Recent developments in adoption services give new insights for improving practice in Scotland
New work by CELCIS has brought together examples and experiences of adoption services in Scotland, the UK, and internationally, to understand how recent developments can contribute to improving adoption policy and practice in Scotland and better meet the needs of all involved.
‘Towards modernising adoption in Scotland: A focused mapping review’, published today (20 November), is a review of selected literature from the last five years and recent changes and approaches that have developed in services and practice. The Scottish Government asked CELCIS to undertake this review and it was completed in November 2024. It focuses on what is currently known about the availability, accessibility, quality and delivery of adoption services in the UK and elsewhere for children who are adopted from care and their families.
This review of current adoption legislation, policy and practice considers what works well, what challenges and issues there are, and what factors should be considered in thinking about the future of adoption. It identifies key learning that can contribute to the future development of adoption policy, legislation, practice and research in Scotland. This includes:
- Re-visioning the structure, organisation and delivery of adoption services in Scotland to help address delay in the adoption process, recruit the right adoptive parents for children, provide greater consistency of approach, and improve the support provided to everyone affected by adoption.
- Developing the legal system in Scotland, including the development of additional legislation and guidance.
- Recruiting and preparing adoptive parents from diverse backgrounds and communities so that, where possible, children can live with families who reflect their history, heritage, and who can best meet their needs.
- Investing in life journey work to support adopted children to develop a coherent life narrative.
- Delivering services which are trauma-informed and ‘adoption competent’.
- Improving practice around keeping in touch with birth families after adoption.
- Improving support for everyone affected by adoption.
- The importance of hearing and responding to the views of children, adults and families with lived experience of adoption to support the development and delivery of adoption services in Scotland.
Dr Heather Ottaway, Head of Evidence and Innovation at CELCIS, said:
“This work provides us all with a very useful picture of adoption policy and practice in Scotland, the UK and beyond over the last five years. As well as giving a snapshot of recent promising practice changes, including in life journey work and maintaining family connections, it is also possible to see where ongoing and persistent issues lie in relation to adoption and permanence practice.
“What is clear from the literature we reviewed is the need to reimagine the way in which adoption services in Scotland are delivered to ensure that adopted children can be cared for by loving families in secure homes, where everyone affected by adoption - children, adoptive families and birth families - is heard, responded to, and has access to consistent, high-quality support when it is needed, and for a long as it is required.”
Linda Davidson, Early Help Lead at CELCIS and Chair of the National Adoption Task Force in Scotland, said:
“Children who are adopted from care each year in Scotland are among the children who need the most love, care and support, and it is crucial that they and their adopted families have everything they need to thrive. This includes support to retain important relationships where it is safe to do so and services that are attuned to supporting and responding to the needs of these families.
“It’s essential that any way forward for policy and practice development in Scotland looks at the broadest range of examples, experiences and recommendations from elsewhere and what can be learned from this. This new work assists in our understanding of recent practice changes and sets out what more must be done to address the challenges in adoption practice in Scotland to better meet the needs of all involved.”