The following are the figures from FoI requests at Hammersmith and Fulham.  They demonstrate that following agreeing the target to increase the number of adoptions (and get £500,000) the number of babies taken into care went up by about 10 a year and following that period it dropped first by about 10 from over 20 to 10 then to 2 in 4 ½ months.  And it also demonstrates that the number of adoptions from care of toddlers jumped by about 10 following the babies being taken into care.

 

In essence it argues that perhaps 10-20 babies were taken into care to be adopted as part of obtaining the reward of £500,000 for an increase in permanence.

 

 

The following figures are on a calendar year basis.

 

Children Entering Care since 01/01/2000                                                                               

Year Bands

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

0-1

10

7

18

18

10

21

23

10

2

1-5

26

17

19

25

21

6

16

17

5

5-10

20

26

27

19

23

15

18

27

2

10+

92

93

79

75

133

67

57

53

8

 

148

143

143

137

187

109

114

107

17

 

The following figures are on a calendar year basis.

 

Adoptions since 01/01/2000

Year Bands

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

0-1

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

1-5

5

8

14

8

10

4

10

13

6

5-10

1

4

2

11

4

5

2

4

2

10+

 

1

1

2

3

1

 

 

1

 

6

14

17

21

17

10

12

19

9

 

 

The following figures are on a financial year basis.

 

Please note that the majority of these orders are made to a parent or relative(s) of the child. Those that aren’t are made to long standing Foster Carers.

 

In some instances the children are not looked after by H&F before the Residence or Special Guardianship order is made, but there will often be possible care proceedings because of concerns for the children.

 

Residence Orders and Special Guardianship Orders since 01/01/2000

Year Bands

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

0-1

 

1

 

 

 

3

2

 

 

1-5

1

6

1

4

1

4

3

2

1

5-10

1

6

0

4

6

9

2

3

1

10+

0

0

0

5

3

5

10

7

0

 

2

13

1

13

10

21

17

12

2

 

In response to the question as to why the figures supplied in the tables below do not reconcile with the article:

http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/News_and_Media/Press_office/Press_releases/94742_Adoption_target_met.asp

 

The 101 figure in the article is not just adoptions.

This number is made up of adoptions, special guardianships and residence orders.

 

2005/2006

2006/2007

2007/2008

TOTAL

Adoption

12

16

20

48

Residence Order

4

7

1

12

Special Guardianship

5

11

25

41

TOTAL

21

34