The Association of Directors of Social Services has told the Government that proposed new regulations are "not capable of implementation" in the great majority of local authority adoption departments.
They say it is placing an unnecessary burden on councils at a time when they are facing massive shortages of staff.
The Department for Education and Skills has proposed issuing guidance saying adoption case reports are to be prepared only by social workers with a specific level of qualifications and experience.
But Wes Cuell, head of the adoption service at Luton Council and ADSS spokesman on adoption, said there were not enough social workers. Some councils cannot even allocate all high-risk child protection cases to a social worker - while many more cannot allocate all looked-after children.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
