The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-20902, in the name of Fulton MacGregor, on strengthening adoption support for families. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I invite members who wish to participate to press their request-to-speak buttons.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes the findings of the report, Strengthening the Safety Net: A Framework for Adoption Support in Scotland, which was published by the Cross-Party Group on Social Work and highlights what the group identified as serious and systemic shortcomings in adoption support services across Scotland; believes that adoptive families in communities in Coatbridge and Chryston, and across the country, frequently experience fragmented, inconsistent and inadequately resourced post-adoption support; recognises that the Adoption UK Barometer 2025 suggested that 78% of adoptive families in Scotland face significant challenges, with 40% reporting severe difficulties, and that official figures on adoption breakdown are believed to likely underestimate the true scale of family distress due to inconsistent definitions and limited data collection; expresses concern at reports that many families reach crisis point without timely access to specialist, trauma-informed support, respite provision or intensive family services, increasing, it believes, the risk of placement disruption and further harm to children and families; acknowledges that adoption does not erase the effects of early trauma, abuse and neglect, and that adopted children’s needs often intensify during adolescence and key transition points; considers that the transfer of post-adoption support from specialist adoption teams to generic children and families services after three years frequently fails to reflect the complexity of adoptive family life; notes the report’s recommendations for a national adoption practice model, improved training, mandatory data collection, minimum standards for preparation and support, enhanced crisis intervention and respite services, and greater flexibility in adoption allowances, and further notes calls on the Scottish Government to work with adoptive families, adopted people, frontline practitioners and local authorities to urgently develop and implement a comprehensive national framework for adoption support, and to ensure that families across Scotland, including in Coatbridge and Chryston, can access consistent, high-quality, lifelong adoption support, regardless of postcode.
19:00
I thank the colleagues who supported my motion, which provided the opportunity to bring the incredibly important topic of adoption to the chamber. I thank all the members who have stayed on tonight. I know that this is not a great time for a members’ business debate, with various other things going on, so it is worth putting that on the record.
I thank the cross-party group on social work for its dedication and leadership in this area. The group has been invaluable in highlighting the realities of adoption support across Scotland. Some of that work came to fruition through the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill, which was passed last week, and we saw the minister’s engagement on that.
The CPG’s report presents a clear and detailed picture of adoption support in Scotland today. It shows that the current system is complex, varied across different areas and often limited in its capacity to meet the needs of families. The evidence that was gathered by the group shows that many adoptive families experience support that is fragmented, inconsistent and under pressure. In many parts of the country, including in my community of Coatbridge and Chryston, adoptive families describe a system in which access to support depends on local structures and available resources. That variation creates a different experience for families who might have very similar needs.
The Adoption UK adoption barometer 2025 provides important context for this discussion. It shows that 78 per cent of adoptive families in Scotland face significant challenges and that 40 per cent describe those challenges as severe. Those figures represent a large proportion of families who have taken on the responsibility of providing stable and loving homes for children who have experienced early adversity.
The report also highlights that our understanding of adoption breakdown is limited. Although current figures suggest a relatively small number of recorded breakdowns, there is no single definition in use and no consistent requirement for data collection. As a result, the available data gives only a partial picture of family experiences.
Data is essential for effective policy. When data is available, it supports better planning, stronger accountability and improved outcomes for families. When it is incomplete, it becomes more difficult to understand the full scale of need and to respond effectively. I am grateful to the minister for making it clear last week that the next Government and relevant minister
“should take forward work early in the next parliamentary session to develop a shared definition of ‘adoption breakdown’ and to consider improvements to the collection and sharing of data.”—[Official Report, 18 March 2026; c 104.]
I note that, this week, the United Kingdom Government made a similar announcement that it is trying to gather data in this area.
I recognise the contributions of those who have shared their experiences directly. In particular, I acknowledge my constituents Richard McCombe and Kirsteen McDonald, who are in the public gallery today alongside other parents. Richard and Kirsteen have engaged extensively with my office regarding their separate personal experiences of adoption within their families. Their contributions have provided valuable insight into how the system operates in practice and how it can be improved.
The experiences of both Richard and Kirsteen’s families reflect the importance of listening to lived experience. They remind us that policy decisions have a real and lasting impact on individuals and families. I thank Richard and Kirsteen for their openness and continued engagement on the issue. I give Richard McCombe a special mention, because he has led a one-man campaign on the issue not just in Scotland but across the UK. He has found himself appearing on various media outlets, including BBC Scotland, as well as other BBC channels. I thank Richard for the work that he is doing in this area, which has come out of a really difficult situation in his own family.
