Adoption Panel Advisor

Leicestershire County Council; Leicester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK local authority is seeking an experienced social worker to act as an Adoption Panel Adviser. The role involves providing advice to the adoption panel, quality assuring reports, and building relationships with various stakeholders. Applicants should have a recognised social work qualification and significant experience in adoption or related fields. Flexibility in working arrangements will be considered.

Qualifications

• Professional registration with Social Work England is required.
• Post-qualifying experience in adoption, fostering, or permanence planning is essential.
• Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide written and verbal advice to the adoption service and panel.
• Quality assure all reports for panel and plans of adoption.
• Build relationships with panel chairs and senior managers.

Skills

Communication skills

Quality assurance

Collaboration

Knowledge of adoption regulations

Education

Recognised social work qualification

Job description

Position Overview

Leicestershire FAL are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, motivated and experienced social worker to act as Adoption Panel Adviser.

You will play a central role in ensuring that the adoption panel operates efficiently, giving written and verbal advice to the adoption service, adoption panel and the agency decision maker (ADM). You will quality assure all reports for panel, as well as those for plans of adoption, offer skilled and in-depth advice and help drive continuous improvement across Leicestershire's adoption service. You will build strong relationships with panel chairs, panel members, the adoption service, medical advisors and senior managers and play a key role as link between these. You will work alongside a full and well-established central list of independent panel members who work hard to achieve positive outcomes for our children and to ensure the continued high standard of practice and outcomes for Leicestershire's children.

A DBS enhanced check for a regulated activity is for this post. For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.

We are keen to support employees to balance their working life with other commitments. Therefore, wherever possible, we will consider working arrangements that suit an individual's personal circumstances whilst still meeting the needs of the Council. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below. This may include requests for term-time working, part-time hours, compressed hours, flexible start and finish times, home/remote working, etc.

Qualifications

• A recognised social work qualification and current professional registration with Social Work England.
• Significant post-qualifying experience in adoption, fostering or permanence planning, including management experience.
• Comprehensive knowledge of adoption regulations, national minimum standards, safeguarding frameworks and best practice in adoption and the confidence to give written and verbal professional advice on matters relating to these.
• The ability to quality assure large amounts of written information and provide analysis and advice based on this.
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written) for a variety of audiences including panel chairs, panel members, the adoption service and senior managers and the ability to offer professional challenge and constructive feedback.
• The ability to work collaboratively with panel chairs, the adoption service and across FAL to drive forward best practice.
• A strong commitment to achieving best outcomes for our children in Leicestershire.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide written and verbal advice to the adoption service, adoption panel, and agency decision maker (ADM).
• Quality assure all reports for panel and those for plans of adoption.
• Offer skilled and in-depth advice and help drive continuous improvement across Leicestershire's adoption service.
• Build strong relationships with panel chairs, panel members, the adoption service, medical advisors and senior managers; act as a link between these groups.
• Work alongside the central list of independent panel members to achieve positive outcomes for children and maintain a high standard of practice.
• Organise the annual training day for panel members and provide regular information and updates to support their knowledge.

Commitment & Values

You must also have an understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion. In addition, we expect you to share our commitment to our values and will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the interview process.

Disability Confidence

Disability Confident: A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to [link].