Day-to-day adoption practice by regional adoption agencies “strong”, but challenges remain: Ofsted

Demand for adoption support often exceeds the resources available to regional adoption agencies (RAAs), meaning some individuals and families do not receive the support they need, when they need it.

These are the findings of a thematic review carried out by Ofsted, which concluded that day-to-day adoption practice by RAAs is strong, but many of the challenges that led to regionalisation “remain unresolved”.

RAAs are responsible for delivering a range of adoption services on behalf of local authorities.

During the inspection, inspectors visited a sample of six RAAs between October and December 2023.

The report found that the recruitment of prospective adopters, and family-finding and matching remain “consistently strong” following the move to regional delivery.

RAAs were found to be supporting prospective adopters well, with a thorough assessment process and good preparation training.

The report noted that in local authorities where adoption support had previously been limited, regionalisation had, for some, strengthened this offer for families. The services available included advice lines, individual consultation meetings, mentors, adopter training, children’s groups and direct work with health and education professionals to advocate for adopted children. 

However, the watchdog warned that the adoption system is still affected by a long-standing shortage of adopters, particularly for siblings and children with more complex needs.

Ofsted said: “Families also raised concerns about the stability and short-term nature of funding, which often prevents them, and RAA leaders, from making long-term plans for children.”

Four of the six RAAs told the watchdog that they do not have enough staff, either due to vacancies or a lack of capacity in the staffing structure.

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care said: “Our review highlights some excellent work by regional adoption agencies, in spite of some very challenging circumstances. It’s clear that the right adoption support at the right time is powerful for children and families. However, the regionalisation of adoption services hasn’t addressed some of the longstanding issues that continue to have an impact of the number of adopters and the availability and timeliness of adoption support.

“We will be working with the Department for Education to consider the future accountability system for adoption practice.”

Lottie Winson