In the absence of the Director of Children and Families, the Deputy Director, Children & Families Social Work Service approved the proposal for the Council to enter into an agreement and accept £19.5m grant funding from the DfE on behalf of OAWY, such grant funding to be managed by the National Strategic Lead and OAWY on behalf of all RAAs to undertake activity on a national and regional scale in support of the National Adoption Strategy, with the Council acting as the lead local authority.