AQW 15745/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health for a breakdown of the (i) average time taken; and (ii) longest waiting time to process the family assessment to qualify for adoption in the last five years.
Asked by Michelle Guy MLA on 25 September 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 25 September 2024
- Answer due by
- 10 October 2024
- Answered
- 9 October 202414 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
At this time, the Department of Health does not capture the specific data required to provide the breakdown requested.
Through the Directed Statutory Functions (DSF) report received annually from each HSC Trust, the information provided below details the length of time prospective adopters wait from their formal application to adopt to commencing their adoption assessment for the past five years.
| Time waiting | 31/3/24 | 31/3/23 | 31/3/22 | 31/3/21 | 31/3/20 |
| Less than 1 month | 5 | 7 | 14 | 14 | <5 |
| More than 1 month, less than 3 months | 10 | <5 | 11 | 16 | 19 |
| More than 3 months, less than 6 months | 14 | 5 | 12 | 8 | <5 |
| More than 6 months, less than 12 months | <5 | 5 | 22 | <5 | <5 |
| 1 year or more | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 |
Note: <5 denotes a figure of between 1 and 5. The actual figure is suppressed to avoid disclosure
The DSF reports from HSC Trusts detail that a significant number of assessments are delayed in commencing due to the availability of social work staff to progress these. Children’s social services teams within HSC Trusts have experienced significant pressures which have impacted on the capacity of the Trusts to discharge their statutory duties, including the assessment of prospective adoption families.