require an application to the High court for an Adoption Order under Northern Ireland legislation. All Hague convention placements are carried out under an entrustment or private fostering arrangement.

The Regional Team for Intercountry Adoption is now in place and they will undertake the assessment of all inter-country applicants. It is still to be determined when the case will return to the Trust in which the couple reside.

South Eastern HSC Trust referrals to the Adoption Regional Information Service (ARIS)

From the 1 April 2014 - 31 March 2015 the profile of sixteen family’s from the Trust was notified to ARIS. Of these families, eight were live on ARIS ie. actively seeking a placement via this service.

Twenty children from the Trust were notified to ARIS at some point during this period (all had Best Interest Recommendations). Of these, seven were live on ARIS at some point during the year. This includes three sibling groups of two, four boys and three girls.

Six of the seven South Eastern HSC Trust children have been matched and placed via ARIS during this period (two sibling groups of two placed with two South Eastern HSC Trust families and one sibling group of two placed with a Northern HSC Trust family) The seventh child was still ‘live’ on ARIS on 31/03/15 with links identified.

ARIS Exchange Days are arranged and facilitated by BAAF (NI). This is a process where Trusts within the region profile children that they have experienced difficulty obtaining a placement for. There are normally two exchange days per year whereby the child’s social worker will be in attendance and available to answer any questions prospective adoptive parents may have. Normally pictures of the children will also be part of the social work presentation. Prospective adoptive parents who are ‘live’ on ARIS are invited to attend each exchange day. It is not uncommon for prospective adoptive parents to consider children who they would previously have considered outside their matching range of acceptance. This was the case in respect of the two children who were placed via the ARIS Exchange Day with carers from the South Eastern HSC Trust.

Regional Overview of referrals to the Adoption Regional Information Service (ARIS)

Adopted Families notified to ARIS 1 April 2014 - 31 March 2015 (98 in total)

Adopted Children notified to ARIS 1 April 2014 - 31 March 2015 (98 in Total)

Twenty children from all Trust areas have been matched via ARIS during the period:-

• Seven from BHSCT

• One from NHSCT

• Six from SEHSCT

• Six from WHSCT.

This includes seven sibling groups of two and six single children. Ten girls and ten boys.

When ARIS was first introduced, there was an clear imbalance between the number of prospective adoptive parents who accepted placements from the service, in contrast to the number of children who obtained placements in other Trust areas. The number of children placed outside the Trust was significantly higher

It is notable that this appears to be balancing out in respect of all Trusts in the region, and significantly so within our own Trust.

ARIS advised that they could have placed more of SETRUST children via ARIS (at the six month stage), however the Trust had become very proactive through its own Pre-Adoption Linking Panel Service and there was therefore not the same need for placement via ARIS.

South Eastern HSC Trust Pre-Adoption Linking Panel

The Pre-Adoption Linking Panel is now well established within the Trust and meets on a Monthly basis, normally in James Street offices in Newtownards. The current Panel membership has been enlarged to include input from Psychology and Safeguarding staff from within the Trust.

The current make-up of the Panel includes:-

• APSW for Adoption (Chairperson)

• APSW for Permanence

• SSW for Permanence

• SSW for Adoption

• Psychologists, SET Connects

• Presenting Social Worker

• Adoption Social Worker (when required).

At present the APSW for Permanence plays a dual role as she has extensive experience of Safeguarding, however if she were to leave the Pre-Adoption Linking Panel, a safeguarding representative would be required.

As the Pre-Adoption Linking Panel has developed in its role, potential links between children and prospective adoptive parents are being identified at an earlier point. As a result, Panel is considering potential matches at an earlier stage which if approved, allows the child / children to be placed earlier.

The work of the Pre-Adoption Linking Panel was reviewed on 11 March 2015. The purpose of this was to ensure that the decision making of the Panel was robust and that the Panel is capable of addressing the changing needs of adoption. The Pre-Adoption Linking Panel also facilitates a transparent process of reviewing prospective adoptive parents and identifying the most appropriate match for each child. A matching criterion was agreed and panel membership was reviewed to ensure that an appropriate balance of skill and knowledge was represented on the Panel.

Summary of Pre-Adoption Linking Panel Business

Children • Eighteen children have been considered at the Pre-Adoption Linking Panel during the period

of this report. Of these, seven were male and eleven were female. Four of these children were sibling groups (two groups of two)

• The age range of the children considered at the Pre-Adoption Linking Panel ranged from zero to five years old

• Two of the children considered initially were relinquished by their parents, but subsequently returned to the care of their parents.

