Issue - meetings

Thames Valley Adoption

Meeting: 26/01/2017 - Executive (Item 103)

103 Thames Valley Adoption pdf icon PDF 122 KB

Decision:

That:

1)        Wokingham’s shared service arrangements being extended to become Adopt Thames Valley Regional Adoption Agency be supported. The new shared service is to be hosted by Oxfordshire County Council, with a base for Berkshire in Wokingham;

 

2)        the final decision on details be delegated to the Director of People Services and Lead Member for Children’s Services;

 

3)        the Lead Member for Children’s Services being a member of the new governance board be supported.

Minutes:

The Executive considered a report relating to plans to set up a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) across the Thames Valley Region.

 

The Executive Member for Children’s Services advised the meeting that Wokingham was already part of Adopt Berkshire, which had been set up in 2014 and consisted of Bracknell Forest, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and West Berkshire Councils.  Following new legislation the Government had stated that they expected every local authority to be part of a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) by 2020.  The proposal therefore contained in the report was for Wokingham to move into a RAA with Oxford County, Swindon and Reading Councils as well as with those authorities currently part of Adopt Berkshire and two voluntary adoption agencies Barnardos and PACT. 

 

Councillor Haitham Taylor emphasised that the proposal would improve services for children, particularly those that were hard to place, and adopters as there would be a larger pool of adopter families to choose from.  The proposal would be cost neutral and a grant of £200k, shared between all the authorities, had been provided to set up the new shared service.  It was also envisaged that the shared service would assist with post-adoption services as there would be an opportunity to share services.  Oxford County Council was the only authority to express an interest in hosting the shared service and it was noted that there was an intention to have a base for Berkshire in Wokingham.

 

RESOLVED That:

1)        Wokingham’s shared service arrangements being extended to become Adopt Thames Valley Regional Adoption Agency be supported. The new shared service is to be hosted by Oxfordshire County Council, with a base for Berkshire in Wokingham;

 

2)        the final decision on details be delegated to the Director of People Services and Lead Member for Children’s Services;

 

3)        the Lead Member for Children’s Services being a member of the new governance board be supported.