Job title: Adoption Support Worker - Adoption SO2
Salary: SO2 £37,280 - £39,152
Hours: Post 1 - part-time, 18.5 hours; Post 2 - full-time, 37 hours
Contract: Permanent
Location: Kernel House, Leeds, with some opportunities for working from home
One Adoption West Yorkshire is a regional adoption agency, delivering adoption services on behalf of the five local authorities in West Yorkshire. We are currently seeking Adoption Support Workers to join our teams, based at Kernel House, Leeds.
As an Adoption Support Worker, you’ll help provide practical and meaningful support to adoptive families, birth families and people who are adopted across West Yorkshire.
This is an exciting opportunity to hold your own caseload, work alongside qualified social workers and contribute to groups and wider service development as opportunities arise.
One Adoption West Yorkshire is hosted by Leeds City Council and, as such, the successful candidates will be employed by Leeds City Council.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
As an Adoption Support Worker, you will bring to the role:
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Experience of effectively undertaking work with children and families
- An understanding of the impact of early life trauma and adverse childhood experiences
- The ability to engage well with children, adoptive families and birth families
- Motivation, dedication and a commitment to supporting families through adoption support services
- A willingness to contribute to team working, group facilitation and service development
About the role
As our next Adoption Support Worker, you’ll work alongside qualified social workers to provide support to adoptive families, birth families and people who are adopted. You will hold your own caseload and have opportunities to be involved in facilitating groups and supporting service development.
The part-time post is based in the Supporting Connections team, working with families across West Yorkshire. The full-time post is based in the Wakefield Adoption Support team, working more locally within the Wakefield and Leeds areas. Both posts are based at Kernel House, Leeds, with some working from home opportunities.
You will be joining a supportive team and wider service, with good supervision, professional development opportunities and the chance to be part of something stimulating, creative and forward-thinking.
What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:
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A competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
- Membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements, subject to service requirements
- A clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
- A range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further
How to apply
Please complete the online application form.
Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the roles, please contact Trisha McLean, Team Manager for the Supporting Connections role, on 0113 535 0887 or 07712 216978, or Amy Wood, Team Manager for the Adoption Support team role, on 0113 535 0856 or 07712 217334.
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.
We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job Description
Job purpose
To actively participate in consultation, development and provision of adoption support services in conjunction with other social work staff.
To be responsible, under the direction of the Team Manager, for a caseload of adoptive and birth families which includes the assessment of their support needs and creation of support plans to ensure the needs of adopted children are able to be met. Under the general direction of the Team Manager to provide a high quality and comprehensive social work service to children and their families, in accordance with the organisational needs, policy and practices of the Agency and within statutory guidelines. To develop relationships with children, young people, families and professionals so as to best provide a high-quality service.
The work will be undertaken with supervision and guidance from the Team Manager. The work will involve close collaboration with others in the team including social workers and other adoption workers. It will also involve close partnership working with other agencies and stakeholders.
Responsibilities
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.
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To provide adoption support to individual families including direct work with children and families regarding promoting attachment, managing behaviour, life story work and staying in touch issues
- To undertake or contribute to assessments of need for adoption support where appropriate.
- Monitor and review support relating to the assessed needs of children and their families in accordance with agency procedures.
- Under the direction of the Team Manager to work within safeguarding procedures, to work with adopters in managing complex risks and providing safe care plans where children have experienced or likely to experience significant harm
- Work restoratively to develop and maintain effective relationships with children and young people, their families, and carers to achieve positive outcomes.
- Work with children and young people and their families to help them make informed decisions, enabling them to clarify and express their needs and contribute to service planning.
- Contribute to the undertaking of risk assessments regarding staying in touch arrangements and be involved with the re-negotiation of staying in touch arrangements, including provision of advice and facilitation where needed.
- To organise and assist in facilitating groups for children and young people as well as groups, workshops and webinars for adoptive parents
- Maintain and update case notes and write reports as required
- To mobilise a support service for adoptive families and ensure that plans are reviewed which include appropriate support packages for families.
- Liaise and network with other agencies involved in the provision of services for adopted people and their families, including co working with other professionals.
- To participate in training to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
Qualifications: Substantial experience or qualification in child care, counselling, teaching, nursing, social work, youth work or similar.
Essential requirements It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.
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Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
- Able to effectively plan, manage, prioritise, and evaluate work with service users.
- Able to plan, prioritise and time manage a complex workload.
- A high level of effective written and verbal communication and the ability to pass information accurately and concisely with a range of partners and services users, carers, and colleagues.
- Able to overcome resistance and to exercise assertiveness in appropriate situations when working with individuals, families, carers, and other agencies.
- Able to negotiate, challenge and manage conflict.
- Able to innovate and problem solve with the ability to identify appropriate social work interventions.
- Able to devise, implement review and evaluate service and support plans.
- Able to assess the needs of and work with individuals and groups using a person-centred approach.
- Able to exercise individual judgement and consult where and when necessary.
- Able to be flexible, creative and use own initiative.
- Able to maintain accurate service user records, assessments and follow policy and procedure.
- Able to record, evidence and communicate using technology.
- Able to exercise individual judgement, assess risk and consult where and when appropriate.
- Able to chair meetings and represent the Agency in a professional capacity.
- Able to develop self and others including mentoring lesser experienced workers.
- Able engage with children and young people and use their views to inform assessments, plans and interventions.
- Knowledge of recent relevant professional development
- Knowledge and understanding of the legislative framework appropriate to the needs of service users from a wide range of backgrounds, including adoption legislation, also relevant research in relation to adoption practice.
- Understanding of the roles and responsibilities of statutory and voluntary agencies.
- Basic awareness of IT systems including Microsoft Office, Internet, and Email,
- Knowledge of current, trends, policies, legislation, and regulatory bodies in relation to adoption.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of confidentiality and the needs and wishes of individuals, families, and carers as appropriate.
- Demonstrate an awareness of needs and safeguarding issues associated with vulnerable people.
- Demonstrate an understanding of diversity issues within local communities.
- Knowledge of the challenges of working within a multi-agency environment
- Experience of working in a multi-agency setting
- Demonstrated creativity in tackling and solving problems.
- Experience of working within and implementing a person centred/child focused approach.
- Experience of the use of reflective practice techniques to critically analyse information to inform decision making and planning.
- Experience of producing written records and reports to a high standard for a variety of purposes with language suited to function.
- Experience of managing a diverse caseload within agreed parameters, policy, and procedure
- Experience of the application of information gathering skills to make and contribute to assessments.
Behavioural and other characteristics
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Understand and embrace Leeds City Council values and behaviours and codes of conduct
- Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities, and a resilient sustainable city
- Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures
- Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
- Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge and skills
- Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality and diversity of Leeds City Council
- Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
- Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
- The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters
Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.
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Possession of a full current driving licence
- Understanding of the impact of early life trauma and attachment in relation to adoption practice
- Understanding the impact of loss for all those involved in adoption
- Experience of working with a wide range of service user groups
- Experience of undertaking direct work with children and young people
- Experience of group work
- Experience of working with adoptive families
- Direct experience of providing elements of post Adoption Service.