One of the key messages of the report is that adoption is a lifelong process. The impact of early trauma, abuse and neglect remains with children as they grow. Their needs develop over time, and those needs are often more pronounced during adolescence and key transitions into adulthood. The report explains that many children are placed for adoption at a young age, yet their vulnerabilities often increase in later years. That pattern requires a system that provides on-going and adaptable support.
At present, in the early years, post-adoption support is typically delivered by specialist adoption teams but, often, responsibility transfers to general children and families services after three years. At that time, many families are experiencing no great adversity—or nothing that they cannot handle, for want of a better phrase. However, although that structure is established in legislation, it does not align with the complexity of adoptive family life and what might come further down the road. Specialist knowledge is an important part of effective support. Adoptive families often benefit from professionals who understand trauma, attachment and the long-term effects of early adversity. When support moves into more general services, that level of specialism is not always available.
The report also highlights the importance of early and accessible support. Families describe situations in which support becomes available only when needs have reached a high level. Earlier intervention has the potential to provide stability and strengthen family relationships. The availability of trauma-informed services, respite care and intensive family support is an important part of that approach. Those services support families during challenging periods and help to maintain stability in the home.
The report also sets out a number of recommendations that aim to strengthen the current system. Those include the development of a national adoption practice model, the introduction of mandatory data collection, improved training for professionals and the establishment of minimum standards for preparation and support. The report also recommends enhanced crisis intervention services, greater availability of respite care and increased flexibility on adoption allowances. Those measures reflect the understanding that families’ circumstances and children’s needs change over time.
I thank the minister—as everybody did, I think, in the debate last week, but I will add to that gushing tribute—for the constructive engagement that has taken place. In particular, I welcome the work to introduce an amendment on peer support for those who are involved in adoption, which was agreed to and integrated into the recent Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill. I know that my constituents in the chamber today—and, I am sure, others as well—appreciate that, because peer support is a consistent theme in discussions with adoptive parents and prospective adopters.
Families often say that being with others who have lived experience of adoption provides reassurance, practical guidance and a sense of connection. The difficulty for a lot of adoptive families is that they find that peer support at a time of crisis and difficulty, and they often wish that they had found it earlier. The amendments to the bill will help that to happen.
Across Scotland, peer support is often delivered by specialist third sector organisations. Those organisations provide a valuable service, although provision varies between areas. As I said, the amendment that was agreed to recognised the value of that support, and placed a duty on local authorities to take reasonable steps to promote that awareness and uptake of peer support services. That duty will also involve those who receive adoption services under the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007. That is a targeted and practical measure that will support families in accessing community-based support alongside formal services.
The report and the motion also highlight the importance of collaboration in developing a national framework for adoption support. That work will require engagement with adoptive families, adopted people, practitioners and local authorities. Collaboration ensures that policy reflects both professional expertise and lived experience. It supports the development of services that are responsive, consistent and effective.
It is also important to recognise the role of the state in adoption. When a child is placed for adoption, the state has an on-going responsibility to support that placement. That responsibility continues throughout the child’s development and into adulthood.
The report’s conclusion sets out a clear vision. It describes a system that recognises the complexity of adoption, provides sustained support, responds effectively during periods of difficulty and maintains accountability for outcomes. All members believe that adoption is about providing stability, care and opportunity for children. It is about supporting families to grow and thrive. Therefore, the system that supports adoption must reflect those aims.
Families in Coatbridge and Chryston, and across Scotland, must benefit from support that is consistent, accessible and informed by experience. A national framework has the potential to provide that consistency, while allowing flexibility to meet individual needs.
You need to conclude.
I again thank the cross-party group on social work for its work in bringing forward the report. I again thank the minister for her continued engagement, particularly on peer support. I put on record what a loss her departure will be to the Parliament.
Finally, I again thank all those, including Richard McCombe, Kirsteen McDonald and those who have joined them today, who have contributed their experiences to inform the debate.
19:09
I thank Fulton MacGregor for bringing the motion to the chamber and for continuing to highlight the importance of strengthening adoption support for families across Scotland.
The issues that are raised in the motion and in the report “Strengthening the Safety Net: A Framework for Adoption Support in Scotland” are serious, long standing and deserving of the Parliament’s full attention. Unfortunately, we are not at that stage.
Before I speak to the motion, I wish the minister all the best for the future. We may come from differing sides of the separatist debate, but her drive and determination to see more done to support our young people and the care-experienced community is obvious. I welcome her collaborative approach, and it has truly been a pleasure working with her.
