In 2024 CCS Adoption celebrated its 120th Anniversary. It was an opportunity to reflect on the past and more recent history of our organisation. We are extremely proud of our recent achievements at CCS, particularly as once again we have obtained an Ofsted Outstanding in 2024.

At CCS Adoption it is our pledge to continue to offer our existing and future families, who are at the heart of our organisation, the services they need to assist them in providing the best possible outcomes for their children.

Sally Lockwood, Chair of Trustees

1904

Beginnings: Clifton Rescue Society

CCS Adoption started out as the Clifton Rescue Society, to co-ordinate childcare initiatives in the Catholic Diocese of Clifton. Like many UK child welfare provisions at this time, the Society was faith-based. The Bishop of Clifton met with members of the clergy and laity in the Grand Hotel, Bristol at the Society’s inaugural meeting on January 29th, 1904.

1928 – 1970

Nazareth Houses, Bristol and Cheltenham

The Clifton Rescue Society referred most children in need of residential care to the Bristol and Cheltenham Nazareth Houses, two large institutions ran by the Poor Sisters of Nazareth. Records identify 3,665 children linked to these Nazareth Houses between 1928 and 1970 before these homes closed. Some children were placed in Nazareth Houses for adoption when they were babies and others stayed for the duration of their childhoods, or until relatives came forward, sometimes years later.

1950s Onwards

Moving away from caring for children in large institutions

Research was undertaken and different childcare theories developed which highlighted the harm caused to children by growing up in large, regimented institutions, with little opportunity to form key attachments to trusted adults. The Society raised these concerns locally from the 1960s and focused on finding permanent homes for children in loving families.

1950s

Mother and Baby homes established

The Society referred unmarried pregnant Catholic women without the support of relatives to St. Raphael’s, Henbury, St. Elizabeth’s, Salisbury and St. Annes, Chepstow, which were Mother and Baby Homes ran by different orders of nuns. Mothers were accommodated with their babies until they decided whether could keep their child or sadly needed to give the child up for adoption, fostering or long-term residential care.

1940s – 1960s

Modernisation

The English Adoption Act of 1926 made permanent the transfer of parental rights and duties from birth parents to adoptive parents by the provision for a child to be legally adopted in court and from the 1940s, the Society’s main purpose as a registered Adoption Society was to find Catholic adoptive homes for Catholic children and to support adoptive and birth families.

Father Leahy, a Parish Priest played a key leadership role 1941 – 1958 and was succeeded by Father Hall.

In 1961 June Newport was appointed as the Society’s first social worker. She worked in a leadership role for 36 years alongside Father Hall and more social workers were employed.

1943 – 2005

Clifton Catholic Society

The Society becomes a registered Adoption Society in 1943 and changed its name to Clifton Catholic Children’s Society in 1961. It was based at 58 Alma Road, Clifton from 1965 to 2005.

1960s – 1990s

Fostering

After the closure of residential homes, from the 1960s the Society assessed small numbers of Catholic foster carers to care for babies on a short-term basis, whilst adoptive homes were found for them.

The last baby to be fostered by one of the Society’s foster carers was fostered in 1999.

1900s Onwards

Links with Ireland

Due to the prevailing societal attitudes in Ireland and lack of support in the first half of the 20th century, many unmarried pregnant Catholic Irish women felt their only choice was to come over to England so that they could conceal their pregnancies and have their babies in secret. Until 1960, around fifty per cent of cases considered by the Society’s Committee at any one time involved Irish mothers and their babies. The situation and provision for unmarried mothers in Ireland gradually improved. The Society subsequently supported Irish women, before and after giving birth, to decide whether to stay in England or return to Ireland, while they decided whether they were able to continue to care for their babies or needed to give them up for adoption or fostering.

1900s – 1965

Child Migration

In the late 1800s to mid-1900s, there were child migration schemes from the UK to Canada and Australia. The Clifton Society sent 72 children to Australia, mainly from one of the Nazareth Houses. Some children were not properly informed about the scheme, and some were even told that their parents were deceased.

In response to these injustices, the Child Migrants Trust was established to support former child migrants in reuniting with their birth relatives. With the support of the Australian and British governments and religious organizations involved, funds were provided for reunions between siblings and with migrants’ birth parents.

1970s – 1980s

Working with All Faiths or None

As the need for adopters for the children of unmarried mothers lessened, the Society started to expand its recruitment of adopters beyond the Catholic community. They sought to find homes for children considered hard to place, from all faiths or none.

When access to birth records opened up under new legislation in 1976, social workers supported adopted adults and previous Nazareth House residents to find out about their backgrounds and trace their birth relatives if they wished to.

1980s Onwards

More Developments

There was another change of name in 1986 to the Catholic Children’s Society (Diocese of Clifton), becoming known as CCS Adoption.

