| Hull (2) - effective adoption services |
Summary of Context
Kingston-upon-Hull is a Unitary Authority that has substantial deprivation,
but has access to resources including wealthier adjacent authorities.
As a Unitary Authority, it inherited large numbers of children on
the child protection register and large numbers of looked after children.
Hull's expenditure on children's services was substantially above
both the Standard Spending Assessment allocation and the per capita
average for its comparator group - £536 per capita compared
to £388 for 2001/2. The Authority has tackled this in a number
of ways, considerable emphasis has been placed on improving adoption
services. |
Good Practice
Improvements include a marketing and information strategy, the inclusion
of prospective adopters' parents and other family members in training
and support groups, good levels of adoption allowances and support
and a contract with post-adoption-York to provide a range of support
and counselling services for adopters, adoptees and birth parents. |
|
Benefits
- High numbers of looked after children adopted.
- Placements for sibling groups, disabled children and children
with special needs.
- Stable adoptive placements.
It should be noted that the percentage of looked after children
adopted may appear only to be good rather than excellent, but
as Hull has significantly higher numbers of looked after children
than average, this percentage represents large numbers
|
| Contact: Alan McKenzie, Principal
Child Care Manager |
Tel: 01482 707762
E-mail: alan.mckenzie@hullcc.gov.uk |