DUDLEY Council's cabinet members have given the green light to plans to combine Black Country adoption services to help reduce the amount of time children spend in care.

A plan to merge the adoption services of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils to form a new agency ‘Adoption@Heart’ was approved at last night’s cabinet meeting (Wednesday July 19).

Councillor Anne Millward, Dudley’s cabinet member for children’s services, told members the new agency was being created in response to the government’s national programme, which expects all local authorities to adopt a regional agency by 2020.

The creation of the new organisation, which will lead to savings for each local authority, aims to cut the amount of time it takes for a child and adopters to be matched and to improve the life chances of neglected children.

Cllr Millward said it will “fundamentally overhaul the way we deliver adoption services across the Black Country” and she added: “For the children it’s about avoiding lengthy spells in care and finding them a long term home, which offers stability, security and a fantastic childhood.”

And she told cabinet members she believes the plan offers a “smarter way of working” and added: “The longer children are in the care system and not put out for adoption the worse their life chances can be.”

She said all set up costs are expected to be paid for by the Department for Education, apart from marketing costs, and a report to the cabinet stated existing council staff in adoption services will TUPE across to the new organisation which council chiefs anticipate will be up and running by summer next year.

Cabinet members were asked to approve the establishment of the agency as a local authority trading company, constituted as a Community Interest Company (CIC) and Company Limited by Shares (CLS), at the cabinet meeting at Dudley Council House and the plan will go to full council for final approval.

Councillor Ian Cooper, the former cabinet member for children's services , welcomed the plan and said: "We want to see a more effective service for children and young people and this is the obvious way to go."

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, added: "It's a really good example of cross party working and all four local authorities all coming together for the benefit of some of the most vulnerable children in society."