ADCS blasts proposed adoption targets

Ofsted’s new adoption targets could inadvertently reduce the number of children put forward for adoption, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has warned.

Under the plans, local authorities will be unable to get an “outstanding” rating from Ofsted unless they place all children identified for adoption within 12 months.

But ADCS is calling on the inspectorate to scrap the proposal, arguing that the target could discourage councils from seeking adoptions for children in the first place.

Matt Dunkley, president of ADCS, said Ofsted should reconsider the plans immediately and pursue “more sensible” ways of incentivising and recognising good performance in adoption practice, in partnership with local government.

He argued that finding families for some children, such as those with disabilities, can take more than 12 months and that local authorities should be encouraged to continue to look for families for children for more than one year when necessary.

“We believe it is wrong for Ofsted to make this change. Limiting judgments are rarely a good idea, but they are particularly unhelpful when, as in this case, those authorities that do best at finding loving homes for all children, even those with the most complex needs, will not be recognised for the undoubtedly outstanding work that they do,” he said.

“It is never sensible to rely on a single indicator in determining what constitutes an outstanding service with a complex process like adoption, and assuming the same timescale should apply to every child denies the challenges involved.

“Timeliness is important, and for the majority of children 12 months is a reasonable target, but there are inevitably a minority of cases that take longer and these are often children with the most complex needs, and who would benefit most from a stable and loving home.”

Dunkley added that there is a “genuine shortage” of adoptive parents willing to take on sibling groups or disabled children.

“The search should not stop after a year if we know that there is still a possibility of finding a permanent home for that child,” he said. “Inspection should encourage ambition for all these children, not set a target that is easier to meet if adoption is not considered for them in the first place.

“Inspectors do themselves a disservice by relying on a single indicator – the value of inspection is in being able to see beyond the data to understand the experiences of children and families who use services to provide a more detailed view of quality.”