News

The conviction of Simon and Michelle McWilliam for cruelty to their adopted son last week highlights the importance of thorough checks and assessments for prospective adoptive parents, according to British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering.

Chief executive Felicity Collier said: "Last year BAAF reviewed the way adopters' assessments were undertaken and we were concerned that too great a reliance was being placed in many cases on the account adopters gave of their own background rather than careful checks being made from other sources."

John Smith died in December last year aged four. Four adult bite marks and 54 bruises and abrasions were identified on his body. His adoptive parents were sentenced to eight years each at Lewes Crown Court.

Adoption procedures at Brighton and Hove Council - which was responsible for placing John with the McWilliams - have since been rigorously tightened, and a new format for assessing prospective adopters was launched in September requiring more factual checks and independent corroboration.

The changes follow the findings of an independent part 8 review commissioned by Brighton and Hove and West Sussex area child protection committees, which echoed BAAF's calls for adoption assessments to be more robust.

Brighton and Hove social services director and area child protection committee chairperson Allan Bowman said: "All the agencies involved have learned lessons and are implementing major improvements in the way we look after children in our care.

"Social workers and health professionals, like everyone else, make mistakes. In this case the consequences were horrendous, but we should not forget that the professionals get it right most of the time."