Research and analysis

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies

Research reports from the 3-year evaluation of regional adoption agencies (RAAs).

Applies to England

Documents

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: inception and scoping report

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: first report (2018 to 2019)

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: second report (2019 to 2020)

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: annex to the second report (2019 to 2020)

The views of prospective adopters in five regional adoption agencies

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: adopter recruitment

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: managing culture change

Supporting adoptive families: the views of adoptive parents in 4 regional adoption agencies

The views and experiences of approved adopters in 5 regional adoption agencies

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: final report

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: annex to the final report

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: adoption support - research brief

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: leadership - research brief

Details

This evaluation aims to understand regional adoption agencies (RAAs) and the models they are adopting.

The evaluation covers 4 main areas:

  • reducing unnecessary delay in matching and placing children with adopters
  • the sufficiency of local and national adopter recruitment
  • the provision of adoption support as defined in regulation
  • efficiencies and cost savings

Inception and scoping report

The report provides early insights for RAAs and local authorities to help them support the policy in their area.

First report

The report reviews the advancement and achievements of RAAs up to early 2019 and shares initial learning.

Second report

The report reviews the progress and early impact of RAAs up to early 2020.

Annex to the second report

The annex provides details of the theory of change for RAAs, a description of the evaluation, including the research questions.

The views and experiences of prospective adopters report

The report examines prospective adopters’ experiences as they prepared to become approved adopters.

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: adopter recruitment

The report summarises evidence on adopter recruitment in the transition from local adoption services to RAAs.

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: managing culture change

The report summarises evidence on managing culture change in the transition from local adoption services to RAAs.

Supporting adoptive families: the views of adoptive parents in 4 RAAs

The report examines the experiences of adoptive parents’ access to support services, timeliness of interventions and parents’ overall satisfaction with services.

The views and experiences of approved adopters in 5 RAAs

The report examines the perspectives of approved adopters following completion of their preparation group training.

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: final report

The final report in the series evaluates the impact of RAAs on improving the delivery of adoption services.

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: annex to the final report

The annex provides details of the theory of change for RAAs and a description of the evaluation, including the research questions.

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: adoption support - research brief

The report summarises evidence on adoption support delivered by RAAs.

Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: leadership - research brief

The report summarises evidence on the topic of leadership from the evaluation of RAAs.

Updates to this page

Published 21 July 2019
Last updated 3 March 2022 + show all updates
  1. Added the final report, annex to the final report, adoption support research brief and leadership research brief.

  2. Added 'The views and experiences of approved adopters in 5 regional adoption agencies' and 'Supporting adoptive families: the views of adoptive parents in 4 regional adoption agencies'.

  3. Added 'Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: adopter recruitment' and 'Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: managing culture change'.

  4. Updated ‘Evaluation of regional adoption agencies: second report (2019 to 2020)’ to correct an error relating to an upturn in placements orders since 2019.

  5. Added a second report for 2019 to 2020, an annex to the second report and a report on the views of prospective adopters.

  6. First published.

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