Ofsted
Ofsted, the government office for standards in education, children's services and skills, found Together for Children's voluntary adoption agency to be 'Good'.
The Ofsted report for adoption states that:
- Adoptive families benefit from the wraparound service provided by a long-standing and stable staff team. Stating that this is a particular strength as there is continuity of support available to adoptive families from the first point of contact through to post-adoption assistance.
- Adoptive families are provided with a wide range of training that is appropriate to their needs.
- The adoption team is passionate about its roles, and aspirational about the agency. There is a stable, experienced and knowledgeable staff team that is child-focused and keen to achieve the best outcomes for children.
- Early permanence is promoted by the agency when there is a plan of adoption for children. The adoption team works closely with Together for Children Sunderland social work teams to search for, and identify, prospective adopters.
In addition, feedback received during the inspection from adopters and professionals has been wholly positive. In particular, this includes praise for the work of the staff, who are described as 'going over and beyond to help' and of being 'professional, caring and informative'
The report also mentions that Adopters felt prepared to embark on their adoption journey after taking part in the assessment process and training.
