Adopt Birmingham celebrates Ofsted judgement of Good with Outstanding Leadership

Birmingham Children’s Trust’s adoption agency, Adopt Birmingham, has been recognised for its outstanding work in finding stable and safe homes for children, with Ofsted inspectors praising the agency's child-centred approach. Adopt Birmingham maintained its "Good with Outstanding Leadership" rating following a recent inspection that saw children, families and professionals all speak positively about the service. 

Ofsted’s report notes that: "The agency's staff promote decisions that are child centred and tailored to each child's individual needs. As a result, children make positive progress from their starting points. Adopters demonstrate a strong understanding of their children’s needs and provide nurturing parenting that promotes growth and development." 

Ofsted also recognised within the inspection that: “A key strength of the agency remains its staff. They are therapeutic and empathetic and demonstrate a strong sense of care and responsibility towards children and adopters.” 

One adopter who was interviewed as part of the inspection fed back that: “The support, training, advice and guidance we are offered is invaluable. Plus, therapy and support for our children. Our social worker keeps in regular contact and there are lots of activities for our children and us as a family.” 

Reflecting on the inspection outcome, James Thomas, Chief Executive for Birmingham Children's Trust, said: "We are really proud of this inspection report and the description of our service as child-centred, inclusive and supportive.  Adopting a child is a massive, life-changing decision so I'm particularly pleased that families speak so highly about the support they receive from our staff throughout their adoption journey. This outcome is a testament to our dedicated staff and the strength of our partnership work.” 

Councillor Mick Brown, Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: "I’m delighted to read that Adopt Birmingham continues to make a real difference to children and families. It is clear from the report that adoptive parents value the dedication and commitment of our staff and that children progress well when they are adopted.”  

Read the full report here

Some of Ofsted’s specific comments included: 

On overall experiences and progress of service users: 

• “Adopters feel welcomed by the whole team and speak positively about their initial contact with the agency and the quality of information provided. They are well supported to understand the adoption journey and the challenges that parenting may bring.” 

• “Staff are experienced, committed and passionate about their roles, creating a positive environment that champions adoptive families. Adopters speak overwhelmingly positively about the relationships they have with staff across the adoption team.” 

• “Children are supported to maintain meaningful relationships with those who are important to them, including birth families and previous foster carers. For some children, this includes increasingly imaginative and direct contact arrangements with their birth families.” 

On how well children, young people and adults are helped and protected: 

• “There are effective safeguarding arrangements throughout the agency that ensure children are kept safe and their well-being is promoted.” 

•  “Prospective adopters are well prepared and supported to understand the potential impact of abuse and neglect throughout their assessment period. The secure base model is embedded within the assessment process and informs the identification and management of any concerns.” 

• “Children and adopters continue to benefit from a wide range of in-house and external resources, accessed through the post-adoption team. Courses, support and opportunities to explore feelings and develop new skills help reduce the risk of disruption and have contributed to a low number of adoption breakdowns.” 

On the effectiveness of leaders and managers: 

• “Managers and staff share an ambitious vision and remain child centred in their approach. They use a range of internal and external strength-based quality assurance processes to identify areas for development, implement changes and monitor progress.” 

• “Staff benefit from a well-structured training programme that continues to strengthen practice across the agency. They also participate in team therapeutic reflection groups, learning from practice sessions and appraisals that support continuous improvement.”

Adopt Birmingham provides services on behalf of Birmingham Children's Trust and is also a partner of the Voluntary Adoption Agency, Adoption Focus. 

You can find out more about Adopt Birmingham here https://adoptbirmingham.co.uk/