Social Worker - Adoption Service

Northamptonshire Childrens Trust; Northampton; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

SWE Registration

Welcome Bonus

Relocation Assistance

Annual Leave + Holidays

Pension & Life Cover

Unused Leave Purchase

Employee Assistance

Employee Discounts

Flexible Working

Supportive Management

Learning & Development

Car Parking Subsidy

Job summary

Northamptonshire Children’s Trust is seeking an experienced social worker to join our Adoption team in Northamptonshire. You will recruit, train and assess prospective adopters and support families through to the final adoption hearing.

Working within our Voluntary Adoption Agency, you will collaborate with parents, children and professionals to deliver high-quality, relationship-based practice and progress toward positive outcomes for children in care.

Qualifications

• Degree in Social Work and registration with Social Work England.
• At least 3 years post-qualification experience.
• Driving licence and access to a car.
• Experience with PAR Assessments or adoption work (beneficial).

Responsibilities

• Undertake succinct, timely and thorough Assessments of prospective applicants.
• Engage with parents/ carers and children/young people to inform assessment and planning.
• Ensure reports are recorded and updated for audit and court purposes.
• Attend adoption panel and court hearings as appropriate.
• Work with applicants, adopters and professionals to achieve positive outcomes for children.

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Northampton

Working Hours:

30

Location:

Northampton

Closing Date:

28/09/2026

Job Category:

Social Worker - Children

Organisation:

Northamptonshire Children’s Trust

We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.

We really value our workforce and offer you a great benefits package including:

• SWE Registrationpaid yearly (social care colleagues)
• RecruitmentWelcome Bonus of £4,000
• Relocationcosts of up to £8,000
• 28days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days,after 5 years
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
• Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits
• A permanent, supportive and inclusive management team where you will be empowered to make good professional decisions
• Extensive Learning & Development andcareer development opportunities
• Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

About the role

Are you an experienced social worker that’s passionate and determined to ensure children, young people and their families are at the heart of everything you do?

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our passionate and committed Adoption team delivering high quality effective adoption services in line with the modernising adoption agenda.

As a social worker within our Voluntary Adoption Agency (VAA), you will be joining a motivated and highly skilled team who work hard every day to get the best outcomes for children and their families and build on the progress already made in achieving the Ofsted judgement of GOOD with outstanding features in February 2025

It’s a busy and exciting role where you will be recruiting, training and assessing prospective adoptive applications and supporting adoptive families through to the final adoption hearing. You will be part of a busy, supportive county-wide team with a learning culture and high standards. The latest Ofsted report recognised “Adoption practice is strong. The service demonstrates a clear commitment to improvement, relationship-based practice and positive outcomes for adoptive families.”

You will be expected to invest in the life of the team and develop working relationships which are based on collaborative and supportive methods of working, respecting others’ strengths, celebrating differences and seeking solutions.

What will you be doing?

• Undertake succinct, timely and thorough Assessments of prospective applicants.

• Engage and work directly with parents/ carers and children/ young people, using age and stage appropriate methods to inform the assessment and planning process, to hear their views and respond supportively.

• Ensure all information and reports relevant to work carried out is recorded, updated and completed in an efficient and timely manner and according to Directorate/legislative policies and procedures so that decisions made and acted upon are fully evidenced and provide sufficiently for audit, court or any other legitimate purpose.

• Attend adoption panel and court hearings as appropriate, to relevant cases, representing our children, adopters and adoption service professionally.

• Work collaboratively as an adoption team member with applicants, adopters, colleagues, other professionals and services, to achieve positive working relationships and outcomes for children.

About you

• You understand the lifelong impact of children’s early life experiences and their long-term resulting needs.

• You understand the legal framework relating to adoption and have knowledge and experience of therapeutic parenting, attachment theory and the application of these to adoption issues in working with families and children.

• You are an excellent communication both verbal and written skills

• You have experience of undertaking assessments of children and families

• You have a degree in Social Work, a valid Social Work England Registration, at least 3 years of post-qualification experience, a driving licence and car.

We are looking for someone who ideally has experience of completing PAR Assessments or has adoption related experience from their work with children. Northamptonshire Children’s Trust is committed to Adapting Adoption to the Modern World and have a Relational Practice Approach. The pillars that empower best practice include Trauma Informed Approach, Systemic Practice, and Signs of Safety. Post qualification and training in related methodologies and tools including using the Secure Base Model in assessments will be beneficial but not essential.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Barred List check

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Barred List check

About us

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of everything we do. Every decision we make and every action we take is guided by our commitment to delivering high-quality services that make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and families across Northamptonshire.

We know that our people are our greatest strength. Our workforce is at the centre of our success, and we are committed to creating an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to do the best job of their lives every day. We foster a culture built on kindness, collaboration and trust, where achievements are recognised, ideas are welcomed and innovation is encouraged.

We are proud of the positive impact we make together and delighted that our work has been recognised by Ofsted, with an Outstanding rating for Leadership and Management and Good ratings across Help and Protection, Children in Care and Care Leavers.

At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation. We are a Disability Confident employer and have a commitment to care leavers, who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria.

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to be part of an ambitious, supportive and forward-thinking organisation, Northamptonshire Children’s Trust could be the place for you.

Supporting Children – A Career That Matters

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