Prospective Adoptive Parents (applicants) • Sixteen couples were considered in respect of potential matches during this period

• Matching criteria was applied in respect of the prospective applicants and on occasions, they may have been considered for more than one child.

CAR-NI Historically, the Trust had provided only Form F reports to the Adoption Panel. At the end of the last reporting period (31 March 2014) the Trust was approached by BAAF and agreed to pilot CAR-NI as an alternative reporting process. Training was provided to core staff and the pilot period commenced.

Following feedback, some minor alterations were made and CAR-NI has now operated in the Trust for over a year, it is no longer at the pilot stage. CAR-NI is now the Trusts working model for Best Interest Applications.

The standard of reporting has steadily improved since the introduction of CAR–NI, especially when staff adhere closely to the written guidance provided. Staff have continued to provide positive feedback in respect of CAR-NI and feel it is more comprehensive than the previous reporting process. CAR-NI has also been positively received by the members of the Adoption Panel.

Adoption Applicants Attendance at the Panel

It is pleasing to note that the significant increase in the number of applicants who attend the Panel has been maintained from last year. It is now the norm for all applicants to attend the Panel for their adoption application.

Applicants are now provided with an information booklet which outlines Adoption Panel membership and what to expect on the day of their attendance.

Panel Aims and objectives for the next year

In accordance with procedure, the Panel has set two review days per year. The purpose of this is to facilitate all panel members coming together to focus on Panel business and to set objectives. The first of these days took place on 19 August 2014 when the following objectives were agreed.

1. Panel booklet for applicants attending to have evaluation forms included

2. The use of technology to support the Panels work should be pursued

3. Consider setting the Panel room up so that applicants can sit at the centre of the table

4. Review of the implementation of CAR-NI

5. Training to be provided in respect of same sex couples, a provisional date of 7th November 2014 has been set.

The second Panel Review day took place on 17 February 2015. The objectives of the last meeting were reviewed and those that were still on-going were incorporated into the objectives set at this meeting.

1. The use of IPADS and the Board papers software agreed as the best way to meet the Panels needs in terms of security and ease of access to information. An implementation date for all Panel members set for 1 April 2015

2. The implication/learning of the recent court hearing re B / BS has been addressed within the Trust

3. Mrs Kate Anderson will Chair the Adoption Panel in the absence of Ms McLoughlin

4. Mr Rafferty shared the key findings of the Adoption Panel Annual Report for the period 2012/13 and 2013/14

5. A working group will be set up to compile a booklet for social workers who have limited experience of attending the Adoption Panel

6. The Panels role with regard to offering advice was discussed and agreement reached that when adoption applicants assessments have commenced, and a serious issue including medical matters arise, the adoption applicants should be given the opportunity to attend any scheduled Panel discussion with regard to this matter.

Introduction of IPADS

Following a review of the core information required by the Panel and the safety requirements of sharing and storing this Information, it was agreed to pilot the use of IPADS in conjunction with the Board papers software. This was rolled out initially to Trust Staff to ensure that any presenting problems were resolved. Independent members received paper copies of Panel documents as usual during this time.

With the support of the Information and Technology Department, minor issues were resolved. Staff feedback highlighted a number of significant benefits from the introduction of the IPADS in terms of staff time, security and ready access to information and it was agreed that IPADS should be rolled out to all Panel members. Panel has therefore been ‘paperless’ since April 2015.

This has proved to be a very successful manner of working and has provided a number of benefits as detailed below:-

Value for money• 10 files per case containing a minimum of 150 pages per case had to be photocopied and hand

delivered to Panel members (3-4 cases per panel, twice per month). Since the introduction of the IPADS, only one hard copy of each file is required per case.

Security• Panel members were responsible for ensuring that Panel documents were kept securely in their

home. The IPADS are encrypted and password protected, therefore offering a much higher level of security.

Ease of Access• Panel members are now able to access information at a time of their choosing in a safe and

secure manner.

Panel Administrator Time • The Panel administrator is now able to take on additional duties as a consequence of the time

saved by uploading the information to the IPAD as opposed to copying a significant amount of documents. Considerable time has also been saved in terms of travel and delivering the panel documents by hand.

Summary

This has been another busy year for Panel and the volume of work being presented has necessitated the convening of several additional Panels.

