Contact: Kate Hart, Tel: 01962 876261, Email: [email protected]

1 Introductory Summary

1.1 The National Adoption Standards for England (Department of Health 2000) and the Care Standards Act 2000, require that the Executive formally recommends the approval of the Statement of Purpose of the adoption agency (Appendix A).

2 Recommendations

2.1 That the Executive Member for Children and Families approve the Statement of Purpose for Hampshire County Council's Adoption Service.

3 Statement of Purpose

3.1 Every adoption agency is required to publish a Statement of Purpose, which must accurately describe the facilities and services available, and also the organisational and management arrangements. The statement must be reviewed annually and formally approved by the Executive Member for Children and Families.

3.2 Adoption agencies are inspected on a regular basis by OFSTED to ensure that they are complying with all Adoption Agency Regulations and Standards.

3.3 Hampshire's Adoption Service was last inspected in November 2005. An action plan was implemented as a result and this was reported to the Executive Member for Children's Services in July 2006.

3.4 A further inspection is anticipated within the next 12 months and this will subsequently be reported to the Executive Member for Children and Families.

4 Corporate Priorities

4.1 The proposals in this report are expected to meet regulatory requirements by confirming the details of the Adoption Service, thereby allowing arrangements to be made for children to be adopted in furtherance of the County Council's corporate priorities.

4.2 It also supports the following outcomes of the Children Act:

Staying Safe, by enabling the authority to make permanent alternative care arrangements for children who cannot be brought up in their own families.

5 Consultation

5.1 No targetted or specific consultation has been undertaken.

6 Legal Implications

6.1 None.

7 Financial Implications

7.1 None.

8 Personnel Implications

8.1 None.

9 Impact Assessment

9.1 Race and equality impact assessment has been considered in the development of this report and no adverse impact has been identified.

10 Crime Prevention Issues

10.1 Permanent care arrangements for children are part of an overall context for reducing offending for young people.

11 Views of the Local County Councillor

11.1 None sought.

12 Conclusion

12.1 The Adoption Statement of Purpose as proposed meets the regulatory requirements for Hampshire County Council to continue its Adoption Service.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt of confidential information as defined in the Act.