Thinking about adoption?
Thinking about fostering?
Pregnant and Considering Adoption?
Update on Version 2 Part 6 Code of Practice, following the consultation last year.
Some minor amendments have been made to the original Code of Practice, and as a result a lot of the numbering of paragraphs has changed. It is, therefore, worth checking out the new Code when you are referring to it even if you are not working in the areas where changes have occurred.
1) Notifications of emergency out of area placements in residential care: an amendment to reg 12(6)(b) Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (Wales) Regulations 2015, brought in by the CPPCR(W)(Amendment) Regulations 2018, means that children's homes have to give notification of emergency placement to the local authority in which they are situated within 24 hours rather than 5 working days. The amendment regulations also place additional duties on children's homes in providing information to the local authority. This is reflected in the amended paragraphs 202 - 207 in the new C of P (paras 202 - 205 in the old C of P).
Welcome to AFA Cymru’s spring legal newsletter, where we aim to help practitioners keep up to date with the law relating to permanency planning for children in Wales.
Practitioners may be aware that in England the concept of the ‘early permanent placement’ has taken hold, with 360 children, in 2016/17 being placed with prospective adoptive parents who are also temporarily approved as foster carers for that particular child. Under the Children and Families Act 2014, the child may be placed at an early stage in proceedings, where the local authority is ‘considering’ adoption. If the care plan for adoption is accepted by the court, the foster placement transforms into an adoptive placement once placement order and matching decision are made.
This Act came into force in April following a fairy turbulent time in Parliament. The vast majority of its provisions apply to England only (safeguarding, regulation and training of social workers, and education). There are a small number of sections which apply to Wales and these cover care and adoption proceedings which are, of course, not devolved.
Welcome to the early autumn edition of our newsletter. AFA Cymru aims to keep practitioners up to date with the law relating to permanency planning for children in Wales.
Special guardianship – Welsh Government has published its consultation on the proposed changes to the Special Guardianship (Wales) Regulations 2005. If you have an interest in special guardianship, do look at them and make your own representations. The consultation period ends on 27 November and can be found on the consultation part of the WG website.
Adoption and fostering regulations – Welsh Government is also undertaking a review of the legislative framework for both fostering and adoption. The work for this starts this month.
IRO practice standards: AFA has been awarded the contract to devise the practice standards and will be starting to undertake consultation with relevant stakeholders in the near future.
National Fostering Framework – we are now in Phase three of the work for this and AFA is continuing with its work on kinship care, devising the good practice guide, using all the best practice gleaned and lessons learned from the consultation in Phase two. We will be hosting half day workshops to introduce the guide to the six NFF regions, and introducing the guide to the judiciary in Wales.
Welcome to our spring newsletter. At AFA we aim to support and develop good practice in all aspects of permanency planning and care for children.
In this edition we look at some recent case law on adoption, have a quick revisit / refresh on access to information from adoption records and look at two recent serious case reviews, one where the child was looked after and the other where the child was subject to a special guardianship order.
In the next edition, which will be available in late spring, we are focussing on children who are looked after, the role / scope of the IRO and delegated authority.
We offer advice to members of the public and professionals.
In September 2015, The Association of Fostering and Adoption (AFA) Cymru was formed. Whilst its day to day operational services of training, consultancy, professional advice and information are delivered independently of St. David’s, it is by law governed by St. David’s Children Society under the terms of its charitable status.
St. David's Children Society is a registered charity (Registration No: 509163). A Company limited by Guarantee (Registered Cardiff 1546688).
Registered Office: St. David’s Children Society, 28 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3BA.
The Association for Fostering and Adoption Cymru (AFA Cymru) is a Welsh charity that promotes good practice across the breadth of permanency planning for children and young people. It also offers advice, training and consultancy to professionals and members of the public to support best practice.
