Job Description

This role is based in Glen House in Southampton and involves travel to various locations for meetings across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. It is an office-based role.


You will be employed by Portsmouth City Council but working with Adopt South, the regional adoption agency for Southampton, Portsmouth, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Councils.

The Role

You will work in Adopt South's team supporting adoptive children and their families. You will be working closely with external therapy providers to support adoptive families access to therapeutic support through the Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund. You will ensure the child's voice and views are heard throughout. You will build positive rapport with adopters, families and professional, ensuring that services meet the identified need. You will work flexibly, including evening and weekends. You will play a role in the delivery of our regular webinars, training sessions and workshops, record communications, process safeguarding checks and take appropriate action to safeguard children and adults.


Adopt South are committed to offering the best possible experience to families. As a result, staff are expected to meet the needs of the service and on occasion be able to offer appointments to families in the evening, delivering training and supporting family events on Saturdays and some evenings.


The role requires infrequent manual handling of objects up to 15kg, use of Display Screen Equipment.

Attendance requirements to the designated workplace for the role in line with the Hybrid Working - to be discussed.

The ideal candidate

You will need to have /be

Have a high level of computer / literacy skills. Be able to present information both verbally and in writing, including good report writing skills. Have good record keeping and organisation skills. Be able to communicate with a wide range of people, in a wide range of situations and built effective working relationships. Be able to work sensitively and in an inclusive /non-discriminatory manner. Be able to work flexibly. Have experience of dealing effectively with difficult inter-personal situations. Have a Level 3 qualification (preferred).

Please see the Job profile for the full details and expectations of this role

Application process

We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered.


As part of your application we ask that you complete a

personal statement

, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the

'Who is the Person'

points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

Charlotte Cook, Team Manager Adopt South, charlotte.cook@hants.gov.uk, 0370 779 48067



We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal


We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under our commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however, for roles that receive a large number of applications, we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria.

About Portsmouth City Council

What we can offer you:

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.
Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our careers portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.


DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.


Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.



Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616800