About Cumbria Adoption
Who we are
Cumbria Adoption provides adoption services for the two new unitary councils of Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness. These new local authorities came into being as part of Local Government Reorganisation on 1 April 2023. They replaced Cumbria County Council and the six district councils of Barrow, South Lakeland, Eden, Carlisle, Allerdale and Copeland.
The new authorities decided it makes sense for a number of services to still be provided together across both new council areas, and adoption is one of these services. Cumbria Adoption staff are all employed by Cumberland Council, but we provide the same level of services equally across both authorities.
Our services
At Cumbria Adoption our skilled staff:
- Recruit, train, and assess prospective adopters;
- Support prospective adopters through the matching and placement process up until the granting of an Adoption Order;
- Assist in the planning and placement for adoption of children who are unable to be cared for within their birth families
- Offer ongoing support to families following the Adoption Order which includes advice and information, assessments for specific services including therapy, workshops, support groups and family events
- Work with adopted adults to help them to access their birth records and act as intermediary if they seek contact with birth relatives
- Have a dedicated worker to support birth families during the adoption process
Cumbria Adoption does not undertake assessments for overseas adoption (Intercountry adoption).
Partner adoptions (formerly known as stepparent adoption), and adoptions by foster carers or other carers, follow a different process and are called non-agency adoption
Why apply to Cumbria Adoption?
Experience
We are the former Cumbria County Council adoption service with extensive experience in placing children and approving and supporting adopters. Ofsted have rated our Adoption Services as ‘good’.
We continue to offer a Cumbriawide service across the two new councils of Cumberland, and Westmorland and Furness via four specialist teams:
- Recruitment and Assessment
- Adoption Support
- Panels and Permanence, and
- Children’s Adoption Team.
Geography
We have offices throughout Cumbria, in Barrow, Kendal, Carlisle and Workington.
Due to the geographical size of the two new unitary authorities, we are in the fortunate position of being able to place the children in Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness with adopters approved by Cumbria Adoption.
This has many benefits in terms of matching and support. This is something that many other adoption agencies are unable to offer.
Service
We offer a seamless service in that you will have support from the point of initial contact through the adoption process, and following the Adoption Order, from our robust and responsive Adoption Support service.
We will contact you within 10 days of you telling us you want to start the adoption process with us.
We aim to reduce the time children are waiting to be adopted. The majority of approved adopters will have a child placed with them within twelve months.
We have successfully placed a number of children via the Early Permanence route
Our Commitment to You
If you choose to progress with Cumbria Adoption on your adoption journey, we ensure you will have:
• A warm welcome.
• A personal, professional service throughout.
• Excellent training programme.
• Ongoing support whenever you need it.
Statement of Purpose
It is a requirement of the National Minimum Standards for adoption services, that an adoption service produces a statement of purpose, including its aims and objectives and a description of the service and facilities that it provides.
It can be used by children and young people, and families as a guide to what they should expect a service to provide and to do.