• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX – Hybrid
• Salary: £40,777 – £47,054 per annum (pro rata for part time or under 12 months)
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Fixed term or Secondment – 12 months

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Suffolk County Council (SCC) Post Adoption and SGO Support Team as a Senior Social Worker, working from Endeavour House.

Are you empowered by being able to see and feel positive change? We are looking for people like you, who share the same care, support, and dedication as we do.

Here in Suffolk, we are proud to have created an environment where social workers can achieve the outcomes, they came into the profession to do.

We were recognised as one of leading social work authorities in the UK, whose children’s services are rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, “Services for children are of an exceptionally high standard. They are child-focused and make a positive difference to children’s lives.” (Ofsted, 2019). We have a well embedded practice framework to enable meaningful family focused help. ‘Signs of Safety’ enables us to do this respectfully and in collaboration with all the families, colleagues, and organisations we are working with.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

Your role within the team will be to:

• lead in the service delivery of Keeping in Touch by establishing, maintaining and supporting keeping in touch arrangements between birth families and the adoptive family, this will include being instrumental in promoting Suffolk’s modern adoption agenda
• maintain existing Keeping in Touch processes along with supporting, developing and streamlining the service to meet the new challenges and demands of more direct contacts happening in adoption
• demonstrate innovative practice to match our ambition to positively affect outcomes for all vulnerable children
• act as a creative experienced social worker, skilled in placement planning and building relationships; your focus on high quality service provision will promote sustainable changes for children and their families
• have empathy and understanding in relation to the experiences of our birth families who have experienced the loss of a child though adoption and to model this to other practitioners
• be flexible and to have a passion to further build and develop on our success in supporting a strong ethos of performance and development across the service.

You will need

• a relevant social work qualification and Social Work England registration is essential
• experience of adoption, preferably in the arena of maintaining relationships post-adoption order.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don’t meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

• provides a county wider service to meet the needs of children
• works directly with children that have been adopted, under a special guardianship order, permanent fostering and link care. This role also works closely with the adoption assessment team as they link and match children for adoption and the Post-Adoption and SGO Support Team
• is a busy, friendly and highly supportive team with lots of creativity and passion in the work it does to support children and families.

We will offer you

• a supportive and pioneering practice experience where you can make a real difference while enjoying the benefits of living in Suffolk
• the opportunity to grow professionally and further your career in social work through supportive career pathways if you wish to progress and develop in front line practice as well as specific interests
• a retention payment of up to £4,000 for Social Workers within CYP along with an additional 3 days annual leave (pro rata for part time)
• all new social workers moving to Suffolk have access to a relocation package of up to £8,000 and a car leasing scheme and a welcome loan of £2,000.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Rachel Hobbin for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling (01473) 264622.

If you want to apply for a secondment, read the secondment policy first. Make sure you get permission from your current manager before submitting your application.

How to apply

Step 1 – Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 – Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 – Upload a supporting statement indicating how you meet each of the criteria in the ‘Person Profile’ section of the JPP.

• You should use the Supporting Statement template.

• Please use Arial font size 11 and keep your statement to a maximum of two sides of A4.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or calling 03456 014412. If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process. 

Closing date: 11.30pm, 12 November 2025

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).