The Department for Education’s evaluation of the funding, which aims to improve access to therapeutic support for adoptive and SGO families, says the additional research is needed to help improve awareness of the scheme among those in special guardianship arrangements.
Awareness levels of the funding are “greater amongst adoptive parents compared to special guardians”, the research, which looked at the fund from 2018 to 2022, finds.
It notes that this therapeutic support is especially needed for special guardians who are “more likely to have been thrust into providing care at relatively short notice”.
Being called for is improved marketing of the ASF among special guardians and research to ensure support is tailored to their needs.
Among special guardians that were able to access the funding “satisfaction ratings were generally lower than those of adoptive parents”. This included concerns around long waiting times for support of more than a year.
Delays are caused by “insufficiency of providers” to meet increasing demand for support among adoptive and SGO families.
The most popular form of support accessed by all families through the ASF is parent training, which was mentioned by a third of families involved in the research.
Also popular is creative and physical therapy for children and families to take part in together. Other help mentioned by families includes psychotherapy, talking therapy, play therapy, support to build attachments and life story work.
Satisfaction rates are high across a raft of metrics among families. Particularly welcome is choice of therapists, length of sessions and how week support matched children needs.
Therapists understanding of children, and their “compassionate and non-judgemental delivery of support” is also welcomed by families who accessed ASF funding.
Children taking part valued therapy that was “varied and playful” and “unhurried”, while parents and guardians “emphasised the importance of the therapist taking time to build rapport and trust”.
The government’s ASF first became available in 2015. In March this year the government announced it will invest £163m in the fund over the next three years.
