[ref. s15739717] Adoption Social Worker - Recruitment and Assessment - Oldham
Childrens Services
Adoption Now Adoption Support
Ref: 000294Contract: Permanent
Salary: £36,648 - £40,221 per annum (Grade 7)
Hours: 18.33 per week
Location: Adoption Now, First Floor Howell Croft, Howell Croft North, Bolton, BL1 1QY
Closing Date: Wednesday 16th October 2024
Shortlisting & Interview Dates: TBC.
Role Overview:
We have an exciting opportunity for a qualified social worker to join our Adoption Service, which is delivered by the Regional Adoption Agency Adoption Now. Whilst this is a part time vacancy with Oldham, please note that there is another part time SW position also available in our team, employed by Tameside Council.It would therefore be possible for someone interested in a full time position to apply for both.
Since 2017 Adoption Now has combined 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 dynamic, innovative team comprising of experienced social workers from all six local authorities. The role specified has responsibility for the recruitment, assessment, training and support of prospective adopters. You will be involved with families at all stages of the adoption process, from first enquiry through to adoption orders.
Though employed by Oldham Council, with a local base, you will be seconded to the RAA and your work will take you across the Adoption Now region and will include some hybrid working from home and at our Hub in Bolton town centre.
Adoption Now has three workstreams; Recruitment and Assessment of Adopters, Family Finding and Adoption Support. The role available is a permanent part time post in the Recruitment and Assessment of Adopters workstream. In completing the application form, please weight your evidence with this workstream in mind.
About You:
You will have a strong commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for looked after children, be registered with Social Work England and preferably have post-qualifying experience in a statutory childcare setting, ideally including work in an adoption service.Specific experience in adopter recruitment is desirable but all applicants must have particular strengths in report writing, social work analysis, and confidence as a trainer and facilitator. The role involves the preparation of extensive reports for Panels and Courts,
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.
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 systems. Evening and occasional weekend work is required, as is distanced car travel.There is an expectation that you will be part of the team duty system on a rota basis and contribute to the development of team initiatives.
We offer regular supervision and annual appraisal. Other benefits include transfer of continual service from other Local Authorities, Local Government Pension Scheme as well as training opportunities.
You will be valued for the skills and experience that you bring to the service and you will be encouraged to build on them, with a keen eye on your Continuous Professional Development. You will be encouraged to take part in a range of training and team activity that will contribute both to our service delivery as a whole and to your own knowledge and skill base.
Please contact Debbie Collings or Jules Clarke Team Managers if you wish to discuss this post.
Tel 07717362328 (Debbie) or 07789031399 (Jules)
Whilst this is a part time vacancy with Oldham, please note that there is another part time SW position also available in our team, employed by Tameside Council. It would therefore be possible for someone interested in a full time position to apply for both posts separately.We would welcome enquiries from those interested in full and part time arrangements.
Oldham Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure from the DBS (and a Certificate of Good Conduct where you have lived abroad for 12 months or more in the last 10 years).
If you would like support with this application, an interview or interested in looking at any courses that could help with this position please get in touch with Get Oldham Working - Get Oldham Working registration form - Oldham Council
NB. - Any candidate that meets the criteria of our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme and meets the essential criteria of the role, will be guaranteed the first stage of assessment (whether that is an interview or another assessment, as appropriate).
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme supports candidates with disabilities, carers, those who are aged 24 or under and have previously been in or currently in care, and those whose last long term substantive employer was the Armed Forces.
Diversity and Inclusion:
At Oldham Council, we are committed to creating a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We aim to develop a culture of respect, where differences are recognised regardless of background. We aim to be an employer of choice by engaging in fair and open recruitment processes and Applications are encouraged from all communities across the borough to create a workforce that represents the diversity of our population.
About Us:
Oldham is committed to developing a Co-operative future; one where citizens, partners and staff work together to improve the borough. Anyone joining the council is coming into an ambitious organisation with big plans. We are working hard to build a brighter future for our borough and we need people from a wide range of backgrounds to continue delivering the best for our communities.
The Council has a clear set of Behaviours, which outline how we do business and we share these borough wide with our residents, partners and businesses. Internally we have translated these into five cooperative behaviours which outline the priority areas of focus for all staff at all levels.You can view these Behaviours, along with staff benefits on our Greater.Jobs pages Working for Oldham
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Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for an at risk employee, it can be pulled back at any point up to the post being formally offered to an external candidate or an internal candidate that is not at risk of redundancy.
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