Proposal 4: Enhance plans to better meet children’s needs, setting clear expectations for families and services via Practice Guides

Adoption and Kinship support plans which could outline available services, eligibility criteria, and escalation routes - this would build on the universal offer set out in Proposals 1-3 and tailor support to individual needs. Plans would be more transparent, comprehensive, and regularly reviewed. 

Potential benefits:  

• This proposal includes a commitment to develop a full Practice Guide on adoption support plans to reduce inconsistency. In Wales, where Practice Guides have previously been introduced, the Adoption Barometer has recorded improvements in the provision of services. E.g. after the introduction of a Practice Guide for life journey work, satisfaction with life journey materials among new adopters in Wales rose from 79% to 86%.  

• The enhanced support plans proposed here are intended to be bespoke, tailored plans for children and families with needs which cannot be met solely through a universal adoption support offer. The proposal goes beyond adoption support services by suggesting greater input from the NHS and schools so that social care, health and education support needs are also included and multi-agency support is co-ordinated.  This is welcome, as recommended in the Adoption Barometer. 

• The creation of a national Practice Guide and standardised approach to enhanced support planning may reduce the risk of a postcode lottery created by devolving funds to local authorities or regional adoption agencies (see proposal 7).  

• Having one lead coordinator overseeing the plan, and regular assessment to ensure it is reflective of the young person’s journey and needs, is welcome. 

Potential concerns:  

• The proposal does not address the gap between what is available on paper and what is actually offered to families. There is no mention of a statutory requirement to provide the support identified by an assessment of support needs, nor any reassurance that support will be needs-driven rather than funding-driven. Much of what is laid out is already happening, or being developed. 

• Greater expert input from the NHS and schools would be welcomed, but adoptive families often report very poor experiences of accessing existing services since they have neither the expertise nor resources to properly support adoptees. Only 29% of 16-25-year-old adoptees who had accessed CAMHS support agreed that the support made a positive difference and half of adoptive parents do not believe that their child's teachers have a good understanding of the needs of adopted children (Adoption Barometer 2025).  

• While better support planning is welcome, this proposal does not take account of families who find themselves at crisis point, often driven by external circumstances. Planned support pathways are important, but plans for robust crisis intervention, if required, are also needed.