Team Manager - Adoption. Job in Northampton Education & Training Jobs

Northamptonshire Children's Trust; Northampton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A child-focused organization in Northampton is seeking an Adopter Recruitment assessment and Family Finding Team Manager. The successful candidate will oversee the team's activities to ensure the delivery of high-quality services for children and families in adoption processes. A strong background in social care and a commitment to developing supportive relationships is essential. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and requires an enhanced DBS check.

Benefits

SWE Registration paid yearly

Recruitment Welcome Bonus of £2,200

Relocation costs of up to £8,000

28 days annual leave plus 8 Bank Holidays

Local Government Pension Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Flexible working arrangements

Extensive Learning & Development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience managing within adoption services.
• Understanding of the legislative framework for Adoption services.
• Ability to provide line management supervision.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day delivery of the adopter recruitment team.
• Provide support to practice managers and social workers.
• Ensure high-quality service delivery for children and families.

Skills

Passion for developing high quality services

Experience in social care settings

Ability to maintain collaborative relationships

Flexible approach to problem-solving

Knowledge of Adoption Regulations

Education

Qualified social worker registered with Social Work England

Job description

Our benefits

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 Registration paid yearly (social care colleagues)
• Recruitment Welcome Bonus of £2,200
• Relocation costs of up to £8,000
• Retention bonus payments for established personnel
• 28 days 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 and career development opportunities
• Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for the role of Adopter Recruitment assessment and Family Finding Team Manager with Northamptonshire Children's Trust Voluntary Adoption Agency.

As the team manager, you will be responsible for managing the agency's adopter recruitment and assessment functions and leading on family finding for children within NCT who have a plan of adoption.

You will be pivotal in maintaining collaborative working relationships with colleagues within the Children's Trust, Family Adoption Links Regional Adoption Alliance and partner agencies to ensure that services are developed and delivered to meet the needs of families and children within the context of the modernising adoption agenda. Key initiatives developed within the service include preparing and assessing adopters with a focus on maintaining meaningful relationships for adopted children with their birth families and other significant people and promoting Early Permanence.

You will be joining a highly motivated and skilled team of practitioners and managers who aspire to deliver outstanding services to children and families and to developing and delivering services in line with learning from research, feedback and best practice models.

In February 2025 NCT VAA had its second Ofsted inspection as a Voluntary Adoption Agency since registration, the outcome of which was that the service was rated as GOOD with Outstanding features and noted that.

The leadership and management of the agency is particularly strong and ambitious. The manager and responsible individual are very experienced in adoption. They are driven by a real passion to make a positive difference to children. Together they ensure that the culture of the agency is characterised by high expectations and aspirations for all children

We welcome the opportunity to speak to any interested candidates so please feel free to email: Marie.Strydom@ and they can agree a mutually agreeable time to call you

In Person interviews will be held 4th November

What will you be doing?

As a team manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day delivery of the work of the adopter recruitment, assessment and family finding team. You will be providing line management supervision and support to practice managers social workers and family support workers within the team to ensure the promotion of high quality, services for children and their families.

You will maintain an oversight of practice standards and compliance using case auditing and monitoring of service KPI's and work collaboratively with the service manager to develop and improve practice in line with the service plan. You will work with the service manager to review and develop practice and policy in line with changes to regulation and legislation and in response to local and national developments including learning from research.

About you

We are looking for someone who is passionate about developing and delivering high quality services for children and their families. Northamptonshire Children's Trust have a Relational Practice Approach and 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 will be beneficial. You will have a creative and flexible approach that will support the service as we move forward.

You will have experience of supporting staff and stakeholders through change and have a commitment to maintaining a culture in which staff, children and families feel supported and are involved in practice development.

We are looking for someone who can develop and maintain respectful, collaborative working relationships with key stakeholders.

You will have had previous experience of working and managing within a social care setting including within adoption services and as such a working knowledge of the Adoption Regulations, NMS and the legislative framework within which Adoption services operate.

Previous experience of working within a VAA alongside a Children's Trust would be beneficial but is not essential.

You will be a qualified social worker registered with Social Work England. When applying please ensure your supporting statement covers how you fulfil the essential criteria set out in the person specification as this will be used to shortlist. You will need to provide a full employment history including any gaps since leaving full time education

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