Adoption Support Disaster Warwickshire

[EHCPWarrior]

So today I had confirmation in writing that Warwickshire County Council and Adoption Central England (RAA) have been avoiding there legal duties to provide statutory adoption support for the last 7 years to anyone with and adopted child in Warwickshire because of the way the regional adoption Agencies were created. They have systematically denied support to everyone in crisis and this explains the national scandal. Fuming but they have finally agreed to do their legal duty for every adopted parent in Warwickshire. If you need adoption support from Warwickshire contact ACE tomorrow.

This is really concerning. Could you expand a bit more please? We are prospective adopters with ACE but not in Warwickshire. Was someone else providing the support instead?

ACE is the Regional Adoption Agency for Warwickshire, Coventry, Solihull, Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Warwickshire County Council has now admitted in writing that for the last 7 years they have been routing adoptive families through the Children with Disabilities team under Section 17 Children Act 1989 if you were lucky, instead of conducting proper assessments under the Adoption Support Services Regulations 2005 (ASSR). This is the framework that should apply to all adopted children.

They've admitted this was wrong, that it affected my family and 'other adoptive families,' and that it needs to change.

I can't speak for the other LA areas in the ACE partnership I would strongly urge you to check and ask the awkward questions of your LA and your ACE worker. The first one is who do you work for, if they say ACE rather than Warwickshire County Council then you know that there is something amiss. As all LA’s are hiding behind the facade of its ACE.

Then you need to ask them specifically Ineed to ask them directly what framework they use for adoption support is it The ASSA or another support mechanism (S17 Child in need) then ask when I request adoption support, will I receive an assessment under the Adoption Support Services Regulations 2005, and will I receive a Regulation 16 Support Plan? And get the answer in writing.

If they can't answer yes to both, there may be a problem.

I had actually planned to contact ACE next week to ask for support. I don't understand the system enough to know if I would be getting what I am meant to though. We have had support 3-4 years ago in the form of parenting courses and a social worker. I now want to request specific support for my child.

And that is the problem they have been ducking it by claiming ACE can only deal with Adoption support fund. So you need to be very specific put it in writing that you are asking for a Adoption Support Assessment under the 2002 and 2005 regulations and require a section 16 plan. If it’s another authority then ACE might refer to your local Authority. I would email Jemma Fordham directly with the request. [email protected]

I put a draft into another thread how to get a support assessment

Thank you thats really helpful information. Generally the adoption UK members speak highly of ACE locally but we haven't met any from Warwickshire.

It's done. Warwickshire has admitted in writing that adoptive families were denied their statutory rights for seven years. The framework is being fixed. The Executive Board is reviewing. The MP is engaged. The Commons debate is coming.
If you're an adoptive family who was denied support, told there was 'no unmet need,' or routed to Children with Disabilities instead of getting an Adoption Support Assessment you were failed by design.
Ask your RAA the three questions. Point to Warwickshire's admissions. Demand what you're entitled to.
The landscape has changed. For everyone

Dear [RAA / Local Authority],
I am an adoptive parent seeking adoption support. Before proceeding, I would be grateful for clarification on three points:

1. Who is your host local authority, and can you confirm that the Regional Adoption Agency is not a separate legal entity from that LA?
2. Who is responsible for conducting Adoption Support Services Assessments (ASSA) under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and the Adoption Support Services Regulations 2005?
3. Can you carry out an ASSA for my family and produce a Regulation 16 Support Plan in accordance with ASSR 2005?

I ask because Warwickshire County Council recently admitted in writing that it had been applying the wrong statutory framework to adoptive families for seven years, and that families "without the capacity to research" were unaware of their rights. I would like to ensure my family receives the correct assessment under the correct framework. Yours faithfully,

[Name]

Thanks for this @EHCPWarrior It sounds like it's the local authority that has been in the wrong. Is that the case?

@Pieandchips999 we are Warwickshire and have always felt positive about our experience with ACE.

ACE have always claimed they were not part of WCC which is untrue. WCC have used this illusion to avoid their statutory duties under the Adoption Support Assessment framework. In effect ACE have been under providing because WCC never gave them the mechanism for providing the additional support some of need.

Thanks. Just googling framework to make sure I know what I should be asking for!

The Regulations are here

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/691/part/4

In effect the LA are required to Assess for everything, but that doesn't mean you get everything although if your child has an EHCP they are double locked because this kicks in the CDPSA Which makes provision for a Disabled child mandatory if need is established.

If you want to DM me I can send you a file I have come across which has what should happen in an ASSA.