My very first debate on this issue when I became an MSP was a members’ business debate on Scotland’s forgotten children, focusing on adoption in Scotland and the urgent need to improve post-adoption support. I spoke about fragmented services, inconsistent access to support for families and a feeling of being left to cope alone once the legal process has concluded. This issue has bookended the session for me, but we are four years on and are still discussing many of the same problems, with little meaningful progress, so I am very glad that there has been some movement with the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill.
As everyone knows, my interest in the issue is both professional and personal. I am the proud mother of two adopted daughters and, through our family experience, I have seen first hand the realities that lie behind the statistics and policy papers. Adoption is not a single event that ends with a court order. It is a lifelong journey. At every milestone—starting school, moving into adolescence and navigating friendships, identity and independence—a new challenge emerges.
As a parent, I have had to repeatedly learn, adapt and advocate to ensure that our daughters receive the understanding and support that they need. That lived experience has given me a profound appreciation for the resilience of adopted children and the pressures that adopted families face. The Adoption UK barometer 2025 highlights that 78 per cent of adopted families in Scotland report facing significant challenges, with 40 per cent describing those challenges as severe, as Fulton MacGregor mentioned. Those are not abstract figures. They represent children struggling with the lasting effects of early trauma and parents doing their best to support them.
The motion rightly highlights that official figures on adoption breakdown are likely to underestimate the true scale of distress due to the inconsistent definitions and the gaps in data collection. Without robust, transparent data, we underestimate the scale of the problem, and families go without the support that they need.
Other areas of concern include the robust transfer of post-adoption support from a specialist adoption team to generic children and families services after three years. In theory, that might seem to be administratively tidy, but in practice it fails to reflect the complexity and longevity of adoptive family life. The impact of trauma does not diminish after an arbitrary timeframe. It re-emerges at every area of transition, all the way into adulthood and beyond.
Although I support the aims of the motion, I cannot ignore the fact that we have been here before. We have had debates, reports and cross-party working groups, yet adoptive families across my region of Mid Scotland and Fife—and in Coatbridge and Chryston, which has been mentioned, and throughout Scotland—continue to report that there are gaps in support.
Further discussion is not needed—decisive action is. The recommendations in the “Strengthening the Safety Net” report talk about having a national adoption practice model, improved training, mandatory data collection, enhanced crisis intervention and a more flexible adoption allowance. Those are not new recommendations—they just need to be implemented.
As an MSP and an adoptive parent, I know how much is at stake. The stability of adoptive placements, the wellbeing of children who have already experienced significant adversity and the confidence of prospective adopters all depend on the strength and support of the system that surrounds them.
This Parliament and the Scottish Government must stop discussing reform and take action now. Adoptive families have waited too long, and they need a system that supports them fully.
19:14
I begin by thanking Fulton MacGregor for bringing this important discussion on adoption support in Scotland to the chamber. This debate is an opportunity to reflect on the experiences of adoptive families and to consider how our national system continues to grow and improve. I also wish to recognise the work of the cross-party group on social work, which authored the report. Its engagement with adoptive families, adopted people and practitioners is a foundation for discussion. The report provides a clear account of the current position of adoption support across Scotland and offers a practical framework for the future.
Adoption is a lifelong journey. It is a commitment that begins with a placement and continues throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Children who are adopted can often carry the effects of early adversity, trauma, abuse or neglect. Their experiences are part of their early lives, and their needs develop as they grow. Support is therefore an essential element of stability. The evidence presented in the report shows that many adoptive families are managing complex circumstances. As mentioned by my colleagues Fulton MacGregor and Roz McCall, the Adoption UK barometer indicates that
“78% of adoptive families in Scotland face significant challenges, with 40% reporting severe difficulties”.
Behind those figures are families who are providing care, security and opportunity for children who require constant support.
Adoptive families across Scotland share many common experiences. Access to support is often shaped by local structures and available resources, rather than needs. That pattern creates different journeys for families, and a national framework is therefore an important step towards consistency. Consistency would be a great source of confidence for families, and it is also a foundation for long-term stability.
The report also highlights the importance of reliable data. Creating a shared definition of adoption, disruption and breakdown is a practical starting point for the standardisation of data. Collecting such data is a viable tool for planning services and measuring outcomes. When information is clear and consistent, policy decisions are stronger and support systems are more responsive.
