§ Mr. MossTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends to issue further guidance in connection with the adoption and fostering of children from minority ethnic groups.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe chief inspector of the social services inspectorate has written to all directors of social services, setting out within a legal and professional framework the principles which should inform family placement work in relation to issues of race and culture. His letter also goes to voluntary child agencies and approved adoption societies so that they too may benefit from it. Copies have been placed in the Library.
The letter emphasises and reinforces existing guidance on the importance of providing a fostering and adoption service which can meet the needs of children from all ethnic groups. Racial origin, cultural background and religion are important factors in choosing new families for children who can no longer remain with their own families. These matters are the subject of a document shortly to be issued by the Council for Racial Equality, entitled "Adoption and Fostering of Ethnic Minority Children:The Race Dimension."
In the great majority of cases, placement with a family of similar ethnic origin and religion is most likely to meet a child's needs as fully as possible and best safeguard his or her welfare. Authorities and other agencies need to persuade people from all ethnic groups in the community to come forward as foster parents and adopters. In some circumstances placement with a family of different ethnic origin may be the best choice for a particular child. Full consideration of a child's welfare requires that all relevant factors be properly identified and weighed.
I am confident that the chief inspector's letter will remove any grounds for the misunderstandings which may have existed about the requirements of legislation, guidance and good professional practice in this area.
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§ Mr. MossTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has completed his consideration of issues highlighted by an Appeal Court decision on the placement for adoption of a child of mixed ethnic origin; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe Department's social services inspectorate has made a thorough investigation of the case in question, with the full co-operation of the director of social services and his staff.
I am satisfied from the inspectorate's inquiries that, in reaching its decision to remove the child from his foster mother and place him with another family for adoption, the authority gave first consideration to his welfare, as it was required by law to do. The child's ethnic origins were, rightly, a factor in its considerations, but this was considered alongside other factors and was neither the only nor even the principal reason for the decision.
However, the inspectorate did find, and the authority agrees, that the child and his foster mother received no visits or any other support from social services for 10 weeks after he was placed with her. The authority was thus in breach of the Boarding-Out of Children Regulations 1955 which were then in force and specified minimum visiting requirements. The authority also allowed the wardship to lapse. However, the inspectorate did find that, after the first 10 weeks, the authority handled the case carefully and professionally.
Clearly the failures identified were serious. I am glad that the authority has already taken steps to ensure that there is no repetition in future. The inspectorate has made a number of important recommendations for further improvement, and I am confident that the authority wi.11 respond to these positively.