Recruiting Adopters for Today’s Children

1. Recruiting Adopters for Today’s Children Adopters for Children with Complex Needs and Disabilities Judith Sargent & Andy Stott

2. History of Barnardo’s Adoption Service • Over 100 years of experience of finding families for children in need • Approved adoption agency since 1947 • Adoption services across England, Wales and Scotland

3. History of the Project • Barnardo’s bid for Second Phase of Expansion Grant • Awarded 3 projects focussing on recruiting adopters for siblings, for children with complex needs and uncertainty and for disabled children • Here to share our work with recruiting for those with complex needs and uncertainty

4. Developing the Project • Research into what works • Information gathering • Participation of adopters • Those who have previously adopted • Those adopters who are waiting • Marketing and Recruitment strategy • Adapting current practice • Implementation • Evaluation

5. Research and Information Gathering • Limited written research • Information gathering with LAs within our local Consortium • Delivery of training for the Consortium • Adapting our preparation and training to meet the needs of local children

6. Participation with Adopters • Hearing the stories of those who have done it • Focus group • Links with past adopters • Links with foster carers • Hearing from waiting adopters • Identifying fears and worries

7. Recruitment & Marketing • Aim was to target recruitment of these adopters at the “Front Door” • Development of marketing materials that were welcoming to all and for all children • Social media activity

8. Case study Family C - willing and able to take child with disability • Previous experience of parenting children with disabilities • Exchange of information and opportunity to meet key professionals • Blind visit • Support plan which ensured that key health professionals were on board • Additional social work support to ensure handover, apply for finance and respond to emotional challenges

9. Adapting Current Practice • Openness and honesty with adopters from the outset • Face to face meetings through information events and home visits • Enhancement of preparation training and assessment process • Thorough matching process • Negotiation of tighter support plans • Increasing post placement support

10. What have we done differently • Specific training – “Breaking Down the Barriers” • Factsheets and resources • Buddying • Developing DVDs of past adopters

11. What have we done differently • Additional post approval training • Enhancing the post placement support offer including counselling and therapeutic parenting training

12. Case study Adopter M - changed her criteria post approval • Attendance at Breaking Down the Barriers and specialist FASD training • Provision of additional resources and reading • Supportive social work visits • Buddy scheme with experienced foster carer • Prior experience of working with children with additional needs • Support package which acknowledges future support needs

13. Data from Yorkshire • 20 approvals in the period Oct 14 to Nov 15 • 13 of these willing and able to take children with complex needs, uncertainty and disability • 20 placements (25 children) in the period Oct 14 to Nov 15 • 12 of these are children with complex needs or disabilities • 6 further families linked with children with complex needs or disabilities

14. What has gone well • Opening minds to accepting children with complex needs, uncertain futures or disabilities • Clear messages embedded within all communication and training • Meeting the needs of these children has become core business and not an add-on • Children being placed in families

15. Meeting the challenges of the current environment • Recruitment challenges • Preparation of adopters for the harder to place children • Ensuring appropriate support is made available, especially immediately post-placement before the ASF can be accessed

16. Contact details Andy Stott, Adoption Operations Manager Judith Sargent, Adoption Team Manager Barnardo’s Family Placement Team, East afby@barnardos.org.uk 0113 263 1464