Job summary
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This is not a Wiltshire Council vacancy therefore please contact Adoption West for further information.
Salary:£14,532 - £15,511 per annum plus 8% market supplement until 31st March 2026
Closing date:Monday 01 September 2025
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Part time 18.5 hours per week
Interview date: Tuesday 09 September 2025
Location: Flexible. An office base in one of the offices within the Adoption West region (Bristol, Gloucester or Trowbridge) and working from home
Main duties of the job
Adoption West is a Regional Adoption Agency and registered Voluntary Adoption Agency commissioned by Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Councils. Adoption West provides a range of adoption services including:
- The recruitment and assessment of prospective adopters
- Family finding services for children requiring permanency via adoption
- Post adoption support services
- Services to birth family and adopted adults
This is an exciting time to join Adoption West as we build on the solid foundations already in place and our Good rating from Ofsted.
We have a vacancy for a part time Support Worker in the Birth Links team and although the team covers the whole Adoption West region, this post will have a caseload of service users who live in the Gloucestershire area.
About us
Adoption West:
- is an organisation with a wealth of experience and has a learning culture, committed to enabling the post holder to grow and develop in their role.
- provides support through supervision and training.
- offers flexible working arrangements, including job shares.
- provides a Local Government Pension Scheme and access to the Child Care vouchers scheme
If you have the experience, skills, knowledge and enthusiasm we are seeking and are looking for a new challenge then we look forward to hearing from you.
Adoption West Behaviour Principals and Values:
All candidates applying for Adoption West roles are assessed against the Behaviour Principals and Values during the interviewing process.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
- As duty worker, to act as the front door for adoption service. Using problem solving skills to
respond to all enquiries that come into the Adoption Team, providing advice and support in
situations that may not be straight forward.
- To assist social workers in the assessment of the support needs and services required by
adopted children and their families; This involves gathering appropriate information from
parents, children and other professionals in relations to the childs needs and family
functioning. Using skills to engage with families often at a time of crisis to develop an
understanding of the issues impacting on the family. Analysis and decision making with
regards to the assessment will be jointly with a social worker.
- Using knowledge of the impact of trauma, separation, loss and adoption to work in a
collaborative way with families encouraging and supporting them to establish approaches to
parenting that improves and enhances the quality of family life and attachments.
- To undertake direct work with adopted children and young people to promote their sense of
identity, understanding of their life story and contribute to their wellbeing.
- To complete case records as required in accordance with the councils recording policy and
procedure.
- Contributing to multiagency meetings to consider the eligibility of service users need.
Working with partner agencies using creativity to develop packages of support that are
responsive to the needs of individual children and families.
- To take responsibility for the direct provision of support to families identified by the team
manager. This may involve the post holder identifying any safeguarding concerns or were
childrens needs are not meet and reporting accordingly to the Team manager in accordance
with the councils procedures. To report regularly to the supervisor and or team manager.
- To understand and support the different needs of members the birth family and the adoptive
family when facilitating and or supervising direct contact; always promoting the best interests
of the child.
- To identify and disseminate up-to-date information of relevant services, legislation and
research to adopters and Special Guardians in Wiltshire.
- To take a lead role in facilitating the Letter Box arrangements between adopted families and
special guardians and birth families. This involves managing challenging situations and
negotiation skills between all parties
- To assist in the organisation and facilitating of social and support events and training for
adoptive families and Special Guardians to promote their access to learning, networking and
peer support.
- Attend and contribute to team meetings. Take on duties and tasks to assist the development of the service.
- Assist in the Home finding process for the children requiring adoption placements, by liaising
with social workers and carers to write profiles of children, highlighting their particular needs.
- Ability to travel on a daily basis and to undertake visits to families in their own homes or in
other settings.
- To undertake such other duties in respect of each case as directed by Adoption Manager.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
- As duty worker, to act as the front door for adoption service. Using problem solving skills to
respond to all enquiries that come into the Adoption Team, providing advice and support in
situations that may not be straight forward.
- To assist social workers in the assessment of the support needs and services required by
adopted children and their families; This involves gathering appropriate information from
parents, children and other professionals in relations to the childs needs and family
functioning. Using skills to engage with families often at a time of crisis to develop an
understanding of the issues impacting on the family. Analysis and decision making with
regards to the assessment will be jointly with a social worker.
- Using knowledge of the impact of trauma, separation, loss and adoption to work in a
collaborative way with families encouraging and supporting them to establish approaches to
parenting that improves and enhances the quality of family life and attachments.
- To undertake direct work with adopted children and young people to promote their sense of
identity, understanding of their life story and contribute to their wellbeing.
- To complete case records as required in accordance with the councils recording policy and
procedure.
- Contributing to multiagency meetings to consider the eligibility of service users need.
Working with partner agencies using creativity to develop packages of support that are
responsive to the needs of individual children and families.
- To take responsibility for the direct provision of support to families identified by the team
manager. This may involve the post holder identifying any safeguarding concerns or were
childrens needs are not meet and reporting accordingly to the Team manager in accordance
with the councils procedures. To report regularly to the supervisor and or team manager.
- To understand and support the different needs of members the birth family and the adoptive
family when facilitating and or supervising direct contact; always promoting the best interests
of the child.
- To identify and disseminate up-to-date information of relevant services, legislation and
research to adopters and Special Guardians in Wiltshire.
- To take a lead role in facilitating the Letter Box arrangements between adopted families and
special guardians and birth families. This involves managing challenging situations and
negotiation skills between all parties
- To assist in the organisation and facilitating of social and support events and training for
adoptive families and Special Guardians to promote their access to learning, networking and
peer support.
- Attend and contribute to team meetings. Take on duties and tasks to assist the development of the service.
- Assist in the Home finding process for the children requiring adoption placements, by liaising
with social workers and carers to write profiles of children, highlighting their particular needs.
- Ability to travel on a daily basis and to undertake visits to families in their own homes or in
other settings.
- To undertake such other duties in respect of each case as directed by Adoption Manager.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
