Department for Education
Adoption Reform Update – December 2013
Welcome
Pupil Premium for Adopted Children
From April 2014, schools in England can receive the Pupil Premium for children adopted from care or who left care under a Special Guardianship (SGO) on or after 30 December 2005. Schools can also claim the Pupil Premium for children who left care under a Residence Order (RO) on or after 14 October 1991.
The Pupil Premium is available to help schools raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap with their peers. It is paid to schools in respect of disadvantaged pupils in Reception to Year 11. The Government has extended the coverage of the Pupil Premium in recognition of the traumatic experiences many adopted children have endured in their early lives and acknowledging that their needs do not change overnight.
To enable schools to claim the Pupil Premium Plus for adopted children, and those who are the subject of a SGO and RO, parents will need to inform the school and provide supporting evidence, for example, by showing the school a copy of the Adoption (Court) Order with sensitive information concealed, e.g. the names of the birth parents. Parents will need to self-declare before 16 January 2014 which is the date schools complete the annual School Census.
Bill Update
The indicative guidance that was published in October has been revised in respect of Fostering for Adoption and has been published on the Department for Education’s website. Although we will be holding a public consultation on the indicative regulations and guidance early next year, we would also welcome your comments now. Please send them to adoption.reform@education.gsi.gov.uk
Edward Timpson’s Speech on Adoption Support
On 27 November Edward Timpson attended the BAAF Adoption Support conference and delivered a speech on adoption support, in which he emphasised why better support is fundamental to the Government’s adoption reforms. You can read his speech on the GOV.UK website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/edward-timpson-speaks-at-the-baaf-adoption-support-conference
BAAF Training Update
DfE has contracted with BAAF to run free seminars to support the adoption reform programme. A limited number of places will be available at each of these sessions to all adoption agencies and adoption support agencies in England.
The second tranche of training will be run between November and January and will focus on the use of Fostering for Adoption and Concurrency and their place in planning permanence for children. It is suggested that to make best use of these sessions local authorities use their 2 free places to send a manager from their adoption or fostering and childcare teams who can take the materials and learning and disseminate them back into their agency.
These seminars are booking now with early dates booking fast –
Thursday 19th Dec 2013 – BAAF London Office - Now fully booked
Thursday 19th Dec 2013 – The Heatons, Manchester
Monday 13th Jan 2014 – BAAF London Office- Now fully booked
Tuesday 14th Jan 2014 – The Heatons, Manchester - Cancelled
Monday 20th Jan 2014 – CCS, Bristol
Wednesday 22nd Jan 2014 – BAAF Leeds Office
Wednesday 22nd Jan 2014 – BAAF Birmingham Office
Tuesday 28th Jan 2014 – BAAF London Office
Wednesday 29th Jan 2014 – BAAF Newcastle Office
*new date* - Wednesday 29th Jan 2014 – BAAF London Office
Details and registration forms can be found on the BAAF website at http://www.baaf.org.uk/training/events?page=1 and any enquiries can be sent to dfetraining@baaf.org.uk.
Official Statistics on Looked After Children, including Adoption
DfE published a Statistical First Release on 11 December covering the outcomes for Looked After Children at both national and local authority levels. These statistics can be found on the GOV.UK website at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption
Ofsted quality assurance and data report 2012-13 statistical first release
On 10 December, Ofsted published data on adoption agencies in England for the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013. The data is available to view on the Ofsted website at:
Children’s Rights Director Survey on Adoption Breakdown
The Children’s Rights Director, under his statutory duty to ascertain and report children's views, is carrying out a survey of children who have returned to care after an adoption breakdown. This survey secures children’s own views and experience, without identifying individuals or authorities, on the factors in adoption breakdown and potential preventive measures for publication and report to DfE, Ministers and DCSs. Children's views are incredibly important to understanding how adoption breakdown affects children and what preventative measures may help. The report on children’s own perspectives on adoption breakdown will sit alongside current academic research on breakdowns.
The Office of the Children’s Rights Director is seeking nominations of children to whom passwords can be sent to participate in an online survey. If you are aware of children who have returned to care following an adoption breakdown in your area who may be able to contribute their views to this important research, please contact Jayne Noble (Jayne.Noble@ofsted.gov.uk) or Lilian Clay (Lilian.Clay@ofsted.gov.uk). They will then send an individual password out for the child or young person to complete the survey.
Keeping you in touch
We are sending this update to those we have contact details for and look to you to disseminate this bulletin more widely among your colleagues and members. If you do not wish to receive this update please reply to this email and we will ensure your details are removed before any further updates are circulated. If any of your colleagues would like to be added to our circulation list they should send their name, email address and job title to adoption.REFORM@education.gsi.gov.uk.
If you have any suggestions as to how we might make these updates more useful to you – or items you would like to see – please let us know by contacting the email address above.
Adoption Reform Team
Department for Education
December 2013
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