Decision details

6.1       The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services regarding proposals to establish a Regional Adoption Agency.

6.2       The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1)approve the establishment of a Regional Adoption Agency (“the RAA”)

from the adoption services of Brighton & Hove City Council, Surrey and East and West Sussex County Councils, on the basis of the model recommended in the report, to be known as Adoption South East (ASE);

2) approve that East Sussex County Council be appointed as the Lead

Authority; and

3) delegate to the Director of Children’s Services:

(i) authority to determine the roles and duties of the Lead Authority, the RAA and the Local Authorities;

(ii) in consultation with the Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer authority to determine what amount of the budget allocated for the Council’s adoption service is included in the RAA pool; and

(iii) authority to take any actions he considers necessary in consequence of and to give effect to the decision to establish the RAA, including (but not limited to) entering into any agreements.

Reason

6.3       The proposals to establish an Inter Authority Agreement exist in the context of Department for Education policy document: ‘Adoption – Vision for Change’ (2016) and recognise that the new model will need to be developed to be compliant with these requirements. The relationship between the four local authorities (Brighton & Hove City Council, East Sussex, Surrey and West Sussex County Councils) has started from a good position and continues to strengthen. The proposed delivery model will achieve the objectives of the project with the minimum disruption. Governance arrangements are well established and confidence in the potential benefits of the Regional Adoption Agency has grown. An Inter Authority Agreement will be entered into between the parties appointing ESCC as the Lead Authority. A Head of Service will then be appointed by East Sussex who will work towards establishing the RAA by April 2020.