Calls for Adoption Leadership Board to focus on permanency

Children's care experts say the Department for Education should use Narey’s resignation – which he announced through social media on Thursday – as a reason to repurpose the influential government advisory board to focus on all types of placements and not just adoption.

Andy Elvin, chief executive of fostering and adoption charity The Adolescent and Children’s Trust (Tact), said: “The landscape has changed and now is an ideal opportunity for the DfE to rework the board as a permanence board and broaden its outlook to ensure all children in the care system are focused on, rather than just the five per cent waiting for adoption.
 
“Just focusing on adoption alone is not good enough. Now Martin Narey is going, it’s a good time to do it. He’s done a good job, but it’s time to rethink the approach.”

Foster carer Martin Barrow agrees. He said: “Martin Narey has done wonderful things for adoption, but we need an advocate for permanency, not just adoption.

“The government has focused on adoption for a number of years. This has often been at the expense of other forms of long-term arrangements, such as foster care and special guardianship orders.

“The vast majority of looked-after children won’t be adopted, so there is an opportunity now to repurpose the board, or create a new board, to focus on permanency.”

Narey is to step down from the board next March, after two years as chair, and comes just a few months after his appointment as an adviser to the Ministry of Justice and head of a review of children's residential care.

Carol Homden, executive officer of Coram, said Narey had been a “passionate champion for children”. 

“He will bring the same rigour and energy on behalf of those in the youth justice system and in residential care to the benefit of all of us who work to improve their outcome,” she added.

Hugh Thornbery, chief executive of Adoption UK, said: “Martin Narey has provided both drive and ambition to the Adoption Leadership Board. Thousands of children have found their forever home through adoption during his time as chair, so I’m very sorry to hear the news that he’ll be stepping down next March."