Question reference: S6W-01410
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 13 July 2021
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Current status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 10 August 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the support its provides to adopted families to be sufficient, given the recent report from Adoption UK Scotland, which stated that, for the third year in a row, over two-thirds of Barometer respondents said that they struggled to obtain help and support for their family.
Answer
The Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 sets out a statutory duty for local authorities to provide adoptive families with the support that they require, like the provision of counselling, guidance and any other assistance in relation to the adoption process that the local authority considers appropriate in the circumstances of that particular case.
As the support required by adopters and their families varies significantly from case to case, the Act provides the flexibility for individualised support plans to be developed to best meet the needs of families, at a time that is right for them.
The Promise Report of the Independent Care Review made it clear that adoption has an important role in providing permanent, loving nurturing home and set out that an adoption placement should not be the conclusion of the support offered to adoptive families. The Promise makes clear that all families need support to thrive. Through the work of the Family Support Delivery Group we are working in partnership with the third sector, statutory services and across government to deliver a vision that ensures all families can access the right support when they need it for as long as they need it, aligned with the implementation of the Promise.