Adopting a step child uk

Does anybody have any advise on this?.

My daughter is 10 years old. For the past 3 years she has been begging me and my husband to allow my husband to adopt her. However, her bio dad won’t allow it (I asked him 3 years ago).

Her bio dad was arrested for GBH with intent, assaulting a 15 year old child in 2010 and sent to prison for his crime, he has used drugs along with a fair few of his relatives and she’s witnessed that (I’ve since stopped her going to c him unless it’s at his mothers) he has been reported to social services a few times (by me) for this and to the police.

He refuses to speak to me, doesnt call text or write to my daughter, sees her once a year barely ever paid maintenance - £13 a fortnight and is the ultimate dead beat dad.

My daughter has not changed her opinion on it since the first time she asked us 3 years ago now. Tonight she was in tears saying how “I hate my dad I want john to adopt me but my dad won’t let me he said he wants me to b happy in my life but he obviously doesn’t because he won’t let John adopt me and be my real dad and I want him to. My real dad doesn’t even talk to me anyway he said if I want his number I can have it but I don’t want it because he doesn’t bother with me anyway. I want to be Johns real daughter” I said “unfortunately ur dad is blood I can’t change blood I tried asking him once n he refused” n she said “can’t you just do it anyway and not ask him I don’t care if he’s blood I hate him”

He has put her through absolute emotional hell for nearly 4 years not seeing her, not speaking to her, making excuses, drug abuse, no Christmas or birthday cards\presents some years etc. He is on her birth certificate so he has PR. I have no clue where he lives and no way of contacting him because he refuses to speak to me.

Does anybody have any advice for this or information? I would consent to the adoption personally my husband has been there for her every step of the way since she was 5 he loves her like his own and treats her so lovely like a dad should - genuinely deserving the title!

My husband has a clear DBS no convictions nothing, he works and provides, no drug abuse nothing - genuine low abiding citizen lol.