ANNUAL REPORT
2005 – 2006
Permanent Family Placement & Adoption Counselling Services
SCOTTISH ADOPTION ASSOCIATION
INTRODUCTION
cottish Adoption Association is a voluntary organisation founded in 1923 and based in Edinburgh.
The Association was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in 1982 and has received approval from the Secretary of
State, as required by the Children Act 1975. Scottish Adoption Association is regulated by the Care Commission
who have responsibilities for registering and inspecting adoption and fostering services. The Association is managed
by a Chairperson and Council, assisted by an Honorary Treasurer and Legal and Medical Advisers. Day to day operational
management is carried out by the Chief Executive.
Our mission is to offer as comprehensive an adoption service as possible to all affected by adoption
and to provide these services in an open and non discriminatory way.
“It is the fundamental right of every child to belong to a family; this principle underpins
the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which the UK ratified in 1991. Where children cannot
live with their birth families, for whatever reason, society has a duty to provide them with a fresh start and where appropriate
a permanent home. Adoption is one means of giving children the opportunity to start again”.
WHAT DOES THE ASSOCIATION PROVIDE?
Counselling for pregnant women, their partners and for birth parents
who are considering adoption or whose children are being placed for permanency.
Support throughout the adoption process to birth parents who choose
adoption.
Foster Care for babies while birth parents make their decision.
Information and Preparation for prospective adopters in groups and
individually.
Adoption placements – arranging, supervising and supporting
the placements as well as helping with the necessary legal work. The Association works with local authority social work
departments and other voluntary agencies.
Intercountry adoption – we offer a service to prospective
adopters within the Lothians area.
After Adoption Services
Ø
Services and support for adoptive families
Ø
A counselling service for all involved in adoption,
arranged by the Association; the four Lothian Councils and their predecessors; the Church of Scotland, the Episcopal Church
and adopted people living in the Lothians who were adopted elsewhere.
his year we have moved office, renewed our Service Level Agreements with Partner Authorities, been inspected
by the Care Commission for the first time as well as meeting an increased demand for all of our services.
Our old office was not fit for purpose as service users, who had to climb 92 steps, will confirm and though
we are still located in Leith we now have comfortable accommodation over three floors and can undertake all of our services
in one building.
Arrangements for partnership agreements have changed significantly in recent years, particularly with new EU
rules, and we are delighted to have secured three year agreements with nearly all of our partners. This allows for better
financial planning and brings much needed stability to the Association, though in future we will be required to tender for
services. However we still need to raise a significant amount of income to support our post adoption services as they remain
underfunded.
The Care Commission have completed their first inspection of the organisation against National Standards and
whilst this process involved a great deal of time and work we will use the findings to improve our services and practice.
Demand for our placement and support services is constant. Children placed seem evermore complex and the need
to properly support these children and their new families is vital. We also need to offer support, advice and guidance to
the range of people who have been affected by adoption at different stages of their lives and this aspect of our work must
be expanded in the coming years. New adoption legislation expected next year will support this need.
The Association coped with our move and the service demands despite a fall in voluntary income raised. Our finances
remain stretched, though still sound. We had a small deficit in 2005/2006 but have a balanced budget for the current year
and will be able to fill a post previously frozen due to financial pressures. The trustees are grateful to our staff
for coping so well during a tough year financially.
Gerry
O’Hara
Chair
of Council.
ANNUAL MEETING
Wednesday
15 November 2006
at 7.30 p.m.
Venue:
European in Scotland
39 Palmerston Place
Edinburgh
Topic:
“CHANGES IN ADOPTION – FUNDAMENTAL OR FASHION?”
Marjorie Morrison - Author of “Talking about Adoption”
BAAF and Child Placement Consultant with BAAF Scotland for over 25 years.
WORK OF THE AGENCY
In the financial year 2005-2006 the Adoption Panel approved 22 families as prospective adopters.
We counselled 12 birth parents in relation to making decisions about their babies’ future, and placed
4 babies for adoption.
We placed 20 children in the 0-5 age range for adoption.
We provided after adoption counselling and support to over 550 families and individuals, including 185 information
exchanges.
The past year has presented us with various challenges including the major upheaval of moving to new premises.
The memory of aching backs and skinned knuckles from loading and unloading endless crates of files and records, has fortunately
faded into oblivion now that we are settled in a much improved working environment which is appreciated by both staff and
visitors alike. Getting to grips with our new technology is another story!
As predicted the new legislation in England and Wales, which was implemented in December 2005, and which provides
a statutory intermediary service for birth parents and relatives, has had some impact in Scotland. We have noticed an
increase in requests for help to facilitate contact with an adopted person on behalf of the birth relative, but we are
also aware that birth family members who have heard about the new English legislation assume that this also applies to Scotland.