One of the central messages of the report is that adoption and support are an on-going process. Many children are placed for adoption at a young age, and their vulnerabilities often become more visible during adolescence and transition into adulthood. Those stages of life are periods of growth and change, and they are times when professional support is especially valuable.
At present, support is often delivered by specialist adoption teams in the early years following placement and responsibility then moves to general children and family services. However, families benefit from services that are accessible and responsive at early stages of need. Trauma-informed services, respite care and intensive family support are practical resources that strengthen family relationships and support stability in the home throughout a child’s development. Specialist knowledge of trauma and attachment is a valuable element of effective support, and continued access to that expertise is beneficial for families throughout the life of a child. We must ensure that such specialist support is available to those who need it.
Recommendations in the report provide a clear path forward: a national adoption practice model is a foundation for consistent standards; mandatory data collection is a tool for accountability; improved professional training is a pathway for better understanding; and minimum standards for preparation and support are elements that promote quality and trust throughout the system.
Peer support is another important feature of effective adoptive services. Connections between families who share life experiences are a valuable source of reassurance and practical guidance. Community-based support networks are a meaningful complement to formal services and they strengthen resilience across adoptive communities. Collaboration is a strength that will be central to progress in this area. Engagement with adoptive families, adopted people, practitioners and local authorities creates a pathway to shared understanding. Policy with professional knowledge and lived experience at its core is a source of strength. The partnership approach supports services that are responsive and effective.
Adoption should bring stability, belonging and opportunity. Families across Scotland are providing loving homes and nurturing futures. A national strategy for adoption support is an opportunity to strengthen that work and ensure that services are consistent, accessible and informed by experience.
I recognise the dedication of those who contributed to the report and who shared their knowledge and insight. Their work is a valuable contribution to Parliament, and this debate is an opportunity to affirm our shared commitment to adoptive families and adopted children across Scotland.
I give my best wishes to the minister. Whatever her future holds, I wish her good luck.
19:19
I am absolutely certain that the minister’s future will be massively successful.
It is a pleasure to speak in the debate. I thank Fulton MacGregor not just for bringing the motion to the chamber but for all his work throughout this parliamentary session on a crucial matter. Stage 3 of the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill last week shone a light on some of the most incredible people in our communities. Tonight’s debate allows us to shine a very specific light on a much smaller but very important group that sits within that community.
I agree with much of what the motion calls for, and much of what we have heard from David Torrance and Roz McCall. There is a call for data collection and to look at national adoption practices, with the understanding that adoption is not just a snapshot in a person’s life. When a child is put up for adoption, which often happens at a very early age, their experience is carried throughout their life. Just as parents continue to feel responsibility for birth children, communities should feel responsibility for all their members. Adoption goes on, although it changes and develops. With young people who have been adopted, some challenges that were not apparent early on often become more apparent at a later stage.
I whole-heartedly agree with the point in the cross-party group’s report about seeking a clear definition of adoption breakdown. Again, it is crucially important, both for those who adopt and for adoptees, to understand what we mean by adoption breakdown and how it can be anticipated, as issues becomes more apparent, to try to prevent breakdowns before things go too far.
In my short contribution, I want to concentrate on the report’s call for a review of adoption allowances to enable applications to be made throughout the course of adoption as family circumstances change and as children’s needs change and emerge. In that very small area, I have had a significant amount of casework relating to the challenge that our system throws up—it is almost a postcode lottery. We need an understanding in local authorities of what the expectation is and what the guidance suggests should happen.
Last year’s fostering and adoption statistics show that children who are going through the adoption system face significant delays, with some waiting for six months or longer. That goes back to matters that I raised when talking about the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill last week about permanency and decision taking. We cannot overstate the challenge that our young people feel if they do not have a settled environment in which to live.
Teachers and parents have knowledge of Maslow’s pyramid of needs. Sitting right at the bottom of that is the need for a home, a family and security. Without those, children are unable to develop the skills that others do not even know that they are developing, because they are in a sort of flight or fight mode for far too long. We have an opportunity to build on the excellent work that the minister and the Government have done with regard to the bill. The Government that will come after the election needs to build on that.
I reiterate the point that I made last week that far more experienced politicians could learn from the minister’s approach of reaching out. Drift and delay in the development of young people are massively important issues. However, the report speaks to the fact that, if we listen to the voices of adoptive families, to the children and to the practitioners, we can ensure that this often forgotten group of children are given the tailored support that they need and deserve.
19:23
I, too, thank Fulton MacGregor not only for only bringing the debate to the chamber but for all the work that he has done as the convener of the cross-party group on social work. I have had the pleasure of being part of that group, which has been very much driven by him. I am grateful for his contribution.
