Somerset adoption ruling

[Bundlesofchocforme]

Is anyone able to explain this and any potential implications for adopted children, adopters and birth families please?

BBC link:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-59413349#:~:text=A%20council%20leader%20has%20apologised,for%20handling%20children's%20health%20information.

The article is very unclear....

The key thing surely is that the adoptions have not been deemed unlawful

Another example of the decline in standards in BBC reporting. Really badly written, unclear article.

…but as @Ted27 points out the adoptions have not been deemed unlawful so there will be no immediate impact on the children, their birth families or the adoptive families.

Did the Council fail to share relevant health information with the adoptive families? Did they cover up/downplay issues around addiction/mental illness/abuse etc which will impact the children and their adoptive families as they grow up?

@Fujimora

…but as *@Ted27* points out the adoptions have not been deemed unlawful so there will be no immediate impact on the children, their birth families or the adoptive families.

Did the Council fail to share relevant health information with the adoptive families? Did they cover up/downplay issues around addiction/mental illness/abuse etc which will impact the children and their adoptive families as they grow up?

Looking at the "notes to editors" section of the Somerset County press release on the story (somersetnewsroom.com/2021/11/25/adoption-judgement-press-statement-november-2021/) I don't think it's to do with whether or not an adopting family would have agreed to adopt a particular child but whether a particular child should be allowed to be adopted (by anyone).

It seems the issue is with how medical information was passed to the adoption decision maker. But since medical information is rarely a reason for deciding a child should not be allowed to be adopted, the irregularities didn't make a material difference to decisions on whether or not any of the children impacted should be allowed to be adopted. Hence all the adoptions are still lawful. Nevertheless the council were out of compliance and have been told to get it right in the future.

@Fujimora

Another example of the decline in standards in BBC reporting. Really badly written, unclear article.

I think overall BBC reporting is excellent. But I agree that article is poor. I suspect there were lots of legal restrictions which meant it was a very difficult one to write.