Adoption Service Manager

The salary range for this role is £41,264.40- £45,349.80 per annum based on a 21.6-hour working week.

Your role will cover the Adoption South East region, namely Surrey, East and West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

You will be expected at times to travel across the region between office bases in Woking, Reigate, Horsham and Lewes, with your named office base in Woking.

We are recruiting a Service Manager to join Adoption South East (ASE), managing the Recruitment and Assessment and Support to Adopters prior to Adoption Order. Working within a matrix management arrangement you will be managing staff drawn from the four partner Local Authorities and you will be responsible for HR related management of all Surrey CC employed staff.

You will be part of a wider Senior Leadership Team working to the Head of Service for ASE alongside Service Managers for Family Finding and Adoption Support.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Additional financial package (further information below
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a well regarded Regional Adoption Agency which provides adoption services on behalf of four local authorities. We have recently restructured into three specialist services, to enhance and improve practice and performance, and in this role you will lead on Adopter Recruitment and Pre Adoption Order Support across the region.

You will be leading our Recruitment, Assessment and Placement (RAP) team, well supported by our established Team Managers, Senior Social Workers, Social Workers, Business Support colleagues and adoption case workers.

You will be responsible for ensuring that we maintain and build upon our existing recruitment performance leading on our sufficiency strategy, ensuring that we have the right adopters for the children in our region who need families. You will be committed to evidence based and ethical practice, ensuring that practice in your service is of a high standard and timely and that the needs of all stakeholders are understood and met to the best of our ability.

You will also be the principal manager for all ASE staff mployed by Surrey County Council. You will be familiar with working within a matrix management approach, collaborating with other line managers to ensure that our staff are well supported and well managed in their work.

About the role
As a Service Manager, you will oversee a group of team managers to engage and recruit, assess and support prospective adopters. In addition to the recruitment of adopters, the RAP service provide supervision and support to early permanence and adoption placements, support the family finding team in linking and matching children with the right adoptive families, ensuring pro-active support as approved adopters make their transition to parenthood up until the point of the Adoption Order.

As a skilled leader, manager and communicator you will ensure the service is focused on delivering quality services within budget and to time.

You will work with the wider senior leadership team to ensure that the ASE specialist teams work together to provide an integrated and coherent well managed service which welcomes the voice and influence of our many stakeholders and works hard to meet their varied and sometimes competing needs.

Our team members are enthusiastic and supportive, committed to the provision of a quality service for children, their carers and parents. We are looking for people with similar qualities to join us to continue the good work already being done.

Shortlisting Criteria

• To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:
• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England
• Substantial experience of adoption practice with recent experience in a management position in an adoption or family placement setting.
• A close understanding of the regulatory framework and of implementing this operationally
• Experience of working to improve services.
• Ability to promote a learning environment where peoples skills and strengths are used and developed
• Ability to build and promote a culture of performance, personal responsibility and accountability
• Effective interpersonal and written and oral communication skills
• It is important to us that our practice is family focused and always considers how best to work with parents to meet the best interests of their children and potential children.

For more information please contact Michael Wilson, Head of Service, ASE

The job advert closes on Monday the 13th of January 2025 with shortlisting planned for Friday the 17th of January 2025 and interviews to follow.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

ASE covers a large geographical footprint and you will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.