Job Description

About Coram

Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK's most vulnerable children and young people.



We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.



Coram is the UK's oldest children's charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

About CoramBAAF

CoramBAAF is the UK's leading membership organisation for professionals dedicated to improving outcomes for children and young people in care. Our corporate members in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland represent 94% of all local authorities as well as regional adoption agencies, health and social care trusts, independent fostering providers and voluntary adoption agencies, and cover 88% of all children and family social workers.



Our 650+ individual and associate members - comprising lawyers, health professionals, educational institutions, therapeutic and family support services, and more - reflect the multidisciplinary nature of our work. Together, our members make up the largest network of organisations and individuals involved with children in their journey through the care system.

About the role

The Senior Adviser post is a new role to increase capacity within our small and friendly Advice and Information Team. The Senior Adviser will be responsible for delivering high quality, evidence-based, advice and information by email and phone to CoramBAAF members. Our enquirers are primarily social workers at all levels including senior managers, along with associated professionals in health, legal and other areas of children's social care.



The role will also support our Outbound Permanence Service which provides specialist advice and resources for local authorities across the UK seeking to place a looked after child with relatives overseas, and also offers training and consultancy. The postholder will, once familiar, have the opportunity to participate in Outbound training delivery.



We envisage this as a 4 day per week role, but are open to considering additional flexibility within the constraints of our core service hours (see full job description).



This role may suit you if you have considerable experience in childcare social work, in one or more of adoption, kinship, or foster care, together with experience in advising fellow professionals. You will have a clear understanding of the key principles involved in providing accurate, evidence-based advice and information.



You may have experience of working for a similar national helpline or advice, though this is not essential. You should have good knowledge of relevant regulations, guidance, minimum standards, and published good practice, along with the ability to research and translate complex information into accurate, clear, evidence-based, and practical advice.



Although we have an extensive database and internal Consultants to draw upon, the ability to present this information as a concise, logical summary tailored to each individual query is essential.



If you are looking for an opportunity to influence practice, advise and support fellow professionals, consolidate your current knowledge, research, and continually learn, including areas of practice currently unfamiliar to you, please see the job description and person specification for full details on the Coram Career page here.

How we see this role

The post holder will work across the domestic advice service which operates Monday-Friday (phone line 9am-1pm and email advice at other times), and the Outbound advice service which operates Tues-Thurs and delivers email advice as well as training and consultancy, we anticipate this will be a mix of three days pw. with the domestic and one day pw. with the Outbound service, with additional flexibility according to the needs of each service.

As a senior adviser with CoramBAAF's Advice and Information Team the post holder will

Deliver expert and impartial advice to professionals working across fostering, adoption and kinship care, including on complex cases, by phone and email. Provide support and cover for the Outbound Permanence service, working closely with the Outbound Lead, learning and developing in this area of work, if unfamiliar. Support the Advice and Information Team Manager with overall direction, development and quality of the domestic advice service, mentoring and supporting other staff as required. To provide professional, evidence-based and high-quality advice and information to CoramBAAF members, responding to enquiries by telephone and email, meeting expected service standards in line with CoramBAAF's policies. Research and actively fact-check information to ensure its accuracy and reliability before providing it to service users. Deliver advice, information and signposting consistent with legislation, statutory guidance and national minimum standards across a range of topics in fostering, adoption and kinship care, maintaining accurate records of enquiries and advice given in the advice database. Be responsible for managing their own caseload of enquiries, including complex enquiries, from first point of contact to conclusion, liaising with colleagues including PRD team and Information Service where required; in addition, supporting other advisers with identifying and responding to less complex enquiries. Maintain knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance, published best practice and emerging issues relevant to practice in adoption, fostering and kinship care. Contribute to producing written materials for internal and external use, to support the advice service and meet the needs of CoramBAAF members. Once familiar, provide input to Outbound training delivery and materials if required

Purpose of the Role

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Have regard for equality and diversity issues in relation to advice delivery and service development. Contribute to data collation and analysis, identifying themes and trends in enquiries and sharing information and insights with relevant colleagues across CoramBAAF and to inform development of the advice services. Work collaboratively with colleagues across CoramBAAF on projects where relevant, maintaining knowledge and awareness of other CoramBAAF teams' areas of work to assist consistency of information and messaging through our advice services, training, consultancy and publications. Undertake any other reasonable tasks or duties as requested by the line manager or other designated manager.

Please note that you must have the right to work in the UK.

For more information and to apply for this role please visit the Coram Careers page

here

.

Closing Date: Monday 1st December 2025 at 8am - we reserve the right to close this job early if we have sufficient applications, so early application is advised.



Interview Date: Tuesday 9th December 2025 - Please note that interviews will take place in-person and will include a written test.



Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.



If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.



We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.



Registered Charity No. 312278.

Human Resources

Telephone:

Email:

Human.Resources@coram.org.uk

Website:

http://jobs.coram.org.uk/vacancy-details?v=197205