Health and social work services

Tender description

The number of Cumbria children requiring adoption has been moderately high over the last 5 years, alongside a local and national decrease in the numbers of approved adopters. This has resulted in a shortfall in the number of local authority adoption placements available to meet demand. The Council has therefore purchased an increasing number of placements from voluntary adoption agencies. The provision of a Cumbria Adoption Recruitment and Support Services contract delivered by an adoption agency shall ensure that effective, efficient and timely adoption placements are made for more Cumbria Children. The service shall recruit and support adopters, working with the Council to match referred Children with adopters. The provider shall make adoption placements for specific cohorts of children, who will be referred by the Council (see 4.3). This service shall be delivered alongside the work of the Council’s adoption service, ensuring an integrated service for adopted Children and their families.