College’s response

The College of Social Work has responded to the release of adoption scorecards for local authorities. Professor Corrine May-Chahal, interim co-chair of the college said: “The college is keen to support all measures that enhance the very best in social work practice but is sceptical about the benefits of adoption scorecards when applied to complex decisions that profoundly affect the future of children and their families.

 “We are concerned that the evidence presented in adoption scorecards should not be viewed in isolation. They cannot be used as a blunt instrument to assess local authority performance in a similar way as schools and exam results.

 “The scorecards may provide a snapshot that is indicative of how local authorities are performing, but this must be mapped against local conditions on the ground, such as levels of deprivation and percentages of different faith groups for which solutions such as special guardianship may be a preferable solution.

 “There are many reasons for delays in adoption, some having more to do with the justice system than social work. All those who practice in this area are putting the interests of children first, and only through high quality assessments and good judgements with necessary support can we ensure that our adoption placements are a success.

 “Not all areas are facing the same challenges, and as social workers know many of these challenges can be complex.

 “We welcome the Government’s aim to explore the specific circumstances that different local areas face and we hope they will do everything possible to ensure that struggling authorities are supported with appropriate resources to enable them to improve.”