Adoption Panel Member - Independent Social Worker

Job Title: Casual Adoption Panel Member - Independent Social Worker (Adopt South)

Salary Range: 20.99 per hr = 73.48 per panel (including preparation) - panel runs 9.30am - 1.15pm

Work Location: Virtual via Zoom - panels run on Tuesday and Wednesdays

Hours per week: Various

Contract Type: Casual

Closing Date: This is a rolling advert and applications will be considered as and when received

This role is with Adopt South, the partnership Regional Adoption Agency for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton local authorities, with the lead authority Hampshire County Council as the employer.

Adopt South's Panels are made up of a diverse range of people who have personal or professional experience relevant to adoption and we are keen to continue growing the diversity of our panels and would like to hear from those from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Role Overview:

Would you like to make a real difference in transforming the lives of children with a plan for adoption? Adopt South are seeking to appoint casual Independent Social Workers for Adopt South's Adoption Panels.

Adopt South's Panels are made up of a diverse range of people who have personal or professional experience relevant to adoption. Our panels consider whether prospective adopters are suitable to adopt and whether children should be matched with prospective adopters. The panels make recommendations to the Adopt South's Agency Decision Maker (ADM) who has the final decision.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• A degree or equivalent qualification in Social Work.
• Registration with Social Work England.
• 3 years relevant post-qualifying experience in children's social work, including direct experience within adoption work.
• Understanding of the adoption and the looked after experience for children, effects of separation, loss and developmental trauma on children.
• Awareness of the richness of different kinds of families and their potential for meeting children's needs.
• Empathy and respect for the challenges and adversity experienced by birth families and of children who come to be adopted.
• Commitment to maintaining contact between children living in adoptive families and their birth families where this is seen to be in the child's best interest.
• Understanding of the purpose and function of adoption panel and of Adopt South or a willingness to learn.
• Good listening and communication skills, the ability to read, process and analyse large amounts of complex, and sometimes difficult information.

Role Responsibilities:

1. To read the circulated papers carefully before the panel meeting and to attend the meeting prepared to raise issues and to contribute to the panel discussion.
2. To take responsibility for participating in the making of a recommendation for each case, drawing on professional knowledge and experience.
3. To attend meetings of the panels as specified on your member agreement with the agency.
4. To be prepared to attend additional panels if you are reasonably able to.
5. To subscribe to Adopt South's core values of equality and fairness.
6. To promote diversity and anti-discriminatory practice.
7. To safeguard the confidentiality of all panel papers and panel discussions.
8. To participate in induction and training which will be a minimum of one day per year and to take responsibility for building up own knowledge of adoption.
9. To participate constructively in the annual review of your panel membership.

Vetting Requirements:

This post is subject to a Criminal Records Check. As such, and as per safer recruitment requirements for Children's Services, references will be requested prior to interview.

Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this

We are a Disability Confident Employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.

About Us

Connect2Hampshire is a managed service agency owned by Hampshire County Council providing temporary, contract and interim opportunities into the Council. Our service is built on our values of ethical, trustworthy, and caring, and our profits are returned to our Local Authority shareholders.

Please visit (url removed), or email with your CV to (url removed)

Connect2Hampshire is a trading style of Hampshire & Kent Commercial Services LLP - A joint venture between Hampshire County Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Hampshire is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.