Minutes

14        FAMILY ADOPTION LINKS REGIONAL ADOPTION PARTNERSHIP – The Director: Children and Families submitted a report updating the Cabinet Member on the Regional Adoption Partnership known as Family Adoption Links (FAL) and seeking consideration as to the council’s continuing participation within the regional partnership.

The council was committed to building upon the success of regional working to ensure timely placement for children by way of adoption and in ensuring that the recruitment of adopters was based upon the needs of the children who required an adoptive family.

In 2021/22, the regional partnership expanded and now comprised Lincolnshire County Council and Rutland; Leicester City Council; Leicestershire County Council; Northamptonshire’s Children’s Trust and North Lincolnshire Council.  Lincolnshire County Council acted as the host for the arrangement.  The initial agreement creating the partnership commenced on the 14 October 2020 and was subsequently updated to include Northamptonshire’s Children Trust.

The partnership agreement in place described how FAL would manage the provision of core adoption functions on behalf of the council. It remains the case that the council retained responsibility for all aspects of care proceedings for children with a plan of adoption, counselling for birth parents as well as adoption allowances. Non-Agency adoptions and matters relating to Special Guardians were also managed from within the council.

Adoption within North Lincolnshire had continued to build and progress within the context of the Family Adoption Links partnership.  The report set out recent achievements and developments, of which the council were a key driver.

Resolved – (a) That Option 1, set out in the report at paragraph 3.1 of the report, that the regional partnership arrangement be reviewed alongside partners no less than six months prior to the current planned extension date of January 2024, and (b) that following the review, a further report be submitted to the Cabinet Member with regard to the final decision on extending the council’s involvement in the partnership arrangement.