Team Manager - Adoption Team

We are looking for an additional team manager to work alongside the existing one to drive forward performance and further develop our offer for adoptive parents and adopted children.

Durham's Adoption Team are part of the Regional Adoption Agency and as such work closely with Together for Children to ensure timely assessments of adopters and matches for children with plans of adoption.

It is a stable team where staff members support each other. We are proud of the quality of assessment work we do and the outcomes we achieve for adopters and children with plans of adoption, as recently recognised in an internal quality assurance visit.

This is a forward-thinking service for adopters and children with plans of adoption and we are reviewing our service structure and staff responsibilities to ensure we achieve the best possible outcomes and offer robust support when needed. This is an exciting time to join the team and be part of driving forward these developments.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?
You would jointly manage the adoption team which consists of; social workers who assess adopters, social workers who family find and social workers who offer post adoption support. You would be supported by a social work consultant and have the benefit of a family worker who proactively supports adopters and birth families.

The team is part of a wider service area including the permanence team and care leavers. There is good joint working between service area managers with a high focus on service improvement. We value our focus on performance and audits to ensure that positive outcomes are achieved and that we are constantly seeking to improve.

We are building our participation offer, to ensure that service development plans are informed by the views and experiences of adopters and young people., Durham County Council currently operates a hybrid working policy where a model of 2 days in the workplace and 3 days at home/remote will apply. This model is pro-rated for part time roles and arrangements are at managers discretion, alternatively you can work all of your contracted hours within the workplace if you prefer.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
We are a proud equal opportunities employer and recognise that a diverse, talented workforce brings new ideas and new perspectives, which will facilitate growth and improvements to services.

We are committed to ensuring that our employment policies and processes are fair and equitable to all. We welcome job applications from everyone, and successful candidates are considered only on their skills and ability to do the job.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we encourage applications from disabled people and provide support throughout the recruitment process.

Take a closer look: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26899/Equality-diversity-and-inclusion-in-our-workforce

INTERVIEWS
Interviews will be held on 15th November 2024.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

We are passionate about social work in County Durham. We are committed to providing a culture where good practice can flourish. We ensure our social workers are highly supported and encourage flexible working to achieve a good work-life balance.

You will benefit from a range of training opportunities and professional development through personalised induction, professional supervision, and mentoring.

Take a closer look: https://www.durham.gov.uk/childrenssocialwork

WHAT WILL I NEED?
You will need a degree in Social Work OR equivalent Social Work qualification and current Social Work England registration.

Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria.

If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

REWARDS AND BENEFITS
We offer generous rewards and benefits that are designed to help you perform at your best:

• Competitive salaries and 27 days holiday per year rising to 32 days after five years continuous local government service.


• Option to purchase up to 10 additional days annual leave per year.


• Excellent work/life balance through schemes including job sharing, compressed hours and flexi-time (allowing up to 13 flexi days per year).


• Hybrid working (home and office working).


• Excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Plus, top up options - Salary Sacrifice Shared Cost AVC scheme and standard AVC scheme for members of the LGPS.


• Wellbeing Portal and access to an Employee Assist Scheme.


• Wide range of learning and development opportunities including professional qualifications, coaching and mentoring.


• Employee Benefits Portal and Lifestyle Savings Scheme (discounts across a host of major retailers).


• Discounted DCC gym membership.


• Staff networks run by staff for our staff, including Race Equality and Diversity, Disability, LGBT+, Armed Forces, Carers, Menopause.


• Trade Union membership.


• A range of other salary sacrifice schemes such as car leasing.


Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. Take a closer look: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits