Barnardo’s is following the Judicial Review against the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 closely. It is of importance to everyone working in child protection.
The statutory framework that protects vulnerable children, and ensures they are entitled to vital care and support is invaluable. We have played a key role in campaigning for the law to be strengthened over decades and will continue to defend these protections.
During the lockdown, Barnardo’s has called consistently for the Government to emphasise throughout that the relaxation to the regulations is time-limited and should cease as soon as possible; and for the Government to monitor and report on the use of the easements regularly - providing transparency for children, families and others. We made these points in evidence to the Education Select Committee in May.
All that said, it is vital that children’s social care continues to be delivered but we recognise that no agency can continue to deliver children’s social care during this crisis in the way it operated before. As the largest independent fostering and adoption agency, in some cases we have placed children with foster families, and approved foster carers under the easements, in a way that would not have been possible without the use of easements. The changes allowed us to avoid delay in providing vulnerable children with a safe and loving family home. * And, just as with all of our placements, we ensure continuously that they are suitable, safe and meet the needs of the child.
Therefore, in this very limited way, we must be pragmatic in saying that in some cases, the changes have allowed us as a charity, and other agencies, to act in the best interests of children.
This in no way detracts from our insistence that the changes are time limited, cease as soon as possible, and are reported on in a fully transparent manner.
*Generally speaking the difference in process facilitated by the easement means that we can continue with the approval process without waiting for a full medical report, which is in many cases delayed due to Covid-19, and which is collected as soon as possible.