Social Worker - Adoption

Children's Social Work Matters; Barnsley; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

One Adoption South Yorkshire, serving Barnsley and the four Local Authorities, is seeking an Adoption Social Worker based in Barnsley but required to travel regionally across South Yorkshire.

You will assess adopters, children and birth families, develop adoption support plans, and undertake direct work and group sessions with adoptive families, while supporting the duty service. Interviews will be held on 19 October 2026.

Qualifications

• Qualified and registered Social Worker.
• Experience in adoption or child care services preferred.
• Ability to travel to regional offices across South Yorkshire.

Responsibilities

• Assess adopters, children and birth families for adoption support.
• Develop and review adoption support plans in collaboration with services.
• Undertake direct work and group sessions with adoptive families.
• Provide duty service advice and guidance to families and birth relatives.

Job description

Job Description

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work as an Adoption Social Worker in One Adoption South Yorkshire.

One Adoption South Yorkshire provides the adoption service for all four Local Authorities and works on a regional basis.

This post will be based in our Barnsley Local Authority office, but work will be undertaken across the region so flexibility to travel to other regional offices is required. Currently the successful applicant will work in the Adoption Support team.

However, to provide a flexible service to our children and families, changes in the service may require the need to work in another discipline within the wider team and service.

Your role in our journey

One Adoption South Yorkshire provides the adoption service for Barnsley and the other South Yorkshire Local Authorities. The service finds new families for children who, for a variety of reasons, cannot be looked after by their birth parents or birth family; we also find, train and assess adoptive parents for these children. This post is currently within adoption support where we provide support to adopted children and young people, adoptive families, adopted adults and birth family. We are committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for the children with whom we are involved.

It is our aim to be an outstanding service, and we require outstanding Social Workers to achieve this.

What you’ll need

The successful applicant will be a qualified and registered Social Worker and will be required to carry out assessment of adopters, children and birth families where there is a request for adoption support services. You will develop adoption support plan’s, reviewing these regularly, working alongside other relevant services and agency. You will undertake direct work and groups with adoptive parents, children and young people. The team also runs a duty service which provides advice, support and guidance to families, adopted adults and birth family wishing to access adoption support.

We are very much a team, and it is essential that you are able to work in such an environment, as a team player. However, it is also essential that you are able to work on own initiative.

Shape a better future with us

Join our journey to a brighter future. By working together, with each other and with our communities, we can take pride in improving lives. Let’s make a better Barnsley for everyone.

Visit our dedicated webpage to hear from our social workers, our Executive Director, and learn more about the role and Children’s Services: https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/jobs/childrens-social-worker-jobs-in-barnsley/

Interviews will take place on Monday 19th October 2026