The St. David’s Children Society Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Cardiff University has been given the highest possible grading of ‘Outstanding’ by Innovate UK.
Funded by Welsh Government, the KTP was a collaboration between St. David’s Children Society, Cardiff University School of Psychology and Cardiff Business School. Supported by the National Adoption Service Cymru the KTP purpose was to strengthen adoption services, with the Adopting Together Service growing from a need identified to find families for children who wait the longest and were most at risk of having their plans changed to long term fostering arrangements.
The KTP began in September 2017. Led by St. David’s, in partnership with Barnardo’s Cymru, Adoption UK and our therapeutic partner, The Family Place, the Adopting Together Service officially launched in June 2018. Since then the Service has continued to grow, placing over 14 children with permanent families. Under its unique model, children and their families have been offered psychologist-led and therapeutic support prior to, and within the first year of placement.
The ‘outstanding’ rating reflects the whole innovative approach undertaken by the KTP to establish the Service, inclusive of support from Cardiff Business School and School of Psychology. Through direct guidance from Dr Jane Lynch at Cardiff Business School, Adopting Together created a collaborative structure behind its delivery that represented transformational change in the procurement of social care, aligning with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
Led by Professor Katherine Shelton, Cardiff University School of Psychology is evaluating the impact of the service for children and their families. Dr Shelton stated that, “This multi-agency project has been transformative in its approach to supporting some of the most vulnerable children in our society. We are absolutely delighted to see recognition from Innovate UK of this work with the ‘outstanding’ grading”.
Wendy Keidan, CEO of St. David’s stated, “The KTP has acted as an enabler of collaboration using the expertise of academic, therapeutic, statutory and voluntary sector partners to find adoptive families for some of the most vulnerable children in Wales. We are grateful for the support of Welsh Government in facilitating this unique relationship which is now going from strength to strength and to Innovate UK for recognising this sector leading approach to social care.”
Suzanne Griffiths, Director of the National Adoption Service said “I am very pleased to see this recognition from Innovate UK. It is testament to the uniquely collaborative approach that underpins this new and much needed service.”
