THE head of Bournemouth’s adoption team says adoption remains a high priority and it not being ignored as an option for vulnerable children.

Heather Freeman’s comments follow a report in which the former chief executive of Barnado’s called for a transformation of the “hopelessly slow” adoption system.

In a report commissioned by The Times, Martin Narey said adoption was the “golden option” that could solve many of the problems endured by some of Britain's most vulnerable children.

He made 19 recommendations for changing the system.

Among his suggested reforms, he said abused children taken out of their homes should live with prospective adoptive parents straight away rather than spend years in care.

He called for adoption to be presented as a “valid third option” to pregnant women or girls who are unlikely to be able to raise a child.

Mr Narey said councils should be ranked by speed and rate of adoption.

He told the newspaper: “Here we have a solution to healing the lives of some of the most disadvantaged children in the UK.

“In an any other area of social policy, with the evidence so persuasive, it would be vigorously pursued. Instead it is dealt with at best marginally.”

Heather Freeman, adoption team manager for Bournemouth council, said: “The comments made by Mr Narey are certainly not a picture that we recognise in Bournemouth.

“Adoption remains a high priority for the council and we are definitely not ignoring adoption as an option for children in Bournemouth.

“We look upon adoption positively if it is considered to be the right option for a child and the number of children who are adopted in Bournemouth has risen over the last few years.

“We appear to be bucking the national trend.”

The adoption service in Bournemouth was judged as outstanding in three out of the four categories, and good overall when last inspected by Ofsted in 2008.

In Bournemouth, 18 children were adopted in 2010 compared to six in 2009