County's adoption team win top industry award
Devon County Council's adoption team has won a major industry award as part of National Adoption Week.
The British Association of Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) has announced Devon County as Local Authority Adoption Team of the Year 2014.
The team received their accolade at the awards ceremony last night week at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.
The evening was hosted by BAAF patron and broadcaster Nicky Campbell and the Children’s Minister Edward Timpson MP will be the charity’s special guest.
BAAF Patrons, actress and adoptive mother Clare Grogan,and celebrity hairdresser and adopted adult Andrew Barton were amongst the judges for the awards.
Barbara Hutchinson, BAAF’s Interim Chief Executive commented; “This year we received a record number of nominations for the National Adoption Week Awards. They were all to an incredibly high standard and we had a very difficult choice in drawing up the shortlist. Our National Adoption Week Awards recognise and celebrate good practice and exceptional achievement among those working or involved in adoption in the UK.”
Devon Adoption Service was recognised for its empathetic and creative approach to recruiting and supporting adoptive families, birth parents and children. An example of the team’s creative approach includes their decision to create two special life story books for the children, one which they can use to remember their past, and another which they can use to look to the future.
Robina Kahn, Senior Manager Permanence and Transitions, Fostering and Adoption services said: “This is a wonderful achievement and a credit to the dedication, commitment and child centred practice of the Life Story and Family Finding Team. The Life story and Family Finding team works with children to prepare them for adoption and completes Life Story books using the ‘Joy Rees’ model of best practice for Life Story work. The team also provides support to birth parents, which led to other Local Authorities seeking our advice on how we do this so well. Well done and very, very many congratulations to the whole team.”
Rachel Gillott, Devon Adoption’s Operations Manager said: “We were totally stunned and grateful to win Local Authority Adoption team of the Year. It was brilliant to be recognised for putting the the children at the heart of the work we do, rather than being all about the data and statistics."
"The whole service is working really hard to gain high quality placements for children awaiting adoption, so that the children are well prepared; and ongoing support to adopters is one of the team’s priorities. Good transitions from foster care to adoptive placements ensure children can understand their journey and this enables them to make better attachments in the future."
“Birth parents and adopted adults also need a service which allows them to understand what has happened to them and for them to gain individual support in the future. The whole team are really pleased that the innovative work they are producing has been recognised nationally.”
Cabinet member for Children, Schools and Skills, Cllr James McInnes said: "This is terrific news and I am very proud of what the team has achieved here. We have a dedicated team of very experienced social workers and community care workers in Devon and they show a superb level of commitment to their profession. I must also express gratitude to our adoptive parents in Devon who provide a loving and stable home to some of our most vulnerable young people."
