Are you looking to make a real difference to the lives of adopted children and young people?

The Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) has an exciting and rare opportunity for a Social Worker to join our service.

The role will be based in our specialist Family Finding Team who are part of the RAA, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Adoption, and are a service that serves both Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Family Finding are a small team comprising of four social workers (two as Senior Practitioners), a team manager and one business support officer who works with other teams in the service too. The team are based in Scott House in Huntingdon, with opportunities for homebased working and to access offices at Sand Martin House in Peterborough where there is allocated space for RAA workers.

This is a 12 month fixed term contract with the possibility of a further extension. Flexible hours or working pattern can be considered at appointment.

It is a fantastic time to join us in the RAA following a continued period of stability and growth. We pride ourselves on providing all workers with a friendly, safe, and supportive environment to work in. We are a learning organisation and are committed to practice education and developing staff through reflective practice and supervision.

If this sounds like an environment where you would thrive, we would love to hear from you! Closing date Sunday 16th August. Interviews will be held week commencing 31st August via Microsoft Teams.

For more information or an informal chat about the role, call Tom Hey, Team Manager Adoption/Family Finding on 01223 699 893 or email tom.hey@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

What will you be doing?

Day-to-day responsibilities of a Family Finder include:

• Profiling children for consideration of prospective adopters.
• Developing transition plans and supporting the transitions of children from foster care to their adoptive homes.
• Providing written and verbal reports for a variety of settings including adoption panel and court that are concise and informative based on analysis of evidence of adopters skills and the children’s needs.
• Working in a holistic manner with internal and external colleagues. Supporting with service development and addressing issues that impact upon carer retention or satisfaction.
• Engaging meaningfully with training and supervision for your ongoing development, skills and knowledge.

About you

To be successful in this role you will be a confident and dynamic individual who enjoy making a difference, is curious in your practice and enjoy building relationships with Carers and Children.

You will have a sound understanding of relevant adoption legislation and a strong knowledge of the factors that contribute to improved outcomes for care-experienced children and young people.

You will have the ability to collate information about children and young people to develop a clear understanding of their individual needs and circumstances and align this to suitable adoptive families who can support them to achieve their full potential.

You will be able to demonstrate the ability to manage a complex caseload effectively, making informed decisions and achieving positive outcomes for some of the county’s most vulnerable children and young people.

You must:

• Be a qualified Social Worker with a Social Work England registration
• Have the ability to work from a variety of locations and travel countywide and beyond independently

For a full list of the requirements of the role, please check out the Job Description & Person Specification.

Please note we are not accepting applications from candidates living overseas who require sponsorship to move to the UK

Our benefits

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage…

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• 6 days of protected time each year to support in maintaining your Continuous Professional Development
• A relocation package (eligibility applies)
• A Refer a Friend Scheme where if you refer another Social Worker to us who is subsequently employed by us as a result of that introduction, we’ll pay you an introduction fee of £350
• Access to our Cambridgeshire Academy for Reaching Excellence (CARE) who will support your development, enabling you to become the best practitioner you can be

For more information and to see our other benefits, take a look at the benefits brochure attached to this advert.