Fortunately we are able to reassure them that we have been providing a similar service over the last decade.
As well as providing after adoption counselling and support a very important aspect of our work is the maintenance
of the archives for which we are responsible. In addition to the Scottish Adoption Association records we also hold
the adoption records from the
Edinburgh, Mid, East and West Lothian Councils, the Church of Scotland and the Episcopal Church. At present these
total 10,000 in all and date back to the nineteen forties and some even earlier. The records are held on microfilm and
microfiche but there is usually a lot of work involved in culling the paper files before they can be filmed. Files arrive all the time from the different
authorities. In addition we have had a backlog as we have not had the resources to deal with them. We have been
fortunate to have a postgraduate student over the last five years, who has been steadily whittling them down in between exams
and project deadlines. We thought it would be interesting to hear some of her observations.
Francesca Harris
Noel Whyte
I began work at Scottish Adoption as a holiday job and nearly five years later we have completed a project that initially
seemed never ending. We have culled nearly seven hundred West Lothian files ranging in size from a few sheets of paper
to some files that take up whole drawers in filing cabinets. The files date from the 1930s to the present day.
Every closed adoption file that arrives at Scottish Adoption is about the beginning of someone’s life story;
it is my job to show that story. Of particular importance is information about the reasons leading to adoption and information about the birth family.
The file is also arranged to make it straightforward for the post adoption counsellors to find information in the file should
it be requested. The aim is always to finish a file so it tells its story in the most concise way; this involves
culling the file so it can then be microfilmed for storage.
There is no formula for culling a file. As every file contains an individual story every file must be
handled differently, which means the work is time consuming. Although I do not deal with people, only the paper, it is difficult
not to get caught up in the lives of those involved in the file.
Whilst working at Scottish Adoption I have worked alongside social workers on both sides of the adoption process
and this has informed my work on the files. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Scottish Adoption
for all their help and support, I feel very lucky that what started as a holiday job has turned into so much more.
Resource Pack
‘’AND YOU ARE STILL YOU’ – Developing and Maintaining a stable sense of self
by -
Holly van Gulden and Ann Sutton.
cottish Adoption Association were delighted to have Holly van Gulden launch this Resource Pack at the formal
opening of our new office in February 2006. Producing the pack was made possible from an Agnes Hunter Trust grant to
develop training material for use with adoptive parents. The project was also supported by Lothian Adopters Group.
The Resource Pack brings together some of the material presented by Holly in training, discusses techniques
and approaches and describes some ways in which the materials have been used in Scottish Adoption Association and other agencies.
Ann Sutton had a key role in producing the Resource Pack with Holly and the aim of the pack is to help workers
apply the Holly van Gulden model in their day-to-day practice. We very much appreciate Ann’s continued assistance
alongside staff from Scottish Adoption Association in running workshops for practitioners from various agencies who are interested
in taking Holly’s model forward.
Chair
of Council
Gerry O’Hara
Company
Secretary Catherine Dewar
Honorary
Treasurer
Ken Kinnaird
Chief
Executive
Catherine Dewar
Practice
Managers:
- Family
Placement Anne McAfee
- After
Adoption Maureen
Kinnell
Adoption
Counsellors: Francesca Harris
Noel Whyte
Social
Workers
Colin Grant
Elizabeth McNicholl
Julia Payne
Kathryn Scorgie
Sandra Turnbull (Locum)
Senior
Administrator Sandra McConnachie
Secretaries
Margaret Dunnett
Anne Stables
Legal
Advisers
Simon Guest WS
Susan Grant LLB
Auditors
Henderson Loggie C.A.
Directors
during the Year ended 31 March 2006
Gerry
O’Hara
Chairman
Frank
Black
Joe
Francis
Susan
Gillingham
David
Johnson
Jan
Lyell
Christina
Paulson-Ellis
Janet
Rust
Chair
of Panel Marjorie Morrison
(Resigned August 2005)
Panel
Nigel Beal
Frank Black
Chris Creegan
Ruth Dolan
Susan Gillingham
Sandria Gillon (Resigned February 2006 )
Dr Eve Halson
Iona Leggat
Christina Paulson - Ellis
Janet Rust
Meg Turner
Decision
Makers Joe Francis
David Johnson
Gerry O’Hara
Medical
Advisers Dr Erika Hollingdale
Dr Stephen Watson
Legal
Adviser Susan Grant
LLB
ADOPTION
and CHILDREN (SCOTLAND) BILL
cottish Adoption Staff and adoptive parents took part in a consultation with MSP’s from the Scottish Parliament’s
Education Committee in May 2006 regarding the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill. A lively, wide
ranging discussion took place covering after adoption support provision, adoption allowances, the proposed permanency order
and joint adoption by unmarried couples (including same sex couples). MSPs appreciated the opportunity to gain insights
into the practical and emotional issues surrounding adoption.