The key thing to ask of your RAA (be that ACE or other LA's) is to be very specific and make sure they know you are asking under this framework. It means they have to at least identify all that you need which means that you then have the documentary evidence they are not meeting it. Please don't think I am getting at frontline SW they are in a total bind. The problem is the System. ACE have now updated their website making it clearer (just). You will see that the services that can be provided do not just cover the ASFG which is what everyone is told and also "the funding has run out". ASFG was only ever supposed to top up the LA's not be the substitute for the support people need.

This is the range of services that should be provided. the reality is they try and get away with just the ASGF funded ones, which is why it's been cut back because LA's were abusing the system.

Adoption support services in the UK are designed to ensure that adoptive placements are successful and sustainable, offering a range of financial, practical, and therapeutic help
. These services are mandatory for local authorities to assess and provide for eligible children and families.
The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (CSDPA) 1970 acts as a legal driver for specialized support, placing a duty on local authorities to provide for the assessed needs of disabled children.
Key Adoption Support Services

• Financial Support: This includes adoption allowances (based on the child's needs), help with settling-in costs, and special needs/adaptations funding.
• Therapeutic Services: Funded through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF), this includes therapies for children with complex needs, such as attachment difficulties or trauma.
• Support Groups & Training: Access to workshops, training (e.g., Safebase), and support groups for parents and children.
• Contact Mediation: Support with managing relationships with birth families, such as letterbox contact.
• Respite Care/Short Breaks: Temporary care, such as overnight stays or weekend activities, to support the family unit.
• Disruption Support: Mediation and support services for families at risk of placement breakdown.
• Education & Housing Support: Priority school admissions, support from designated teachers, and priority council housing.

CSDPA 1970 Inclusions (Disabled Children) When a child is deemed to fall under the scope of the CSDPA, the following specific support services are included:

• Home Adaptations: Assistance with structural changes to the home to ensure safety, comfort, or convenience.
• Specialist Equipment: Provision of equipment to assist with daily living.
• Practical Assistance: Help within the home, including support with personal care.
• Community Access: Support to access recreational activities, educational activities, and travel assistance to these activities.
• Holidays & Meals: Assistance with organizing holidays or providing meals.

Accessing Services

• Assessment Right: Adoptive families have the right to request an assessment for support services at any time.
• Adoption Support Plan: A detailed plan should outline the objectives, services, and responsibilities for support.
• ASGSF (The Fund): The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund is available until at least March 2027 to help fund therapeutic services, usually with a single fair access limit.

Once you see what else is available you then can't un see it. So my case I have 2 children both at specialist provision both have totally differing needs and my wife was permanently disabled 2.5 years ago. Every report from WCC says I need help. Total support to date 0........ and I am not the only one in Warwickshire I am aware of others who have had children taken back into care because WCC failed to provide the support services they should. So yes ACE at the front line are really good. The workers have been restricted to only providing ASGF funding. I have blown the doors off and I now have a confession in writing that WCC and ACE are one of the same organisation, and that they have not been doing things properly for the last 8 years. As I said they are very good at ASFG funding.....

They have relied on people not finding out about the other funding they are supposed to provide to protect budgets. Yet it is still cheaper to fund Adoption Support properly (30-50K) per child than have them taken into care 250K a year.

@EHCPWarrior

This has totally blown my mind and my AD1 was placed with me more than 17 years ago. We have been comprehensively failed by our LA & RAA. My AD1 is now 18 and she has multiple disabilities and complexities. Are you able to help me identify what possible services she is entitled to? She can no longer live at home as she makes false allegations and she engages in harmful behaviours. She is also currently out of education. I would love to secure priority housing for her. Thank you!🙏🏻

I’m so sorry, sadly your experience is far more common than it should be, and many adoptive families are comprehensively failed by the system.

From what you’ve described, your daughter should almost certainly be entitled to adult social care support under the Care Act, including a full needs assessment and funded provision (such as supported living or residential support if she can’t live safely at home).

She should also qualify for priority housing/supported accommodation due to disability and safeguarding risk.

If she has (or should have had) an EHCP, she may still be entitled to education provision up to age 25.

I would strongly suggest requesting immediately:
• a Care Act assessment from Adult Social Care
• a housing priority assessment (homelessness/disability route)
• mental health/learning disability services involvement

Consider a stage 1 stage 2 complaint under the children's Act 1989 against the local authority for failure to provide services.

If you’d like, I’m happy to share some guidance on how to request these formally and what wording helps. You’re not alone in this — many families are discovering too late that support should have been there all along.

What services your daughter is likely entitled to

Even without knowing every detail, someone in your situation usually has rights to:
1. Adult Social Care support (Care Act 2014)

At 18+, the LA must carry out:
• a Care Act needs assessment
• a support plan
• funded care if eligible

This can include:

✔ supported living
✔ carers/PA hours
✔ residential placement if needed
✔ behaviour support
✔ respite

If she “cannot live at home safely” — that almost always meets eligibility.

