Job ref: RO-31131
Location: Howell Croft House, Howell Croft, Bolton, BL1 1QY
Salary: £32,878 to £38,813 per annum, pro rata
Grade: 8
Working Hours: 18.5 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing Date: 8th September 2019
Interview Date: To be confirmed
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified social worker to join our Adoption Service which is delivered by the Regional Adoption Agency, Adoption Now. Adoption Now has brought together local authority adoption teams from Blackburn with Darwen, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside with VAA’s Caritas Care & Adoption Matters to deliver outstanding adoption services across the region.
You will join a busy, innovative team comprising of experienced social workers from all six agencies. The team has specific responsibility for the recruitment, assessment, training and support of prospective adopters. Adoption Now has a Hub and Spoke structure; though employed by Rochdale Council and based at Fashion Corner in Rochdale, your work may take you across the Adoption Now region and you will spend time at the Adoption Now Hub, in Bolton Town Centre.
About You – summarise what the ideal candidate will be like:
You will have a strong commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for looked after children; be HCPC registered and preferably have post-qualifying experience in a statutory childcare setting, including work in an adoption service. Ideally you will have specific experience in adopter recruitment and essentially a skill set which includes impressive report writing ability, social work analysis, and confidence as a trainer. The role involves delivery of preparation groups to prospective adopters and training to colleagues and other professionals as required. You will have knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance and national minimum standards including the Children Act 1989 & the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
You will be line managed by an Advanced Practitioner/Manager from within the RAA.
The key purposes of the post are;
- To undertake robust and evidence based adoption assessments of prospective adopters and to present them to Regional Adoption Panels
- To undertake family finding for prospective adopters and to support them in the matching process
- To support early permanence placements, and to assist adopters through the court process
- To deliver Preparation Group Training to prospective adopters and other professionals
- To support Information Evenings and recruitment activity to promote adoption and the RAA
- To advise and offer consultation to other workers within the RAA and within wider social care professional networks.
- To contribute to the development of excellent practice within the RAA.
- To take part in the duty system within the RAA which will be based in Bolton.
- To contribute to team meetings and to attend training which will be based in Bolton
The role requires the ability to manage and prioritise the demands of a busy caseload and complete work to target timescales. Work must be reliably recorded on the appropriate ICS systems. Evening and occasional weekend work is required, as is distanced car travel.
Adoption Now has three workstreams; Recruitment and Assessment of Adopters, Family Finding or Adoption Support. This post is for a part time social worker in the Recruitment and Assessment of Adopters workstream. In completing the generic Rochdale Social Work application please try to weight your evidence with this workstream in mind.
For further information click on the link below or for an informal chat please contact;
Sophie Pritchard, Advanced Practitioner – 01204 336170
Jules Clarke, Recruitment and Assessment Manager – 01204 337481
In accordance with Section 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 this post requires the ability to converse at ease with the members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English.
Casual User Car Allowance is payable
Appointment to this post is subject to an enhanced DBS including a barred list check against the child workforce
This organisation has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. This means we will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester local authority or NHS organisation, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority; giving you access to our service-related benefits.
Please click on the links below:
• Job description and person specification.pdf
• Policy on recruitment of ex-offenders.pdf
• Privacy Notice
The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects staff to share this commitment.
Rochdale Borough Council is a great place to work. Please visit http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/Pages/work-in-the-borough-of-rochdale.aspx for information on Riverside One and the borough of Rochdale.