Councils need to get support for adoptive families right, Ombudsman says

Called ‘Children need Families’ the new report is aimed at helping to improve the support English councils provide to people throughout the adoption process, using real complaints the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has investigated as examples of where things can and do go wrong.

While the Ombudsman receives relatively few complaints from adoptive families, every single upheld case reflects a vulnerable child’s fresh start in life being affected by poor service from their council. This can either be in the support provided post-adoption, or the support and information given to potential adoptive parents.

The report highlights cases where councils have taken too long to put support in place for adoptive families, with one being on the brink of having the placement disrupted because of the strain.

In one case, a family was not told about their child’s health condition prior to adoption which had long-term consequences for them as a family unit.

In another, the family was left struggling to cope with a child with significant complex needs because the council capped how much financial support they would receive to meet those needs without telling them why.

In other cases, poor information at the start of the adoption process has discouraged potential adoptive parents coming forward.

Ms Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:
“Adopted children often have some of the most challenging starts to life, lacking in stability and continuity of care, so it is all the more important that councils get things right for them and their families.

“In all these cases, there are vulnerable children and families trying to do their best for them. Councils need to get their processes, and the support they offer to these families right or they risk family units breaking down.

“I urge councils to read my report and take stock of the good practice advice it offers to ensure they are giving the best possible chances to children, young people and their families in their area.”

The report includes an introduction from Jim Clifford OBE – a social researcher in the field – commenting on the Ombudsman’s findings in light of his personal experiences of being an adoptive parent of 10 children.

It concludes with a number of questions the Ombudsman is urging councillors and heads of adoption services to use to scrutinise the services they offer, to ensure children receive the best possible outcomes in their area.