2. Housing priority (VERY relevant)

Because of:

• disability
• risk at home
• inability to live independently
• safeguarding concerns

She should qualify for:

priority housing / supported accommodation

Often under:

• homelessness duties
• disability priority banding
• safeguarding vulnerability

This can include specialist supported housing schemes.

3. Education / training provision (up to 25)

If she has:

• EHCP (or should have had one)

She may still be entitled to:

✔ specialist college
✔ alternative provision
✔ funded education up to 25

Even if she’s currently out of education.

4. Disability benefits

Likely entitled to:

• PIP (Personal Independence Payment)
• potentially ESA/Universal Credit with disability element

Which can help fund living support.

5. Mental health / behaviour services

Given:

• harmful behaviours
• false allegations
• complexity

There should be:

✔ community mental health team involvement
✔ possibly learning disability services
✔ behavioural specialists

And specifically around Adoption the following still applies: -

1. Adoption Support Services (before 18 — and sometimes bridging beyond)

Under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and Adoption Support Services Regulations 2005, LAs must assess and provide adoption support where there is need.

This includes:

✔ therapeutic services
✔ behavioural support
✔ specialist placements
✔ respite
✔ crisis intervention

Crucially:

Support is based on need arising from adoption, not income
It should be proactive, not only when families collapse

Many LAs failed families by:

• under-assessing
• drip-feeding therapy
• closing cases too early

Which often leads directly to the kind of crisis this parent describes.

2. Adoption Support Fund (ASF) – therapeutic & stabilisation help

Before 18 (and sometimes in transition planning), families can access the Adoption Support Fund, which pays for:

• specialist trauma therapy
• behavioural interventions
• family stabilisation work
• neurodevelopmental support

This is not means-tested.
Where this wasn’t used properly (or enough), LAs are often at fault.

3. Transition duties – when adopted children approach adulthood

Good practice (often ignored) requires:

children’s services + adoption services + adult services to plan together

So that:

• support doesn’t suddenly fall away at 18
• placements don’t break down
• housing and care are ready

When this doesn’t happen (which is common), it’s a service failure.

4. If adoption breakdown is linked to unmet adoption support

Where a young person can no longer live at home due to:

• trauma behaviours
• false allegations
• risk

AND support was inadequate earlier…

The LA may still have continuing responsibility (or at least liability) because:

the crisis flowed from failures in adoption support

This can strengthen:

• adult social care eligibility
• housing priority
• complaints/redress

5. Education up to 25 (often overlooked for adopted young people)

If she ever had — or should have had — an EHCP, she may still be entitled to:

✔ specialist college
✔ supported learning
✔ funded provision

Trauma + disability frequently justify this.

The final thing is to tell everyone what should be available and stop the LA's and RAA's from not providing it because no one knows and they dont tell you. My name is mud at WCC and ACE but I speak truth to power as a vicar and my Bishop has given me their blessing to see this through so every adopted family gets what they should and the most vulnerable in society are cared for. So I could have gone quietly but this is a breach of the covenant between the state and the people it serves and that is far worse than anything else. We were all promised the support but......

Yes, please, to the guidance on how to request these! Thanks so much!

There are clear routes you can take now:

1. Request a Care Act needs assessment from Adult Social Care (this is the gateway to funded care/support).
2. Request housing priority/supported accommodation due to disability and safeguarding risk.
3. Ask about education provision up to 25 if she ever had (or should have had) an EHCP.
4. Request mental health/learning disability service involvement.
5. Launch a Stage 1/2 Complaint against Childrens social services.

Steps to follow automate the process.

1. Download or install Claude or ChatGPT AI assistants (Claude is better)
2. Create a project in Claude
3. Upload all the documents you have to the project. EHCP's, Letters, emails, everything relevant, denials of service etc. Health reports etc (I know some people will say that this is not safe it releases information etc, but the risk of not is far outweighed by the concerns in my opinion)
4. Ask Claude to analyse the documents you have uploaded.
5. Tell Claude to Analyse for a Care Assessment and get it justified . Tell it which LA you are writing too, and what you hope to achieve.
6. Get it to write an email to the LA requesting the assessment and make it legally bulletproof.
7. Check it. and check it again. If its quoting case law check it against the web just to be sure.
8. Find the person to email directly I find the head of service is always a good starting point and work down rather than up. Every council publishes their structures on the website. (its usually hidden so ask google) that will usually give you the email address.
9. Repeat under each heading (you only need to upload the documents once)
10. Each reply Add to the project and get Claude to analyse the response and find the holes in it and get it to close them in the reply. Send it back almost by return this terrifies the local authority

This is what AI is very good at - collecting and cross referencing vasts amount of data, you will be amazed at the number of contradiction it will pick up.