Social Worker - Adoption

Barnsley Council; Barnsley; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Employee discounts

Health and wellbeing support

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

Barnsley Council is seeking an Adoption Social Worker to join One Adoption South Yorkshire. The post is based in Barnsley with travel across the region, and requires qualified and registered social work expertise to assess adopters, children and birth families and to develop adoption support plans.

You will work as part of the Adoption Support team, with opportunities for flexible working and regional collaboration, while maintaining safeguarding and DBS requirements.

Qualifications

• Qualified and registered Social Worker with ability to assess adopters, children and birth families.
• Develop adoption support plans and review them regularly.
• Ability to undertake direct work and group work with adoptive parents, children and young people.

Responsibilities

• Carry out assessment of adopters, children and birth families where there is a request for adoption support services.
• Develop and review adoption support plans in collaboration with other services.
• Undertake direct work and groups with adoptive parents, children and young people.
• Provide advice and guidance through a duty service for adoption support.
• Work as part of a team and on own initiative.

Skills

Social work registration

Adoption assessment

Team player

Education

Qualified Social Worker

Job description

50054149 Directorate: Children's Services | Service: Children In Care

Position reference: 50054149 Directorate: Children's Services | Service: Children In Care

Salary: £38,510 - £50,908 pro rata (Career Graded)

Working Arrangements: A gile Working, minimum 3 days in the office

This is a full-time role. We are committed to supporting work‑life balance, and requests for flexible working, including job share, will be considered in line with the needs of the service. Given the requirement for continuity of support to service users, any flexible working arrangements would need to ensure consistency in case management.

Hours per week: 29.6

Contract type: Permanent

Employee rewards and benefits:

Closing date: 09/10/2026 a t 23:59

The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard.

This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check

If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years please be aware, if you are the preferred candidate for the post, you will be required to apply for an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in. If you experience difficulty in obtaining an overseas criminal record check please email [e-mail]

When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.

Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.

At Barnsley Council you can start a career that makes a real difference to people’s lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be.

We’re an award‑winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. We put people at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our employees. As part of the team, we offer lots of benefits and rewards to support you to thrive and grow, like flexible working, employee discounts, support for your health and wellbeing, and opportunities for training and development to grow your career and develop your skills.

There’s so much happening in our thriving borough, and now’s the perfect time to join our excellent Adoption team as we work to make Barnsley the place of possibilities.

• We’re an award‑winning team and one of the biggest employers in the borough supporting around 243,000 people.
• Working at Barnsley Council means being part of a team that makes a real difference to people’s lives, where you can develop the skills you need to make change happen.
• If you join the team you’ll receive great pay alongside an excellent pension scheme. With flexible working we’ll also support your work/life balance, helping you to adjust your hours and take time off when you need it.
• We’ll help you to develop your career and grow your skills with opportunities for training and development.
• There’s so much happening in our thriving borough and your talent and skills will help us make Barnsley the place of possibilities .
• Key to our success is working with our residents, partners, businesses and organisations and building these partnerships to bring about change in Barnsley.

About The Post

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 s ervice 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 with in adoption support wher e we provide support to adopted children and young people, adoptive families , adopted adults and birth family . W e 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 familie s, 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.

If you would like an informal discussion, please contact Katie Clarke on [e-mail]

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

Why work for us?

Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your application form how you meet the required criteria.

We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities.

We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know.

CV's are not accepted for this role.

At Barnsley Council, we believe in second chances and value diversity. Our recruitment process is inclusive, and we welcome applicants with past convictions. We're committed to fairness and do not discriminate. Join us in building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. #InclusiveHiring #SecondChances

www.barnsley.gov.uk/jobs

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