We would like to thank all those who attended the meeting and contributed so helpfully to the discussion.
It was recognised that staff and service users of Scottish Adoption Association have a wide experience of the complex issues
in the placement of children for adoption and the range of supports needed by children and their adoptive families.
The need for appropriate funding of these supports was highlighted and noted in the minute of the meeting which will be used
as evidence and presented to the Education Committee.
The objective of the Bill is to improve, modernise and extend adoption in Scotland and to provide greater stability
for children who cannot live with their birth families and we look forward to following its progress through to legislation
in 2007/2008.
2006 - STUDENT PLACEMENT
I have worked in a practice team as a community care assistant for six years. For the past three years
I have been studying through open learning for a social work diploma. I am now on my final placement, which lasts for
five months.
I came to Scottish Adoption Association as a student in March 2006 with no previous experience of the adoption
process. I have gained experience through working with a young person who considered adoption for her baby and a mother
with learning difficulties whose son is in long term foster care. I have worked with a foster carer with whom a baby
was placed and with two teenagers wishing to contact birth parents. I have had the experience of observing and co-leading
a preparation group for prospective adopters and have worked with a couple in completing their Homestudy and adoption assessment
Form F1. I have sat in and observed an adoption ‘approval panel’ which was held in the Scottish Adoption
Association office and a local authority ‘matching panel’. These are just some of the people I have
worked with and some of the tasks involved. For me, the most moving experience was when a couple were matched with two
little girls.
I would like to thank everyone at Scottish Adoption Association for allowing me this invaluable opportunity and for
their patience in providing me with support along the way and hope they will go on to take on another student allowing someone
else the opportunity to
share the wonderful experiences I have had.
Sandra Hope
FUNDRAISING
Over the past year, we have received generous support from the following Trusts, Foundations and Companies:
Tillyloss
Trust
Fitton
Trust
Jules
Thorn
Sylvia
Aitken Charitable Trust
James
Weir Foundation
The
W M Mann Foundation
Cruden
Foundation Limited
Saints
and Sinners
John
Watson’s Trust
James
Miller
The
Hugh Fraser Foundation
Andrew
Paton’s Charitable Trust
The
Binks Trust
Tay
Charitable Trust
Awards
for All
Darroch
Charitable Trust
We are most grateful to the generosity of the many organisations that have made donations totalling £17,850
over the past year.
HOW CAN YOU HELP ?
Providing support and services to those affected by adoption takes
a lot more than time. Although most of our income comes from charges to local authorities, we still need to fundraise
about a fifth of the total costs of Scottish Adoption.
Over the next year, this will be in the region of £100,000. A large proportion of this will come from the generous
support of trusts and foundations, but that still leaves a significant shortfall every year. So we really do rely on support
from individuals to help us to maintain a high level of service and support.
You can help in several ways:
You can help by making a commitment of regular monthly/quarterly/annual donations by means of a standing order
or a one off donation
NB. If you are a taxpayer, then by signing the Gift Aid declaration on the forms we can reclaim an additional
28% in tax relief at no extra cost or work to yourself.
Legacy Giving – Remembering Scottish Adoption in your will
is a way of making a lasting difference to those we support. We can provide information to solicitors and members of the public
who are considering leaving a gift in their will. Please contact us.
FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
The Summary Financial Statement is extracted from the annual accounts for the year to 31 March 2006.
The full accounts were approved by the Trustee’s on 9 August 2006 and have been audited by Henderson Loggie,
Registered Auditors, Edinburgh. The auditor’s qualified their opinion because we had insufficient
information to comply in full with FRS17 Accounting for Pensions. The Standard will be complied with in full in
the accounts for the current year.
Copies of the full accounts can be obtained from the Association’s office.
Gerry O’Hara
Balance sheet
as at 31 March 2006
|
|
Note |
2006
£ |
2006
£ |
2005
£ |
2005
£ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fixed
assets |
|
|
|
|
|
Tangible assets |
9 |
|
27,237 |
|
9,198 |
Investments |
10 |
|
66,722 |
|
55,768 |
|
|
|
_______ |
|
_______
|
|
|
|
93,959 |
|
64,966 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
assets |
|
|
|
|
|
Cash at bank and in hand |
|
9,779 |
|
121,216 |
|
Debtors |
11 |
80,148 |
|
15,809 |
|
|
|
_______ |
|
_______
|
|
|
|
89,927 |
|
137,025 |
|
Creditors: amounts falling due within one
year |
12 |
(16,459) |
|
|
