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Who wants a thread about the findings of the #APPG Adoption & Permanence report? 1600 responses, 250 young adoptees and 2 expert oral evidence sessions later the MPs and peers on the group made 6 recommendations on the future of the #AdoptionSupportFund. Here goes
Rec 1 Retention: Commit to AdoptionSupportFunding till 2030 to ensure stability for families and therapy providers. Yes. Short term funding cycles don’t fit with long-term recovery from trauma.
Rec 2 Administration: DfE ensure capacity in LAs / RAAs to administer applications with no delay. Yes. We know adoption teams are juggling priorities with low resources, but delays in support for families mean problems, workloads and expenses spiral out of control.
Rec 3 Timeliness: Allow VAAs to apply for #AdoptionSupportFund support for their families. VAAs have a great track record of adoption support and this should be built on by making it easier, not harder, for them to excel.
Rec 4 Clinical input: Increase clinical direction and advice to the #AdoptionSupportFund’s development and application by establishing a clinical board. This can only be a good idea. Recovery from trauma is brain surgery without the scalpels and needs specialist oversight.
Rec 5 Awareness: Ensure special guardians know about the fund, can access it, and increase £££ to cover SG needs. And extend it to SG families who didn’t come through the care system. This sounds like much more than awareness to me but also sounds like a no-brainer.
Rec 6 Continuity: Change annual applications to allow authorities to apply for help across years. And for good measure, continue support if an adopted child returns to care under S20. Both these changes would allow therapy to be supplied when families need it most.
I agree with all the recs but the best thing about the report is the message to the Children and Families Minister @NadhimZahawi from the children and young people. “Keep this going as it has helped me in tough situations and should help others when they need it” J age 9.
@DfE extended the #ASF to cover the #ComprehensiveSpendingReview, but from July 2020 there is no budget. We await the autumn budget decisions in hope and expectation that the fund will be retained and expanded in recognition it’s huge importance for our most vulnerable children.
