GWENT is one step closer to having one adoption service covering all five local authorities after a meeting of Blaenau Gwent Council yesterday.

At a meeting of the social services and active living scrutiny committee, members agreed to change the delivery of adoption services to a Welsh Government model.

Councillors were presented with a report seeking approval to establish a Gwent-wide adoption service with Blaenau Gwent Council acting as lead authority for the South East Wales Adoption Service.

Blaenau Gwent already shares adoption services with Monmouthshire and Torfaen councils, but under the initiative services across Wales will be divided into five regional adoption collaboratives. This means by April 2014 Caerphilly and Newport will join the partnership and all five local authorities in Gwent will share the South East Wales Adoption Service.

The report, written and presented by Tanya Evans, interim assistant director of children’s services at Blaenau Gwent Council, said: “For the South East Wales Adoption Service it is proposed Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council should be the host/lead authority.

“The rational for this decision is Blaenau Gwent currently host the Tri Partite Adoption Service delivered by Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Monmouthshire local authorities. This arrangement has been in place for two years and is working well. To move to the South East Wales Adoption Service would mean Caerphilly and Newport joining this arrangement.”

Members endorsed the proposal and agreed Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council will act as the lead authority for the South East Wales Adoption Service.

The report said: “Work is currently ongoing in relation to the financial implications for Blaenau Gwent to move to a South East Wales Adoption Service. As with the other collaborative arrangements a management charge is attributed to the host authority. It is anticipated the management charge Blaenau Gwent will receive will off set any additional costs incurred by the authority in relation to the accommodation costs and team structure.”

The national adoption a service is a key policy strand of the Welsh Government and, if passed, the Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Bill will allow ministers to prescribe arrangements by local authorities.