10. Will the Minister make a statement on progress with adoption services in Wales? OAQ(5)0017(CC)

15. Will the Minister make a statement on adoption services in Wales? OAQ(5)0004(CC)

I thank the Member for her question. Presiding Officer, I understand you’ve also grouped 10 and 15, and agreed for those to be grouped today. Welsh Government have been working with the National Adoption Service to further develop and strengthen the strategic direction of adoption services in Wales. We want to ensure that adoptive families have access to timely, appropriate adoption services regardless of where they live in Wales.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that response, and I congratulate the Government on the progress with the National Adoption Service. I have been approached by adoptive parents in Wales who are concerned about their status in possible contested adoption proceedings. Would the Cabinet Secretary confirm that the Welsh Government will be seeking to make amendments to clause 9 of the Children and Social Work Bill as it goes through the UK parliamentary process, to ensure that Welsh prospective adoptive parents are included in the definition of ‘relative’, because, if you fail to do this, this means the court won’t be taking into account the relationship between the child and its prospective adoptive parents in cases of contested adoption?

I’m aware of the Member’s concerns. My officials are considering the issues raised by clause 9 of the Children and Social Work Bill, and are in contact with Westminster to ensure the amendments made are in the best interests of Welsh children waiting to be adopted and their prospective adoptive parents. We are committed, as the Member raises, to adoption as an important option for those looked-after children who are not able to be cared for by their birth family. We are recognising the challenging, but rewarding, role that adoptive parents play in providing permanent, loving homes for these children, and it’s something that I will continue to keep an eye on as the Bill goes forward.

Earlier this year, the Children, Young People and Education Committee raised concerns about the lack of post-adoption support and the significant and very serious impact this could potentially have on children and families. They also are concerned about the regional variations in post-adoption support across Wales and call on the Welsh Government to instigate a review of services. Will the Cabinet Secretary update the Assembly in this regard, please?

I thank the Member for his question. Since the National Adoption Service was established in November 2014, the average length of time between a child being looked after and being placed for adoption has continued to reduce. The final 2015-16 quarter performance figure of 15.2 months is the lowest it’s been since 2002. Significant improvements have been made in the provision of life journey materials as of 31 March 2016, with 49 per cent of children receiving the materials by the time of their second adoption review and no more than three months after their first review, compared with 24 per cent the year before. There is still an awful lot of work to be done, but I will be looking to continue with an advisory group in order to influence Government and make the best decisions for young people finding themselves in this position.

Minister, I’m pleased that Julie Morgan has raised this question; it is an important and a sensitive area. Adoption is a rewarding, but also a challenging thing for anyone to do. Peer support is clearly a vital element of the support services and the National Adoption Service. How are you strengthening the networks to ensure that adopters have access to the support that they need?

That’s a really important question—to make sure that we’re able to have the capacity to support parents who wish to take on board the loving characters in terms of the adoption services. I’ve asked my team to come up with a programme for supporting the provision, and, again, working with other Ministers across this department, on how we can ensure that we’ve got the right provisions in the right place, including services around mental health issues as well, making sure that we can provide support for individuals?