Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Special Guardianship Orders and Adoption Orders are not delayed by constraints in the family courts system as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Adoption and Special Guardianship are a priority for this government as it is so important that children can move into their forever home. Therefore, during the COVID-19 outbreak, we have encouraged local authorities and regional adoption agencies to continue to support adoption processes. We recognise the impact that the COVID-19 outbreak has had on the family courts system. We are working closely with the judiciary, the Ministry of Justice and our other key partners in the family justice system to make sure that we prioritise children’s welfare during this difficult and unprecedented time. We are working together to do everything we can to promote the best outcomes for children and are adapting our ways of working to respond to the challenges we are facing.

Following initial closures, most courts have now reopened providing (limited) capacity for hearings that aren’t suitable to be heard remotely to take place in person. Judicial capacity has been increased, with sitting days now above usual levels in most areas. All urgent public law children cases will continue to be prioritised, to help safeguard the welfare of the most vulnerable children.

This department and the Ministry of Justice have been working closely with sector leads to understand the impact of rising volumes and local variation in public family law proceedings, and to develop and implement a number of recovery and reform actions to reduce pressure on the system. Adoption net receipts and orders fell considerably over the lockdown period. The President of the Family Division wrote to Designated Family Judges on 13 May to clarify the guidance so that adoption order hearings would continue during this crisis period. This guidance appears to have led to an increase in orders.