NATIONAL adoption databases must continue to be maintained, despite increasing numbers of regional services joining forces to find parents to adopt.

That was warning coming from Wiltshire Council leader Jane Scott at her last cabinet meeting before stepping down as leader.

She spoke about the need to keep a national database of parents and children to make sure that families can continue to be matched across the UK.

Adoption services in Wiltshire joined forces with five other local authorities as part of Adoption West in March.

Baroness Scott said: “It worries me that there is a focus on regional work but a national database might be cut. We can’t just stick to our regions, we need to work nationally as well.”

Wiltshire Council adoption services were rated requires improvement during an Ofsted inspection of children’s services in 2015. Cabinet heard that since then  the time it takes to find a home for a child has been slashed and adoption for children with disabilities improved.

Figures released up until March this year show that the average time between a child entering care services and being adopted is now 397 days,  compared to a national average of 486.

Cabinet member for Children’s Services Laura Mayes said: “We say if a child’s best option is adoption, no matter how complex it is, that’s what we will do. We perhaps have children that take two years but we don’t care because that is what is right for them. Our performance continues to improve.”