Ofsted announces thematic inspection of regional adoption agencies

The inspection will take place between October and December, focusing on “how key areas of adoption practice contribute to good outcomes for children and others affected by adoption”.

The highest proportion of adoption activity in England is now undertaken by RAAs, following a shift towards a regional model for adoption by the Department for Education since 2015.

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According to a DfE evaluation of RAAs, published last year, at the end of March 2021 there were 31 RAAs nationally – meeting the target of between 24 and 30 set by ministers in 2015.

Announcing its thematic inspection, Ofsted said: “These agencies undertake varying degrees of the recruitment, assessment, training, approval and adoption support services on behalf of a group of local authorities.

“Most adoption practice in England is currently outside the scope of inspection as Ofsted does not have powers to inspect RAAs.”

The inspection will consider:

• The effectiveness of the RAA’s recruitment, assessment, family finding and matching practice in providing safe, child focused and timely adoptive placements for children.

• The effectiveness of adoption support for adoptive families, birth families and adopted adults.

• The extent to which the RAA leader understands the service’s strengths and areas for development and their ability to take decisive and effective action for improvement.

• The extent to which the views of those with a lived experience of adoption inform service delivery and improvement.

• The extent to which the RAA governance arrangements enable the RAA to deliver effective services and provide the necessary assurance to member local authorities and other RAA partners.

Findings will be published next spring.

Yvette Stanley, national director for regulation and social care at Ofsted, said: “Adoption is one of several routes to a stable home. This thematic will provide a level of assurance and a helpful insight into the impact of adoption work delivered through regional models.”

The announcement comes after the DfE urged local authorities to take part in piloting regional care co-operatives (RCCs) for residential and foster care.

The call came following a recommendation taken forward by government from the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care for the implementation of RCCs, however, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services has warned “no region” has shown an interest in signing up.