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<p>Personal health budgets and the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) are generally used
for interventions that are not universally offered or commissioned locally, offering
access to support that would not ordinarily be available to meet the child’s needs.</p><p>
</p><p>The use of personal health budgets for looked after children and young people
is being piloted and independently evaluated. The evaluation includes assessment of
the benefits of personal health budgets, including impact on mental health outcomes.
Regular reviews also take place at an individual level to ensure the support provided
continues to meet the child’s needs.</p><p> </p><p>An independent evaluation of the
ASF was published in August 2017, which can be found attached. The government gave
a commitment, in ‘Adoption: a vision for change’, also attached, to strengthen the
evidence base of ‘what works’ in terms of preventative and therapeutic adoption support.
The department is currently exploring ways to achieve this, including through use
of the findings of a new independent evaluation of the ASF, monitoring the impact
of the fund for children, families, local authorities and providers.</p><p> </p><p>
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