Adoptions

Thank you for your email which has been forwarded to the FoI office for response.

Kind regards

Customer Services
Swindon Borough Council
Wat Tyler House
Swindon SN1 2JG
Phone: 01793 445500

E-mail: [Swindon Borough Council request email]
Website: www.swindon.gov.uk

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Dear Ms Moore

Freedom of Information Request re Adoptions ref 101000219638

Thank you for your request for adoption information dated 29^th June 2010
received in our office on 29^th June 2010:

Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Council has a
duty to respond `promptly' or no later than 20 working days, which in this
case is Tuesday 27^th July 2010.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me as detailed,
quoting the above reference number.

Yours sincerely,

Sally Jansen ([email address])

Freedom of Information & Data Protection Coordinator

Adult Social Care / Safeguarding & Corporate Parenting

Swindon Borough Council

Tel: 01793 466824

Web: www.swindon.gov.uk

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Dear Ms Moore

Freedom of Information Request re Adoptions ref 101000219638

Further to my email dated 30^th June, please find to follow the response
to your freedom of information request regarding adoptions:

How many children have been forcibly adopted (against parental consent and
wishes) since 2006?

A significant number of the children adopted may have initially come into
care via Care Proceedings (ie contested by their parents) but by the time
adoption becomes the plan, some parents will have agreed or accepted that
they are unable to adequately care for their child and that adoption
offers the best outcome for their children. That doesn't mean that the
parents will sign their consent to the adoption, in which case their
consent still has to be formally dispensed with by the Court.

Between April 2006 and 14^th July 2010, a total of 44 Swindon children
have been placed with Adoptive Parents via Court Proceedings (not all of
those will have yet been made subject of adoption orders). During that
period there were no children voluntarily relinquished for adoption,
however, not all of those adoptions will have been actively challenged by
birth parents at the point that adoption became the plan.

I trust this information will satisfy your request, however, if you are
dissatisfied with the service you have received in relation to your
request and you wish to make a complaint or request a review, you should
contact:

Customer Services

Civic Offices

Euclid Street

Swindon

Website: [1]www.[Swindon Borough Council request email]

The complaints/review procedure involves a full review and an examination
of all the information by the Council's Monitoring Officer.

If you are not content with the outcome of our conclusion, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner's Office for a decision, before
contacting the Council. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless
you have exhausted the Council's own complaints procedure. The Information
Officer can be contacted at:

The Information Commissioner's Office,

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Email: [2][email address] <[3]mailto:[email address]>

Tel: 01625 545700 (ask for Freedom of Information)

If you require any further information concerning this, please contact me
as detailed, quoting the above reference number in any future
communications.

Yours sincerely

Sally Jansen ([email address])

Freedom of Information & Data Protection Coordinator

Adult Social Care / Safeguarding & Corporate Parenting

Swindon Borough Council

Tel: 01793 466824

Web: www.swindon.gov.uk

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