Job Description

Childrens Services


Adoption Now


Adoption Social Worker Recruitment and Assessment

Ref:

000899

Contract:

Permanent

Salary:

37,938 - 41,511 pro rata plus essential car user allowance and any other benefits appropriate to social work post

Hours:

18.33 per week

Location:

Spindles Shopping Centre, West Street, Oldham, OL1 1HD

Closing Date:

Sunday 27th July 2025

Shortlisting & Interview Dates:

TBC.

Role Overview:

We have an exciting opportunity for a qualified social worker to join our Adoption Service, which is delivered by the Regional Adoption Agency, Adoption Now. We have a part time position available. Adoption Now combines local authority adoption teams from Blackburn with Darwen, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside with VAA's Caritas Care & Adoption Matters to deliver outstanding adoption services across the region.





You will join a passionate innovative team comprising of experienced social workers from all six local authorities. The role specified has the responsibility for the recruitment, assessment, training and support of prospective adopters. Though employed by Oldham Council and seconded to the RAA, your work will take you across the Adoption Now locality and will include working from home and at the Bolton Hub.





You will have a strong commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for looked after children; be registered with Social Work England and preferably have post-qualifying experience in a statutory childcare setting, ideally including work in an adoption service. Specific experience in adopter recruitment is desirable but all applicants must have particular strengths in report writing, social work analysis, and confidence as a trainer. The role involves the preparation of extensive reports for Panels and Courts, delivery of preparation groups to prospective adopters and training to colleagues and other professionals as required. You will have knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance and national minimum standards including the Children Act 1989 & the Adoption and Children Act 2002.



The role requires the ability to manage and prioritise the demands of a busy caseload and complete work to target timescales. Work must be reliably recorded on the appropriate systems. Evening and occasional weekend work is required, as is distanced car travel. There is an expectation that you will be part of the team duty system on a rota basis and contribute to the development of team initiatives.



Adoption Now has three workstreams; Recruitment and Assessment of Adopters, Family Finding or Adoption Support. We have a part time post in the Recruitment and Assessment of Adopters workstream. In completing the application form please weight your evidence with this workstream in mind.



We offer regular supervision and annual appraisal. Other benefits include transfer of continual service benefits from other Local Authorities; Local Government Pension Scheme as well as training and development opportunities.



You will work alongside colleagues with a range of adoption experience. You will be valued for the skills and experience that you bring to the service and you will be encouraged to build on them, with a keen eye on your Continuous Professional Development.





We are committed to continually improving our service to the most vulnerable children and you will be encouraged to take part in a range of training and workshop activity that will contribute both to our service delivery as a whole and to your own knowledge and skill base.



Please contact Jules Clarke or Debbie Collings Team Managers if you wish to discuss this post. Tel 07789031399 (Jules) or 07717362328 (Debbie)

Role Overview:

To recruit, assess and support adopters and their families.

Key Responsibilities:

To guide, support and assess adopters through Stages 1 and 2 of the assessment process. To complete a comprehensive report analysing the key strengths and vulnerabilities of the adopter(s). Contribute to the recruitment of new adopters through covering the information line, information events and initial visits as and when needed. To contribute to the training and preparation of adopters both in assessment and post approval. To contribute to the overall development and work of the Recruitment and Assessment Team. To contribute to the overall development and work of Adoption Now as a whole. To set up and maintain accurate written case records and contacts for all service users using the Liquid Logic System and ensure all mandatory forms are completed.

Key Requirements:

To be a qualified a social worker, registered with Social Work England, preferably with 3 years post qualifying experience within Children's Social Care including experience of adoption. Evidence of ongoing learning and development relevant to Children's Social Work and adoption in particular. A good understanding of child development and the impact of early life trauma upon children. To be computer literate (good knowledge and experience of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook) and the ability and willingness to input sensitive data electronically. To cooperate fully with external monitoring of the service, including inspections. An enhanced DBS check is required for this post

Why should you work in Oldham?

Officially rated as a 'Good' by Ofsted, we are proud of our relentless approach in seeking the very best outcomes for our children and families, and there's never been a better time to join the team and be part of our success story.


Oldham is a wonderful place of diversity, where people of all cultures come together. This is one our greatest strengths and our social workers enjoy using a breadth of skills and gaining a variety of experiences whilst supporting children and families from diverse backgrounds.


We use systemic practice as our chosen practice model, focusing on building relationships with children and families, understanding the context and family dynamics, and reflectively learning together. 2024 has seen the launch of our new systemic reflective hubs, as our Social Work Academy continues to offer reflective supervisions and tailored support through an innovative 2-year ASYE programme.


