Social Worker - Adopt Thames Valley

Job description

Job responsibilities

About Us

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the continued development of Adopt Thames Valley (ATV) Regional Adoption Agency.ATV launched in December 2017 and is thesharedAdoption Service for Bracknell Forest, Oxfordshire, Reading Borough Council (Brighter Futures for Children), The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (Achieving for Children), Swindon Borough Council, West Berkshire Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council.The Regional Adoption Agency is hosted by Oxfordshire County Council and so your contract and work conditions will sit within Oxfordshire County Council.

About the Role

The PermanenceSupportTeam is a specialist team providing post-ordersupportto adopters, Special Guardians, and their children, adults affected by adoption, and to birth families. The team is very friendly andsupportive, as well as being hard-working and verycommittedto adoption work.This is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in adoption and permanence to further their career and specialism.You will be joining asupportiveteam of aspirational, creative andcommittedSocial Workers who strive to provide the best possible outcomes for adopted and Special Guardianship children.

Your responsibilities will include:

• To assist and support adoptive and Special Guardianship families, ensuring the highest standards of service are provided.
• To complete Assessments of Need, access therapeutic support, direct work, support families to navigate universal services and to advocate for families in need.
• To ensure that services to users are delivered and developed according to Adopt Thames Valley policies procedures and guidance.
• To ensure that services are planned and delivered in a way that maximises participation and reflects Childrens Rights in relation to services being provided and in the way that Children, Young People and Families are worked with.
• Tosupportthe devilry of team training andsupportgroups

This post holder is responsible for ensuring that Safeguarding andChildProtection policies are adhered to and concerns are raised in accordance with these policies

About you

Are you a passionate, qualified social worker with experience of adoption, or have the skill set to move into this area? Are you interested in different ways of working in this field?

We are ideally seeking an Social Worker with at least three years post qualifying experience in adoption and with relevant work settings, such as within Childrens Services or Family Placement, and who has excellent assessment, analytical and report writing skills.

The applicant will need to demonstrate that they have a goodunderstandingof the needs of adoptive families, and that they are keen to develop their knowledge and skills further. The successful applicant also needs to be computer literate.

Rewards and benefits

As part of our team, youll benefit from

Vivup benefits platform

Vivup highfive recognition platform

Cyclescheme (for eco-conscious commuters)

Electric vehicle lease scheme

Discounts at local retailers

Salary finance options

Up to 33 days of annual leave (including bank holidays)

A competitive 19.9% employer pension contribution rate

Ourcommitmentto:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce.Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peersupport, education and safe spaces for all.

Ourcommitmentto:Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a DisabilityConfidentemployer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job.We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships.We are alsocommittedto helping andsupportingthose transitioning from HM ArmedForcesto civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Ourcommitmentto:Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council arecommittedto safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers tosharethiscommitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Ourcommitmentto:Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, jobsharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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Person Specification

General Requirements

Essential

• Please refer to job description above

Desirable

• Please refer to job description above

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Oxfordshire County Council

Address

Woodley

RG5 4UX

Employer's website

https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)