§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what role the Government plan for voluntary adoption agencies following the Adoption and Children Act 2002. [84025]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Government is aware that voluntary adoption agencies (VAAs) make a very significant contribution to the adoption service and play an important supporting role alongside their local authority partners in assessing prospective adopters for both domestic and inter-country adoption. Indeed, statistics prepared by the consortium of voluntary adoption agencies show that in 2001–02, 604 children were placed for adoption with adopters approved by 26 of their member agencies. This accounts for around 20 per cent of the looked after children likely to have been placed for adoption during that year.
Many VAAs specialise in finding adoptive placements for the more difficult to place children, including older children, children from ethnic minority groups and those with special needs. Almost a quarter of the 604 children placed for adoption with adopters assessed by VAAs were disabled, developmentally delayed or had special health care needs.
VAAs also provide choice for adopters, for example some cater for prospective adopters of a particular religious faith, and local authorities and vulnerable children benefit from this choice.
VAAs also play an important part in the provision of adoption support services. Nearly all VAAs offer support networks and provide a wide variety of support including workshops, therapeutic and social groups and counselling of individuals.
The Government expects the valuable role played by VAAs to continue and grow under the new Act.
§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in increasing the number of children who leave care to be adopted. [83165]
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§ Jacqui SmithThe Department's social services performance assessment framework indicators 2001–02, which were published last week, show that the number of adoptions of looked after children increased from 3,100 in 2000–01 to 3,400 in 2001–02— a rise of 11 per cent.
Since the Quality Protects initiative began in 1998–99, there has been an increase of 1,200 in the annual number of looked after children adopted— a rise of almost 55 per cent.
The Government believe that more can and should be done to promote the wider use of adoption to provide permanent, secure homes for vulnerable children, and have set a public service agreement target to increase by
Region Establishment WTE Actual headcount Actual WTE Variance Total Staff v. Establishment WTE Offers made Vacancies Percentage vacancies against establishment North East 79.49 80.00 76.96 2.53 0.00 2.53 3.18 East Midlands 115.79 113.00 106.36 9.43 0.00 9.43 8.14 South West 201.21 197.00 184.42 16.79 0.00 16.79 8.34 West Midlands 148.27 149.00 137.46 10.81 0.00 10.81 7.29 North West 212.03 193.00 185.03 27.00 0.00 27.00 12.73 London 137.01 125.00 116.08 20.93 0.00 20.93 15.28 South East 268.62 220.00 207.31 61.31 35.00 26.31 9.79 Eastern 128.66 122.00 115.78 12.88 0.50 12.38 9.62 Yorkshire and Humberside 137.84 128.00 123.86 13.98 0.00 13.98 10.15 Inspector total 1,428.92 1,327.00 1,253.26 175.66 35.50 140.16 9.81 Notes:
1. Offers made are those that are currently awaiting start dates following the recruitment campaign of July/August.
2. Regions are currently in the process of interviewing for the current round of inspectors where we expect to fill 75–100 posts.
3. Advert will be going to press on 4 December for any remaining vacancies.