We have a strong ethos of 'Growing our own', providing a great environment to excel in your social work career.

Our Promises to you:

A manageable and diverse caseload aligned with your experience and skills. A commitment to your continuing professional development through a bespoke learning and development programme A variety of career opportunities to progress and develop with us in Social Work Regular, quality, and reflective supervision and learning from practice audits with fortnightly training days in each of our services. Monthly Group Supervision with your team Weekly Learning Spaces to focus on a specific area of learning. A permanent and supportive Senior Leadership team Full corporate and service Induction Direct link to a Team Manager, Advanced Practitioner and Social Work Consultants from our Social Work Academy. The opportunity to become a Practice Educator and to develop students within our organisation. Dedicated support to develop you in your role and opportunities to meet your career aspirations. During the SSYE (second supported year in employment) you will have a consultant social worker in the CSWA who will offer reflective supervision every three months as well as meetings with your manager at 6 and 12 months to ensure that your professional development plan is being supported. Focus on child and family-centred outcomes across all sectors by ensuring the right intervention is identified at the right time, there by building a safe, happy, healthy, and successful future for children and young people.

You will be rewarded with great benefits:

Competitive pay with a 2,000 retention payment. (After 2 years this includes Social Worker G7 - G8 and Advanced Practitioner G9) Hybrid working giving flexibility for you to manage your diary and offer a better work/life balance. Free town centre parking Essential car user allowance of 500 and mileage expenses at 45p per mile.
Reimbursement of Social Work England professional registration fees currently 90 per year

Our employees say

"One of the reasons I've worked here for so long is because it's like a family and a listening organisation, where people are encouraged to participate and get involved".


"Our Social Worker teams are friendly, approachable and professional".


"We all want to make a difference to the families and children that we work with".


"Oldham values the person, the families, and the inclusive culture".


Hear more from our employees and explore our Social Work Academy offer here

Ofsted says

"Children are well supported by social workers, who ensure that their health, education and emotional needs are met".


"Staff are tenacious".


"Children and families in Oldham benefit from a comprehensive range of early help services".


"There is strong partnership working".


"Senior leaders promote the participation of cared for children and actively seek their voice in developing and shaping service delivery".


"Relentless focus on improvement by a strong and stable leadership team, with progress made across many areas of practice,"


Read the full Ofsted report here

Join our Regional Adoption Agency, Adoption Now:

Adoption Now is the Regional Adoption Agency serving six local authorities including Oldham, Tameside, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen. Formed in 2017, Adoption Now strives to meet the highest standards for our children and families through continual review and development of practice where every practitioner and adoption experienced person has a voice. With opportunities to engage in bespoke training and development in the specialist field of adoption, you will also join a service of highly skilled, motivated and inclusive workers.



Whilst employed by Oldham you will be seconded to the RAA where you will sit within the Adoption Support Team which produces high quality and timely support to adoptees, adopters and birth families. You will therefore be able to access all of the benefits open to Oldham employees as well as the additional benefits of working within a specialist agency.



We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

About Us:

We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We've identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact:





A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.



We're looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan: Ready for the Future and our Oldham Plan for further information.

Our Values and Behaviours:

By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are 'Proud, Ambitious, and Together', and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Oldham.



We have translated these values into five behaviours which guide our actions and are the standards we hold ourselves to, day in and day out:

Work with a resident focus Support local leaders Committed to the borough Delivery high performance Take ownership and drive change


You can find out more about our values and behaviours on our greater.jobs Oldham page

Our Benefits Package:

At Oldham Council we offer a great benefits package for our employees, which includes the following:

25 days annual leave which increases after 5 and 10-years' service The option to purchase additional annual leave. An attractive LGPS benefit pension scheme with the option to make shared cost additional voluntary contributions. Discounted gym membership with Oldham Active. Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating-out, eating-in, travel, motoring and more. Salary sacrifice scheme for home and electronics and Cycle to Work. Wellbeing support, including a Mental Health First Aider network and an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support. Staff recognition and celebration events. Peer support groups

Inclusive Recruitment:

We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, describing available working patterns, providing equipment or making changes to the workplace.



If you're an applicant with disabilities and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer or someone who has served in the Armed Forces and you meet the essential criteria of the role, you are guaranteed to reach the first stage of assessment under our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme.

Data and Privacy:

For details of how we use your data please see our privacy notice.

Important Information:

Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for a current employee at risk of redundancy, it can be pulled back at any point, up to the post being formally offered to a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy.


Right to Work in the UK from 1st July 2021.doc