To receive an update on two areas of social care activity – private fostering and adoption.

The Director of Children’s Services presented the submitted report which updated members on two areas of social care activity – private fostering and adoption.  The Director of Children’s Services explained circumstances where private fostering takes place within Torbay and that work to improve the Council’s monitoring and oversight arrangements for private fostering would continue as part of the improvement work now underway to address the outcome of the Ofsted inspection. 

The Director then went on to outline the annual report for adoption activity from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016.  It was noted that there wasn’t any Councillor representation on the Adoption Panel.

The Policy Development and Decision Group (Joint Commissioning Team) made the following recommendation to the Mayor: 

(i)            that a Councillor be appointed to sit on the Adoption Panel;

(ii)          that the report be noted;

(iii)         that the Policy Development and Decision Group (Joint Commissioning Team) receive updates on private fostering and adoption activity.

The Mayor considered the recommendation of the Policy Development and Decision Group (Joint Commissioning Team) set out above at the meeting and the record of decision, together with further information is attached to these Minutes.