RESOLVED that recommendations relating to transfer of components of

Merton’s adoption work to a Regional Adoption Agency; transfer of budget and TUPE of posts to new regional body be supported as follows:

1.    That the London Borough of Merton enter into regional adoption agency arrangements as part of Adopt London South.

2.    That staff and finances (provisional 5.29 FTE and £298,791 of which £256,564 is staffing related) are transferred to the London Borough of Southwark who will be hosting Adopt London South on behalf of ten South London boroughs, noting that Merton will be the spoke authority for the South West authorities. The figures are provisional pending the outcome of an independent audit of all local authorities’ proposed budgetary transfers.

3.    That Merton’s DCS is granted delegated authority to make more detailed decisions around the implementation of this proposal including signing off the inter-authority agreement between Merton and Southwark.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services presented the report which set out recommendations relating to the transfer of components of Merton’s adoption work to a Regional Adoption Agency; including the transfer of budget and TUPE of posts to the new regional body hosted by London Borough of Southwark, of which Merton would host the South West London Hub.  There would be regular monitoring reports to the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel which would enable the Council to have oversight of its performance.

The Director of Children, Schools and Families endorsed the approach which would deliver benefits for the Council and service users.

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member and Director for their contributions and highlighted that the Council’s current Adoption Service had been rated as one of the best in London.

RESOLVED that recommendations relating to transfer of components of

Merton’s adoption work to a Regional Adoption Agency; transfer of budget and TUPE of posts to new regional body be supported as follows:

1.    That the London Borough of Merton enter into regional adoption agency arrangements as part of Adopt London South.

2.    That staff and finances (provisional 5.29 FTE and £298,791 of which £256,564 is staffing related) are transferred to the London Borough of Southwark who will be hosting Adopt London South on behalf of ten South London boroughs, noting that Merton will be the spoke authority for the South West authorities. The figures are provisional pending the outcome of an independent audit of all local authorities’ proposed budgetary transfers.

3.    That Merton’s DCS is granted delegated authority to make more detailed decisions around the implementation of this proposal including signing off the inter-authority agreement between Merton and Southwark.