Issue - meetings

Local Government Ombudsman Finding against Adoption@Heart

Meeting: 08/09/2021 - Cabinet (Item 5)

5 Local Government Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) Report pdf icon PDF 322 KB

[To consider the findings of the Local Government Social Care Ombudsman Report]

Additional documents:

Decision:

That the City of Wolverhampton Council (CWC) and the regional adoption agency service response to the Local Government Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) finding be endorsed.

 

Minutes:

The recommendations contained in the report, Local Government Social Care Ombudsman Report, were moved by Councillor Ian Brookfield and seconded by Councillor Stephen Simkins.

 

Councillor Beverley Momenabadi reported on the circumstances of a Local Government Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) decision report and on a proposed Council/regional adoption agency response. The LGSCO report related to a complaint about an individual who made an inquiry about wishing to adopt a child in the city.  It was noted that a number of factors are taken into consideration when individuals, couples or families wish to adopt a child.  Numerous assessments are made at different stages around suitability, experience with children and the ability to provide a loving stable home. Unfortunately, not everyone who applies is suitable to adopt a child.  With regards to the complainant, an initial assessment was made in May 2019 the outcome of which was not to invite the individual to proceed with the assessment process for adoption.  The LGSCO found that the Council should have progressed to allow the individual to register her interest even though the Council knew she was assessed as being not suitable.  One of the reasons that the Council did not progress to a register of interest was because it did not want to create a false sense of hope for the person applying.  Following the LGSCO report, a small change had been made around the recruitment process and people’s ability to register an interest at any anytime during the process.  Councillor Momenabadi added that the Council is fully committed to increasing its numbers of adopters in the city and Mark Tobin, Head of Service and the adoption team do an incredible job of ensuring that a diverse range of adopters are recruited and assessed, but they would always recruit in a way which puts children first and does not create a false sense of hope for individuals who for whatever reason may not be suitable.  She asked Cabinet to endorse the Council’s and the regional adoption agency service response to the LGSCO decision report.

 

Resolved:

That the City of Wolverhampton Council and the regional adoption agency service response to the Local Government Social Care Ombudsman finding be endorsed.