Lack of staff points to rules ‘difficulties’

Proposed regulations requiring adoption reports to be compiled by
qualified social workers will be difficult to implement given the
vacancy rate in children’s services, Baaf Adoption and Fostering
chief executive Felicity Collier has warned.

The government is consulting on guidance that stipulates that a
person preparing a prescribed adoption report must be a qualified
social worker with at least three years’ post-qualifying experience
in adoption and family placement work.

Alternatively, a student social worker or qualified social worker
can prepare a report if they are managed and supervised by someone
with at least three years’ post-qualifying experience.

Collier believes the requirements could be a problem. “Recognising
the great turnover among children’s staff and the vacancy rate, I
don’t think this is going to be easy to meet.”

Other proposals include requiring adoption agencies to carry out
reviews into overseas children placed with families when an
application to adopt has not been made within two years of the
child arriving in the UK. 

– Draft Adoption Regulations and Guidance for Consultation
from www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations2/37/