Adoption Support Worker - Adoption West

Bristol City Council; West of England; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Job shares

Job summary

Bristol City Council is recruiting for an Adoption West Adoption Support Worker to join the regional agency’s helpdesk. You will answer enquiries, provide support and conduct initial assessments for adoptive families across the region.

The role requires driving to visit families, experience with children or families, and strong communication. The team emphasises excellent support, supervision, and flexible working options.

Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven negotiation skills, especially with upset/stressed customers.
• Self-sufficient in planning and organising own work.

Responsibilities

• Answer enquiries, provide support and undertake initial assessments for adoptive families contacting the Adoption Support Helpdesk.
• Support families in crisis, signpost to external services, advise on therapeutic parenting, liaise with Senior Practitioner and Manager.
• Undertake allocated tasks and contribute to service development with the customer at the centre.

Skills

Communication skills

Negotiation

Organisation

Team player

Driving licence

Experience with children/families

Education

A levels / National Diploma or equivalent

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Job reference VAC008868 Date posted 14/09/2026 Application closing date 05/10/2026 Location Various Locations Salary £30,023 - £32,046 per annum, plus 8% market supplement (subject to review) Package Blank Contractual hours Blank Basis Blank Job category/type Social Care Attachments Blank

Adoption Support Worker - Adoption West

Please note this is a Bristol City Council role - for further information please contact Adoption West.

This post is an exciting opportunity to become part of the Adoption West's adoption Support Helpdesk

Adoption West is a Regional Adoption Agency and registered Voluntary Adoption Agency commissioned by Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Councils. Adoption West provides a range of adoption services including:

• The recruitment and assessment of prospective adopters
• Family finding services for children requiring permanency via adoption
• Post adoption support services
• Services to birth family and adopted adults

This is an exciting time to join Adoption West as we build on the solid foundations already in place and our Good rating from Ofsted. You will be joining an experienced adoption support team who are committed to developing excellent support services for adopted children and their families across the region .

Main Duties

The Support Worker post will operate within the adoption support service. The support worker will answer enquiries, provide support and undertake initial assessments for adoptive families contacting the Adoption Support Helpdesk. The role will include supporting families in crisis, giving information about adoption support services and processes, signposting to external services (including education and health), giving advice about therapeutic parenting, liaising closely with the Senior Practitioner and Manager on a daily basis and undertaking allocated tasks as required.

You will need:

• A levels / National Diploma or equivalent experience/skills.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and work on own initiative against deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven negotiation skills especially when working with customers who may be upset and stressed.
• Self-sufficient in planning and organising own work, including recording, storing and retrieving required data and information.
• An awareness of Government initiatives in relation to Adoption best practice and procedures.
• To be an active team player by contributing to the development of the service, ensuring the customer is always at the centre of such developments.
• A driving licence and use of a vehicle as travelling around the region is required.
• Experience of working with children and/or families

Adoption West:

• is an organisation with a wealth of experience and has a learning culture, committed to enabling the post holder to grow and develop in their role.
• provides support through supervision and training.
• offers flexible working arrangements, including job shares.
• provides a Local Government Pension Scheme and access to the Child Care vouchers scheme

Additional Information:

• This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and will require an Enhanced DBS check before appointment can be confirmed.
• Confidentiality: Employees are expected to maintain the required level of confidentiality at all times in relation to their work.

If you have the experience, skills, knowledge and enthusiasm we are seeking and are looking for a new challenge then we look forward to hearing from you.

For an informal discussion about this role please contact:

All candidates applying for Adoption West roles are assessed against the Behaviour Principles and Values during the interviewing process.