Social Worker - Adoption Recruitment and Assessment

Overview

Are you passionate about improving the lives of children and young people? Do you want to work for an employer who places major importance on high quality supervision, wellbeing and career development?

At Buckinghamshire Council we have an opportunity for two high-calibre experienced Social Workers in our Recruitment and Assessment Team within our Adoption Service.

The role involves assessing and supporting prospective adopters at the beginning of their Adoption journey through to approval and matching. You will be part of an enthusiastic and experienced  team working closely with colleagues across children’s services and in partnership with external agencies. We work collaboratively across the team to support families, providing Family Finding, Recruitment & Assessment of Adopters and Adoption Support Services.

Opportunities available:

• 1 x 37 hours a week, permanent contract
• 1 x 37 hours a week, 12 month fixed term contract/secondment (maternity cover)

In addition to the salary advertised you will receive a market premium of £2,750 per annum.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

Buckinghamshire Council is the lead Council in a new Regional Adoption Agency Partnership with PACT – Buckinghamshire Adoption Partnership.

About the role

Reporting to an Assistant Team Manager, main responsibilities will include:

• To complete high quality assessments of prospective Adopters in line with statutory guidance/requirements, to analyse how prospective adopters can meet children and young people’s needs, risks and circumstances and confirm existing parenting skills
• Providing a duty service for members of the public interested in adopting and taking applicants through the 2-stage process of preparation and assessment
• Completion of the Prospective Adopter Report and presentation to the Adoption Panel, matching and post placement support
• Deliver information sessions and preparation training for prospective adopters and delivery of ongoing training workshops to adopters
• Compile reports for the court in respect of non-agency adoption applications
• To always promote the safety and well-being of children and young people
• To work collaboratively in partnership with prospective carers and promote a strength-based, relationship-focused model of approach
• To practice by the agreed performance and quality best practice standards and take appropriate remedial action to address audit feedback and management recommendations as required
• To prepare for regular, reflective supervision and annual performance appraisal and progress agreed priorities and actions promptly

For a full list of responsibilities please see attached job description.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

The successful candidate will have proven assessment skills and demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the needs of children in adoptive families. They will also be able to contribute to the further development of the service. There will also be opportunities to undertake other work in post order support and family finding from time to time and support colleagues across children social care.

We would like to hear from Social Workers who:

• Have a social work qualification
• Have an active SWE registration
• Have a working knowledge of legislation and guidance which applies to adoption work
• Have experience in Children’s Services and an understanding of the needs of children who are adopted
• Have knowledge of research, inquiries and recent studies affecting this sector of service and an ability to monitor its application in practice
• Have strong written and communication skills.
• Will care enough to go the extra mile
• Will importantly, share our dedication and passion to improve the lives of children and young people.

Please see attached job description for more information on criteria.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about the role, please contact Clare Talbot, Assistant Team Manager on 01494 586384 or Carole Atkins, Team Manager on 01494 586404

Closing date: Midnight on Thursday 24th April

Interviews: To be held on Tuesday 6th May

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements.

We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme with an employer contribution of 22.6%.

We also offer a salary sacrifice personal car lease scheme and the opportunity to gain membership to Costco. We have discounted gym memberships - https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/

Social Workers are also entitled to a generous enhanced reward package, as follows:

• Competitive salary with a market increment
• A ‘Golden Hello’ lump sum payment upon successful completion of probation
• Annual leave up to 30 days per year, as well as other types of leave and the opportunity to buy further leave
• Up to 15 days per year training, learning and development offer
• Free parking across all of our office sites

If you are interested in relocating to Buckinghamshire and working with us, relocation packages are also available.