Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor F Venner – Leeds City Council (Chair)

Councillor S Duffy – Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Councillor D Tremayne – Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Councillor V Kendrick – Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council

Councillor J Pritchard – Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2 of the Access to Information Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded)

(In accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2, written notice of an appeal must be received by the Head of Governance Services at least 24 hours before the meeting

There were no appeals against the refusal of inspection of documents.

1  To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

2  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.

3  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

  RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:-

The agenda contained no exempt information.

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes)

No late items of business were added to the agenda.

To disclose or draw attention to any interests in accordance with Leeds City Council’s ‘Councillor Code of Conduct’.

No declarations of interest were made.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M Isherwood (Wakefield Metropolitan District Council) and Councillor A Wilkinson (Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council). Councillor J Pritchard (Wakefield) and Councillor D Tremayne (Calderdale) attended as substitutes.

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 7^th February 2023.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held 7th August 2023 were agreed as a correct record.

Page 5 – Medical delays - Delays to medical examinations at GP surgeries remains an issue, with an inconsistent approach between surgeries.

Page 5 - Member Engagement – Details of engagement by the Agency for adoptive parents were previously distributed and will be recirculated.

Page 8 – M Rawlings was confirmed as Head of Service in January 2023.

Page 9 – There are financial challenges facing the multi-disciplinary team which has led to the removal of the speech and language therapist post. The Chair suggested writing to the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

In line with Rule 4B of the Committee’s Constitution, to invite the Committee to appoint a Vice Chair for the coming municipal year.

RESOLVED: That Councillor V Kendrick be appointed as Vice Chair of the Committee for 2023/24.

To consider the report of the Director of Children and Families regarding the developments and activity of One Adoption Agency West Yorkshire (OAWY) as presented in the OAWY Annual Report (Appendix A) which covers the period from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023.

The Head of Agency submitted a report presenting the Annual Report of One Adoption West Yorkshire (OAWY) which provided an overview of adoption service activity and development from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023. The Annual report was presented as required by the National Minimum Standards for Adoption 2014, pursuant to the Care Standards Act 2000.

The Head of Service advised the Committee that the format of the report had been refreshed, and stated that the Agency’s current objectives are;

• Children to move in with their adoptive family without unnecessary delay

• Families get help and support at every stage of the adoption journey

• Children have good quality care, a good understanding of their identity, a sense of belonging and stability within their adoptive family

• Children, adoptive and birth parents and adopted adults feel they have a voice and influence

The Head of Service drew attention to the report’s notable statistics;

• 181 children were adopted in 2022/23, the highest number since the agency formed in 2017.

• 242 children had an adoption plan and were not yet matched with an adoptive family, an increase of 72 from the previous year.

Engagement

The Agency has noted fewer attendees at information sessions, but an overall increase in applications from potential adopters, including an increase from 10% to 21% of adoption applications coming from the BAME communities.

A digital first approach to marketing has been identified as providing the best value for money, as well as better suited for targeting certain demographics. Instagram was noted as being a growth area for the agency’s engagement, with an increase from 300 to 900 followers. It was noted that the platform is particularly adept at communicating with members of LGBTQ communities.

The digital first approach has been extended to the wider agency offer, with events and training being bookable on the website. This offer was noted to include birth parent information sessions as all adoptive parents are asked to meet birth parents, as well as six month training, provided six months into an adoption to develop therapeutic parenting skills. Support has also been delivered to friends and families of adoptive parents which has helped build a sense of community.

The digital first approach is being supplemented by providing a presence at events important to communities identified as key demographics to target, notably at Pride and at Carnival. A Black adoption manager has started to lead on this work by building links and networks with religious and community groups.

Placements

The Head of Service noted work to find families for children who typically wait the longest, and for whom adoption may not be achieved through a pilot project which has received funding from the national adoption strategy team. The project would feature these children to encourage potential adopters to apply to adopt them. The Head of Service noted there are many layers of ethical dilemmas about this type of programme, as well a large financial implication. The Committee noted previous programmes of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To confirm the date and time for the next meeting.

That the next meeting be arranged for April 2024, exact date and time to be confirmed at a later date.