It is noteworthy that the number of Adoption and Freeing Orders has reduced from the last reporting period. This work is cyclical and therefore the number of cases can fluctuate significantly in any given year, however the volume can still remain high. This is evidenced in the reduced number of Freeing’s during the period. Although there were only seven Freeing orders granted in the South Eastern HSC Trust in the period, a further eight freeing order were subsequently granted in the months of April, May and June 2015. This was in part due to the court availability and timetabling of final hearings. Some of the freeing order applications were delayed in being lodged with the court in the summer of 2014 due to three members of staff being on maternity leave. Of the children who received a best interest in the year, who have not yet been freed for adoption, four are placed with relatives who are undertaking comprehensive adoption assessments (two of these children being placed in America). Another two have had their short term foster carers assessed as potential adopters and this has lengthened the process. One of these is adoption by birth parent consent. A further eleven children are listed for freeing order final hearings in the months between August and November 2015. Three consent cases were dealt with by the team. Two of these children ended up returning to the care of their birth parent.

This report shows that the significant work and progress achieved since the return of the Panel to the South Eastern HSC Trust has been consolidated. The Trust’s aim remains the development of a robust and contemporary Adoption Service that is fit for purpose, with the Adoption Panel as an integral part of this development going forward. The Panel now has an emphasis on independence and relevant expertise. This has impacted on the standard of information required and the quality

of recommendation provided by Panel. Work is also on-going to improve applicants understanding of and involvement with the Panel. It is very encouraging to note that all applicants over the last year have attended their adoption application. It is acknowledged that whilst this can be a stressful experience, it is hoped that prospective adoptive parents find engagement with the Panel a positive experience.

Over the coming year, the Trust will seek to provide help and assistance to social work staff regarding their attendance at the Panel. Work is nearing completion in respect of a booklet for Social Work staff who will be attending Panel. This will be targeted at Social Workers who have limited or no experience of attendance at Panel and will provide information with regard to the structure and expectation in respect of their presentation. It will also outline how appropriate help and support can be sourced prior to attendance. The booklet will also contain a feedback form to provide staff with an opportunity to comment on their experience.

The anticipated Adoption Reform as set out by the Department of Health in the draft Adoption & Children’s Bill has not been implemented as speedily as had been hoped. It is the intention of this Bill to consolidate Adoption Law in Northern Ireland, both Domestic and Intercountry. It will also add new provision to deliver adoption reform. Part two of the Bill will amend the Children (NI) Order so that the legislation is compatible. The Department will seek to bring forward the changes outlined in the Bill in the near future. It is important therefore that the Trust Adoption Service is in a position to implement the necessary change and that this is evident in the work presented to Panel. The Trust will respond proactively to the challenges this will bring, whilst maintaining its focus of improving the standard of service provided to both our children and adoption applicants.

The Trust has continued their involvement in adoption based working groups such as the Regional Adoption & Fostering Taskforce, BAAF (NI) Adoption Advisory Group and the Adoption Regional Information System (ARIS). We have also maintained the positive relationships that have been developed within the voluntary sector.

As stated previously, this has been another busy year with the Trust Adoption Panel consolidating its learning and embracing a new way of working through the use of IPADS. The emphasis on Independent representation has worked well and enhanced the decision making process. The engagement with prospective Adopters and social workers attending panel has continued and is important with regard to maximising the information and presentation at Panel

The process of recruiting Concurrent applicants is now being addressed within the Trust in accordance with direction given by the Health & Social Care Board. It is planned that the Trust will have a number of concurrent placements. This will lead to children being placed in their permanent homes at a much earlier stage and will significantly reduce the impact of potential moves for the child. The risks in this process are carried by the concurrent carers and are heightened whilst the assessment of birth parents are on-going. The benefit for the concurrent carer is that they will receive the child into their care at a much earlier point than previously would have been possible.

Thanks

The Trust would like to record their thanks to Ms Priscilla McLoughlin in both her capacity of NI Director of BAAF and as the Panel Chair for her hard work and the support she has given the Trust’s Adoption Service.

We would also like to thank Dr Eileen McAuley, the Panels medical advisor and for offering such a high standard of service to the Panel.

Thanks should also be extended to the Independent Panel members and the Trust’s Non-Executive Directors for the time and commitment given over the last year.

South Eastern HSC Trust Adoption PanelAugust 2015

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