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Report to: |
Governance Committee
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Date of meeting: |
22 March 2022
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By: |
Director of Children’s Services
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Title: |
Adoption Agency Delegation
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Purpose: |
RECOMMENDATIONS
The
Governance Committee is recommended to agree to delegate authority
to the Head of Children’s Safeguards and Quality Assurance to
exercise the powers, functions and duties of the County Council as
an Adoption Agency, which includes acting as Agency Decision
Maker
1. Background and Supporting information
1.1. The Director of Children’s Services has delegated authority to undertake all the powers and duties of the County Council as an adoption agency having regard to the recommendations of the Adoption Panel and to approve the charge for home-study assessments for inter-country adoptions in accordance with the policy agreed by Cabinet. This includes acting as the Agency Decision Maker in respect of whether a proposed care plan is the right decision for the child.
1.2. The National Minimum Standards for Adoption (last updated 25 July 2014) require that the person undertaking the role of Agency Decision Maker is a qualified social worker (paragraph 23.17).
1.3. It is proposed that authority to exercise these powers and functions also be delegated to the Head of Children’s Safeguards and Quality Assurance, a role which does require a social work qualification.
2. Recommendations
2.1. The Governance Committee is recommended to agree to delegate authority to the Head of Children’s Safeguards and Quality Assurance to exercise the powers, functions and duties of the County Council as an Adoption Agency, which includes acting as Agency Decision Maker.
ALISON JEFFERY
Director of Children’s Services
Contact Officer:
Sarah Mainwaring, Assistant Director, HR&OD
Tel. No. 01273 482060