Independent social worker Adoption panel member - Southampton

This role is with Adopt South, the partnership Regional Adoption Agency for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton local authorities, with the lead authority Hampshire County Council as the employer.

Adopt South's Panels are made up of a diverse range of people who have personal or professional experience relevant to adoption and we are keen to continue growing the diversity of our panels and would like to hear from those from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Role Overview:

Would you like to make a real difference in transforming the lives of children with a plan for adoption?

Adopt South are seeking to appoint casual Independent Social Workers for Adopt South's Adoption

Panels. Adopt South's Panels are made up of a diverse range of people who have personal or professional

experience relevant to adoption. Our panels consider whether prospective adopters are suitable to

adopt and whether children should be matched with prospective adopters. The panels make

recommendations to the Adopt South's Agency Decision Maker (ADM) who has the final decision.

We have strong core values, and our panels offer independent scrutiny and quality assurance to the

adoption agency and our partner local authorities, with a focus on meeting the needs of children who

cannot live with their birth family.

We hold panels on behalf of our partnership local authorities, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and

Southampton. If you have worked for any of these authorities, 12 months must have passedbefore you

can be considered as an Independent Panel Member.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• A degree or equivalent qualification in Social Work.
• Registration with Social Work England.
• 3 years relevant post-qualifying experience in children's social work, including direct experience within adoption work.
• Understanding of the adoption and the looked after experience for children, effects of separation, loss and developmental trauma on children.
• Awareness of the richness of different kinds of families and their potential for meeting children's needs.
• Empathy and respect for the challenges and adversity experienced by birth families and of childrenwho come to be adopted.
• Commitment to maintaining contact between children living in adoptive families and their birth families where this is seen to be in the child's best interest.
• Understanding of the purpose and function of adoption panel and of Adopt South or a willingness to learn.
• Good listening and communication skills, the ability to read, process and analyse large amounts ofcomplex,and sometimes difficult information.
• The ability to form a view and make a recommendation based on the written and verbal information available and the confidence to articulate this at panel.
• The ability to contribute to panel discussions, questioning and decision making in an informed and balanced way.
• The ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and take advice from the Panel Chair and Agency/Panel Advisor.
• The ability to attend panel meetings as required, arriving on time and attending at least one training day a year.
• Value of diversity in relation to issues of ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, social status and sexuality.
• Eligibility to work in the UK.

Role Responsibilities

To read the circulated papers carefully before the panel meeting and to attend the meeting prepared to raise issues and to contribute to the panel discussion.

To commit to attending at least one panel per month, each panel is 3.5 hours.

To prepare 2 pre panel questions per case within given timeframes.

To take responsibility for participating in the making of a recommendation for each case, drawing on professional knowledge and experience.

To attend meetings of the panels as specified on your member agreement with the agency

To be prepared to attend additional panels if you are reasonably able to.

To subscribe to Adopt South's core values of equality and fairness.

To promote diversity and anti-discriminatory practice.

To safeguard the confidentiality of all panel papers and panel discussions.

To participate in induction and training which will be a minimum of one day per year and to take responsibility for building up own knowledge of adoption.

To participate constructively in the annual review of your panel membership.

Working Conditions in this role may include:

• Display Screen Equipment user
• Working with Children

Vetting Requirements:

This post is subject to a Criminal Records Check. As such, and as per safer recruitment requirements for

Children's Services, references will be requested prior to interview.

About Us

Connect2Hampshire is a managed service agency owned by Hampshire County Council providing temporary, contract and interim opportunities into the Council. Our service is built on our values of ethical, trustworthy, and caring, and our profits are returned to our Local Authority shareholders.

Please visit www.connect2hampshire.co.uk, or email with your CV to

Connect2Hampshire is a trading style of Hampshire & Kent Commercial Services LLP - A joint venture between Hampshire County Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Hampshire is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.