There was a rapid decline in adoptions from the 1960s. From the 1980s up to the present day, the nature of adoption has changed, with very few babies being relinquished for adoption and the majority of adoptions being for children adopted out of local authority care. CCS’ work to find permanent families for children has responded to the need for adopters for sibling groups, children over 4 years old, children from ethnic minority heritage and children with additional needs.

1998 – 2016

Jadwiga Ball (Jaggie), CEO

Following on from June Newport, who retired in 1998, Jaggie’s range of achievements in developing CCS services is vast. The ethos and working practice her leadership fostered was, in Jaggie’s own words: ‘to be child and young person focused in our actions; to work in partnership with people offering permanent families to children to help them understand and prepare for the task, and to offer skilled support when needed for as long as necessary.’

The outstanding Ofsted outcomes it gained were important for CCS’ growing reputation.

CCS contributed to research about placing larger sibling groups and had a key role in developing Early Permanence Placements (EP).

The intermediary services for adopted adults and their birth records continued to be a crucial part of CCS support services.

2000 – Present

South West Adoption Consortium

CCS contributed to the establishment of the South West Adoption Consortium, eventually taking over the running of this, which helped to promote partnership between local authorities and voluntary adoption agencies to achieve the best outcomes for children.

2005 – 2023

Move to Pennywell Road and Expansion of Support Services

Larger premises meant that CCS were able to provide support services on-site. Under Jaggie’s leadership, CCS took over ‘Our Place’ a Bristol-based adoption support centre, which was re-named ‘The Centre.’ Services provided from here included training workshops for adopters, therapeutic support services and support groups.

2005

Evolution of the relationship with the Catholic Community

The Adoption and Children Act 2002 gave LGBTQ+ adopters the same legal rights as heterosexual or cisgender parents. Since then, the number of children adopted by lesbian, gay, bi or trans parents has grown year by year, as greatly promoted and supported by CCS.

In 2005, following this legal change coming into force and the expansion of recruitment of adopters by the Society, the Bishop of Clifton, whilst giving the Society his blessing, felt the need to stand down as role of president.

2008

Change of name to Clifton Children’s Society

On 5th June 2008, the Society changed its name from Catholic Children’s Society (Diocese of Clifton) to Clifton Children’s Society. This name reflects the Society’s roots within the Clifton Diocese. The Society continues to be known as CCS Adoption, often shortened to CCS.

2016 – 2018

Further Developments

Maggie Pitts was CEO of CCS Adoption from 2016-2022. CCS and other VAAs benefited from additional government funds to set up Therapeutic Services, funded by the Adoption Support Fund (ASF). Adoptive families and agencies had campaigned for years for funded access to appropriate therapeutic input.

2016

Early Permanence Project

CCS also grew its Early Permanence project, enabling it to create a wide range of resources and training that was shared across the South West and Nationally. Sharing Stories was another successful project that enabled CCS to work with birth family members in order to collate life story work for children.

2018

The Centre for Adoption Support and Education

In 2018, CCS Adoption and The Centre for Adoption Support and Education (The Centre) became one charity, CCS Adoption was fairly unique at this time in sharing these adoption support services with families from other agencies.

2019

Increase in number of children being placed

Prior to 2014, CCS had always placed less than 20 children a year, keeping a focus on finding adopters for sibling groups, children aged 4 and above, ethnic minority children and children with disabilities. Between 2014 and 2019 CCS increased its recruitment of adopters and therefore the number of children it was placing, averaging 30 children a year with a peak in 2019 of 47 children.

2019

Creation of RAAs

The government stated in 2015 Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) (32 were created). This collaboration aimed to deliver an adoption service that offered improved outcomes for both children and those who want to adopt. Adoption West RAA began in 2019.

2019 – 2022

Decline in number of children being adopted nationally

After 2019 there was a decline in the number of children being placed by CCS and nationally. A culture shift in the courts meant that many more children who could not return to their birth parents were being placed with kin. The VAAs remained focused on finding adopters for priority children, however, with nationally declining numbers some VAAs were no longer financially viable and sadly closed.

In 2022 CCS needed to ensure its financial viability for the future, CCS’s reduced staffing numbers and ensure that the charity was working as efficiently as it could whilst maintaining its quality of services.

2022 – Present

CCS Adoption remains at the forefront of adoption practice in the UK

Emma Simpson became CEO of CCS Adoption in 2022, having worked at CCS since 2016 and under her innovatory leadership CCS continues to move forward with an enthusiastic, highly skilled workforce.

In 2024 Ofsted found the services delivered by CCS Adoption to continue to be Outstanding, for the 5th inspection in a row.

2023

CCS Adoption moves to The Park

In 2023 CCS Adoption sold Pennywell Road and moved to rented offices at The Park, Knowle, Bristol.

Our Accreditations

© 2010-2025 CCS Adoption. All rights reserved. Registered as CCS Adoption, Charity Number 286814, A Company Limited by Guarantee Number 1655971