Adoption England is developing a national model of adoption support to strengthen how support is understood, delivered and experienced across the country. This work is being led by Jo Williams, Health Programme Lead at Adoption England and Alison Woodhead, Commissioning Programme Manager at Adoption England with Jo leading the development of the model and Alison leading stakeholder engagement.
This work will continue throughout much of this year, and there will be many opportunities for people to get involved and help shape the model.
Why are we developing a national model, and why now?
We recognise that there is increasing complexity of need amongst adopted children, a significant gap in support for adult adoptees, variation in support across the country, and growing pressure on health and education services. The Adoption Support and Special Guardianship Fund (ASGSF) has been transformational for many families, but it has also had unintended consequences for how support is provided, and the 2024 changes have been challenging for many families and providers.
At the same time, the sector has built a strong body of research and evidence about what adoptees need, what good practice looks like, and what the barriers to good practice are. This creates both a challenge and an important opportunity to move towards a more joined-up and consistent approach to adoption support. The aim is not to create additional layers, but to bring greater clarity and consistency to what already exists, and to reduce fragmentation for families and practitioners.
What will the model cover?
The model will set out a clear and coherent approach to adoption support, including:
What adoptees and their families need
This will be informed by lived experience and professional experience.
How those needs will be met
This will include:
- Building on what we know works
- Improving consistency and responsiveness
- Creating a commissioning framework that supports a mixed market of providers and makes best use of resources
How we will know support is working
This will include agreeing outcomes that we can be accountable for.
Importantly, this work will go beyond adoption support services alone. We want to influence health and education systems and improve how they work with adoption services. This includes strengthening early, preventative support and improving how services respond to complexity over time.
We are aiming for a model that is clear enough to provide consistency, but flexible enough to reflect local needs and strengths, and to support innovation.
What does this mean for existing pilots, practice improvement and innovation?
The model will build on what we are already learning from work taking place across the country, including regional innovation programmes and multidisciplinary approaches. We will not be re-inventing the wheel or duplicating work that is already happening.
Who will this affect?
Initially, this work focuses on adoption support provided through Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) for adoptees and their families. However, we are also working with Voluntary Adoption Agencies (VAAs) and Adoption Support Agencies (ASAs), with the aim of creating a shared and consistent approach. We are also working with professionals in mental health services and education to improve how services work together.
How can I get involved?
We are developing ideas which we will test and refine with stakeholders throughout this year. We welcome challenge, feedback and new perspectives. In particular, we would like to work with others to:
- Build on existing experience, research and innovation
- Ensure adoptees remain at the centre of our thinking
- Test the clarity and coherence of our ideas and hear other ideas
- Identify risks or unintended consequences
- Strengthen shared understanding and common ground
We want to engage with a broad and diverse range of stakeholders during 2026. This includes people with lived experience, leaders and practitioners from RAAs, LAs, VAAs and ASAs, and professionals from health and education. Where possible, we will build on existing national, regional and local groups rather than creating new or separate forums. We are particularly keen to hear from people who may not usually have the opportunity to take part in these discussions.
If you would like to talk to us about this work, please get in touch:
Alison.Woodhead@adoptionengland.org.uk
Jo.Williams@adoptionengland.org.uk
How does this relate to the DfE consultation?
In February, the DfE (Department for Education) launched a consultation on adoption support: Adoption support that works for all. The consultation sets out eight specific proposals and asks for responses to those proposals.
The national model takes a broader view. It will set out a clear, coherent vision for adoption support across the country, including what improvements adoptees and their families should see as a result of the new model.