Lest I forget, I add the same comments that others have made about the minister as she leaves this place. I am sure that her future is bright and rosy.
As this might well be my last speech in this session—who knows what the electorate will do in a few weeks’ time?—I put on record my thanks to the people of Lothian for allowing me to represent them for the past 10 years. I also thank all the people in the Parliament who look after us and help us. I want to put on the record that their support for me has been outstanding. I made my maiden speech in a members’ debate like this one, so it seems fitting for me to conclude in this debate.
As I said in the debate last week on the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill, my wife and I have had personal experience of breakdown of adoption. It is not appropriate to go into the details of that, but, from that experience, and having spoken to many other people, particularly here in Edinburgh and Lothian, about their stories, I think that the report shines a light on many of the difficulties that people face, not only once they have adopted but in getting to the point of adoption.
I hope that whoever is returned to the Parliament after the election and whoever forms the next Government will build on what we did last week and continue on the journey. As my friend Roz McCall said, there is still a lot to do and this is not the end of the journey.
In my short contribution, I will make three simple points from personal experience and from picking up on what the report says. First, as Martin Whitfield said, support needs to come at key moments, which will vary for people, depending on their adoption journey. For some, it will mean early intervention and help. For others, it will come when the child hits their teenage years or when they transfer between secondary and further education or job opportunities. It might come at other times in people’s lives. We all know that social workers are under pressure, and there is often a lack of flexibility. There is too much of a postcode lottery, as other members have said—not only a postcode lottery but a council lottery. Given the size of our nation, there must be some way in which we can pull together good practice from across Scotland to do this.
Secondly, again, as Martin Whitfield said, there is the financial cost, which is often ignored. It is looked at well in fostering but less so in adoption. If we are to fully support people who take on children, they should have some financial help throughout that journey.
Finally, there is an issue around the process of how the transfer takes place when the child comes into the family. Again, that is often left to a postcode lottery and it often does not happen well. Support is not there, and too many people encounter difficulties and fall at the first hurdle, whereas, if there was just a bit more support at that point, it could be a different story.
I thank Fulton MacGregor, and I look forward to hearing the minister’s response. I hope that we all—whether we are in the Parliament or outside—commit to real changes in the next parliamentary session.
19:27
I thank Fulton MacGregor for securing the debate and for highlighting the work of the cross-party group on social work.
Supporting children and young people to grow up loved, safe and respected sits at the heart of keeping the Promise. For those who can no longer live with their birth families, adoptive families play a vital role in providing safe, loving and nurturing homes. I know that members have personal experiences with that and care deeply about the issue, and I want to be clear that it is a priority for the Government. Last week, I made clear my vision for all care-experienced children, young people and adults to be supported in the way that best suits their needs.
I will respond to a number of points that were raised in today’s debate, but, given that this is my final speech, I will take a minute to thank the people of the constituency that I represent—Renfrewshire North and West. Everything that I have achieved over the past five years would not have happened if the good people of Renfrewshire North and West had not put their faith in me at the previous election. It has meant so much to me to be able to represent them, stand up for their interests in our Scottish Parliament and support them when needed.
I also want to say a huge thank you to my office staff, who have been there day and night to assist me. My team and I have worked to ensure that families in my constituency and across Scotland get the support that they need, particularly during the UK Government-inflicted cost of living crisis. Whether on social security, housing support or local issues and priorities; on initiatives and issues such as championing local breastfeeding-friendly support or parking at the Royal Alexandra hospital; or by ensuring that our local play parks get the investment that they need, I have always tried to be a voice for those who do not have one and for those who need it most.
Going forward, the constituency of Renfrewshire North and West will be no more, as the boundary changes take hold, so I say one last time to the amazing people of Bridge of Weir, Houston, Bishopton, Erskine, Langbank, Gallowhill, Renfrew, Inchinnan and Kilmacolm—thank you.
There are too many others to thank, but I will give it a quick go. I want to thank my colleagues across the chamber, my party’s spokespeople, Roz McCall, Martin Whitfield, Jeremy Balfour and others I have worked with on a number of issues in the Parliament for their continued engagement with, and dedication to, helping Scotland’s children and young people. I also thank them for their lovely words, both tonight and last week. I am not very good at taking compliments, but please be assured that I am extremely thankful for everything that has been said.
I want to thank my private office and the Parliament staff, who go to so much effort to ensure that we MSPs have what we need.
