An update on the London regionalisation project for individuals and organisations interested in the future of adoption in London.
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The Future of Adoption in London - Update: March 2018
Welcome to the spring newsletter from the LRAA programme, Adopt London. This newsletter is sent to all stakeholders who have registered an interest in learning more about the London Regionalising Adoption programme.
Inside this newsletter you will find:
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Update on the LRAA programme team
We are pleased to announce that Gary May has joined us as the LRAA Programme Project Manager.
Four local authorities have agreed, in principle, to host the four RAA spokes for the London Regional Adoption Agency. These Local Authorities are:
Adopt London West – Ealing
Adopt London South & the pan-London hub – Southwark
Adopt London East – Havering
Adopt London North - Islington
The recruitment for the four RAA spokes project managers is underway. Four regional project managers have been appointed, these new appointments are as follows:
James Boxer – East
Maggie McGrath – West
Rebecca Eligon – South
Julie Lewis - North
This is significant progress for the project as these four regional project managers will be coordinating the plans locally with the Project Manager Gary May, to ensure the LRAA project delivers the business case over the coming months.
We have successfully recruited Janette Parsons to be the Adopt London RAA programme Workforce/HR lead. Janette will work on the workforce/HR implications of developing a RAA and an important part of her brief will be to seek the views of the staff involved.
We are pleased to announce that the new Executive Board for the Adopt London RAA programme is also in place. The membership is as follows:
Annie Hudson, Lambeth;
Tim Aldridge and Robert South, Havering;
Carmel Littleton and Finola Culbert, Islington;
David Quirke-Thornton and Alasdair Smith, Southwark;
Judith Findlay and Carolyn Fair, Ealing;
Gary May, and a Voluntary Sector representative will be nominated by VAA colleagues.
Stakeholder Engagement focus and events
Local Authority adoption teams – we know our Local Authority colleagues are keen to be updated on the progress to date and future plans. We understand that these proposed changes can be an anxious time for colleagues and a detailed briefing for Local Authority adoption teams will be circulated by each of the hosting authorities in March 2018.
Engaging adopters – Adopter Voice London, working with We Are Family for Adopt London RAA and London Adoption Board
During February 2018 prospective adopters and adopters in London received invitations to Adopter Voice forums in North, East, South and West London.
Adopter Voice is your chance to influence and improve adoption services by sharing your experiences about what has supported you and what needs to be improved. Your views are important to help shape the future of adoption in London so please look out for future invitations and have your say!
For more information about Adopter Voice please click here.
Working with VAAs and ASAs – a meeting was held in early February for VAA and ASA partners to discuss the progress to date and future plans and to explore how the Adopt London RAA will engage with its VAA and ASA partners. A second meeting is planned for March 2018.
FAQs reminder
The FAQs were updated in January, please find these on the London Councils Adopt London webpage here.
How you can get involved:
Attend one of the forthcoming information events
Email your thoughts and ideas into the team: londonregionaladoption@londoncouncils.gov.uk
Follow the Facebook page
The reasons why the government is looking to regionalise adoption are set out in Adoption, the reason for change policy paper.
Previous newsletter updates from the project team can be found on the website here.
Who's involved?
VAAs and ASAs:
Action for Children, AdoptionPlus, Barnardo’s, Coram, Family Futures, Intercountry Adoption Centre, PACT, PAC-UK, SSAFA, TACT.
LAs:
Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Camden, City of London, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston-upon-Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond-upon-Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, and Westminster.
Other organisations:
London Councils (hosting project management); National Academy for Parenting Research, Kings College London and National Adoption and Fostering Clinic, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (LAB member), Adoption UK.
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