Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care and Disabilities introduced the Adoption and Corporate Parenting Annual Reports 2021/22.

The Adoption and Corporate Parenting annual report were presented to Assembly each year to ensure Members have sight of the work being undertaken with the children and young people they are responsible for and/or whose plan is adoption.

The Adopt London East Adoption Annual Report 2021-22, appended to the report, summarised the activity and performance of the East London Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) during this reporting year. ALE was jointly commissioned by Havering, LBBD, Tower Hamlets and Newham and was hosted by Havering. The report summaries all of the adoption work undertaken by ALE for all four boroughs which included the recruitment of adopters, family finding for children awaiting adoption and all post-adoption support for children and adopted adults.

The Local Authority was currently still measured on individual performance by the DfE requirements of A10 and A2 which were outlined at the end of the report in Appendix 1.This performance was a combined responsibility of the Local Authority and ALE as the LA was responsible for the children when they are Looked After awaiting court consent to the adoption plan and ALE was responsible for identifying suitable matches for children who had an adoption plan. Any delay in either of these areas impacted on these performance measures. The Local Authority retained all responsibilities for the children as Looked After until the adoption order was granted. 

The Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2021-22, appended to the report, summarised the activity and performance of the Council with regards to its corporate parenting responsibilities during that reporting year. It outlined key achievements and how the Council was delivering on promises to children in care and care leavers.

The Assembly resolved to:

(i)   Note the Adopt London East Report 2021/22, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report; and

(ii)   Note the Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2021/22, as set out at Appendix 2 to the report.