I put on record my thanks to my cabinet secretary, Jenny Gilruth. Ms Gilruth has been such a huge support to me throughout my time in government. Entering government is not straightforward or simple, but it is made so much easier when you have solid experience and support around you. I am so thankful not only to have worked under Ms Gilruth but to have gotten to know her, and I wish her all the best for the future.
Adoption can be hugely positive, but the early adversity and loss of their birth family faced by many children can have lasting impacts on their development, wellbeing and relationships. I recognise that adoptive families might need support at different stages of their journey. As members have said, it is not simply the case that, once an adoption process is complete, support is no longer needed—far from it. That has been made very clear to me when I have been out meeting adoptive families, and it has been raised with me by Mr MacGregor, too.
Our adoption vision statement, which was published in November 2024, was developed with the adoption community. It sets out Scotland’s vision for the future of adoption and makes it very clear that consistent and comprehensive post-adoption support, accessible when and where required and, indeed, throughout life, is essential. The vision identified key actions, which we have made significant progress in delivering. We are continuing to invest in that work, and I have a lot to say about that, but I am sure that, given the time, members would rather that I focus on what we will do, so I will move on to that.
During the passage of the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill, I heard about the challenges faced by many adoptive families in accessing post-adoption support. Those concerns have been echoed again today and in the cross-party group’s report. Families have described gaps and inconsistencies in the support that is available to them, and I think that their experiences underline why this debate really matters and why, as other members have said, support must be timely, consistent and aligned with the needs of adopted children and their families.
As I stated at stage 3 of the bill, I will make very clear to the incoming Government the importance of reviewing the adoption support sections of the 2011 adoption and looked-after children guidance. That review should also consider whether new statutory guidance should be issued on adoption support services under the existing powers in the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007. I believe that that work will provide a structured opportunity to examine the range of issues raised by families and practitioners, including practice models, practitioner training, preparation and support, crisis intervention, respite and the use of adoption allowances, which is, I know, another area where there is great inconsistency. We will work closely with adoptive families and practitioners throughout the process to ensure that any future changes are evidence based and are responsive to children’s needs.
Families have emphasised the value of support that is grounded in lived experience. Peer support plays a key role and, to strengthen its consistency and visibility, the bill that was passed last week will require local authorities to promote awareness and uptake of peer support services throughout the adoption process and after adoption has taken place. As Mr MacGregor has highlighted, the issue of timing and when such support is offered is key, and I hope that the changes that I have referred to will help improve things.
Concerns were raised at stage 3 of the bill, and have been raised again today, that current data underestimates the true scale of adoption breakdowns in Scotland. That is why I confirmed last week that I will make clear to the incoming Government the importance of progressing work early in the next session of Parliament to develop a shared definition of adoption breakdown. That work will be developed with adoptive families and delivery partners to ensure that it reflects lived experience and supports a consistent national approach.
I have also heard loud and clear from the adoptive community about the need, when adopted people are accessing services, for more consistent recognition that they are care experienced. Regulations and guidance that will be produced under section 5 of the bill will set out a broad and inclusive definition of care experience that explicitly includes adopted children and young people. We will work closely with the adoption community to ensure that the guidance reflects lived experience and supports effective access to services.
I began my speech by recognising the commitment of adoptive families in providing safe and loving—
Will the minister take an intervention?
Yes, of course.
I ask Fulton MacGregor to be brief.
I welcome the minister’s engagement on this issue. When she talks about access to services, does that include child and adolescent mental health services, as we spoke about last week? A lot of adoptive families told us through the work of the cross-party group that access to CAMHS is particularly difficult for adopted children.
That must be recognised. Child and adolescent mental health services are key for adoptive families, but they stretch into other areas of our work to deliver the Promise, because there are a lot of children and young people who face challenges in that regard. As members will know, the Promise is a shared commitment across the Government. Although we have invested heavily in CAMHS, there might be more to do to ensure that children and young people get the support that they need.
I have acknowledged the challenges that adoptive families face, the need to strengthen support and the dedication of the practitioners who support those families. I again thank Fulton MacGregor for securing this debate. As I said last week, I and the adoptive community are confident that he will continue to champion the rights of adoptive families with great care and dedication. I have certainly enjoyed working with Mr MacGregor throughout my time in the Parliament, and I know that he is deeply committed to this cause.
The Government remains firmly committed to standing alongside adoptive families and to working with them and the wider community as we take forward the actions that I have set out. We will continue to listen, learn and act.
That concludes the debate.
Meeting closed at 19:37.
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