Adoption services in Bolton are set to be improved, following a number of data breaches.
The breaches are in relation to links between adopted children and their birth parents, according to a report by the borough's director of children’s services.
In the report, Bernie Brown has outlined changes to improve the way in which information is controlled and released.
She also said that Bolton Council 'do not have any dedicated support associated with this important task' and are not providing a timely service to the children and their families.
Writing to Councillor Anne Galloway, Bolton’s cabinet member for children’s services, Ms Brown stated: "Adoption mailbox arrangements involve a third-party exchange of information between a child’s adopters and birth family members.
"They require a high degree of confidentiality in order to ensure no identifying information is inadvertently shared with birth family members.
"The exchanges support adopted children in maintaining contact with birth family and ensuring they retain a positive sense of their identity.
"These arrangements are currently organised in each of the six authorities that make up Adoption Now and the agreed plan is to bring this together and support the process through Adoption Now.
"Three local authorities do not have any dedicated support associated with this important task and as such have experienced some data breaches and have struggled to provide a timely service."
Under proposals agreed today (April 26) it will now become a dedicated service delivered from one centre.
It will be based at Adoption Now, in Howell Croft House.
It was also agreed that Bolton Council will fund £16,000 per year, which equates to half the salary of an full-time employee needed to administer the adoption policies in the borough.
The report added: “Bringing this service together would enable a more efficient management of the function, modernise the service and reduce the risk of data breaches.”
