New study calls for improved safeguarding for adoptive and special guardianship families

Critical gaps in safeguarding and support for children placed under Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) or through adoption, particularly those with complex needs and traumatic early life experiences, have been revealed in a new study led by the University of Birmingham. The research shows that though many children thrive when placed in adoptive or SGO families, a significant minority face serious challenges during these placements that can lead to harm, family relationship breakdowns, or re-entry into care.

Published today, the study is one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the UK and provides a clear roadmap for improving safeguarding practices and outcomes for children in adoptive and SGO placements.

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation and led by Dr Joanna Garstang and Professor Julie Taylor - in collaboration with Professor Keith Moultrie and colleagues at the Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University - the research drew on case file analysis to examine the experiences of 115 children who were subject to statutory safeguarding interventions after adoption or SGO. This was further supplemented by interviews with over 90 professionals, parents, and guardians.

Children’s outcomes were determined as good, moderate, or poor, based on social work case file data that was available for at least two years after child in need or child protection plans. In total, 36 children had good outcomes, 45 had moderate outcomes and 34 had poor outcomes. However, for families, achieving these outcomes may be hugely stressful and traumatising due to the lack of support systems in place.

Other key findings include:

• The main risks to children placed in adoption or SGOs included behavioural challenges linked to trauma and developmental conditions, such as autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
  
  
• Safeguarding concerns often arose when families, despite their best efforts, were overwhelmed by the demands of caring for children with complex needs; which were exacerbated by a lack of both timely and specialist support.
  
  
• Support systems were often reactive, inconsistent, and insufficient. Many families reported long waits for mental health services, inadequate school and pastoral support as well as a lack of trauma-informed care.
  
  
• Adoptive parents and special guardians frequently felt judged or blamed when seeking help, leading to delays in accessing support and worsening outcomes.
  
  
• Overall, outcomes for children varied: while some achieved stability and success, others experienced poor or worse outcomes due to entrenched issues and late intervention.

Dr Joanna Garstang, Clinical Associate Professor of Child Protection at the University of Birmingham, Consultant Community Paediatrician, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust, and lead author of the study said:

“Families undertaking adoption or SGO are in urgent need of specialist long-term support for children to address common issues such as trauma, developmental difficulties and neurodiversity to overcome their early experiences to help prevent later problems.”

“Although most children can do well after adoption or a special guardianship order, some will later be at risk from abuse and neglect. Often, this arises from their previous traumatic experiences leading to high levels of challenging behaviour or mental health problems as well as risks of criminal and sexual exploitation.”

The report outlines 15 key recommendations, including:

• More robust and trauma-informed assessments for prospective adopters and special guardians.
• Long-term, proactive support tailored to the needs of the whole family, on a case by case basis.
• Improved and timely collaborative working between adoption, SGO, safeguarding, education, and health services to provide these support systems for families.
• Specialist training for professionals within these services on the impact of early trauma and how to support families effectively.

Professor Keith Moultrie, the Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University, commented:

"This important study looked at practice in both England and Wales. We were very struck by the huge efforts that adopters and special guardians put into their children and saw many examples of good professional practice in supporting them.

“However, there is more to be done, and we hope that this study offers actionable improvements which could be made to support these families more effectively in the future."

Ash Patel, Programme Head for Justice at the Nuffield Foundation added:

“This study shines a light on the hidden struggles of families who step up to care for some of the most vulnerable children within society. With the right support, many of these families could thrive, but the current level of provision seems insufficient to meet their needs. .

“In order to improve long-term outcomes for children within adoptive and special guardianship families, urgent action needs be taken to ensure that they are not left to cope alone without the ongoing, specialist support that’s required from local authority, health and education services.”