Adoption hotspots map is a “gimmick” says social worker association

The colour-coded map highlights the number of children available for adoption in different parts of the country.

BASW Acting Chief Executive Bridget Robb said that although the government’s promotion of adoption was to be welcomed, the map highlighted a particular attitude amongst ministers.

Divorce Services Find your local office

“It is…difficult to avoid a…perspective on this latest government adoption launch, that ministers are utterly obsessed with gimmicks aimed at ‘exposing’ an apparent world of local authority failure to find good homes for children – implying that central government is the only area of public life taking seriously the need to offer long term stability to young people.

The map betrayed “…this government’s simplistic approach to an incredibly complex subject”, she added.

Ms Robb also stressed the importance of adequate resources and additional support after an adoption has taken place.

“Better resourcing [of] the assessments process, without introducing unacceptable risks into the system is key, while improved post-adoption support would help to prevent the worrying, and little researched, area of adoption breakdown, where a child is handed back to social services and so suffers twice over.”