Team Manager - Adoption Support

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Team Manager to join our Adoption Support team at Adopt South. Are you looking for a challenging and diverse role working as part of a friendly and supportive team, with an opportunity to make a real difference?

About the role

This role is with Adopt South, the partnership Regional Adoption Agency for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton local authorities, with SCC as the employer. We are looking for a Team Manager to join our dynamic and innovative Regional Adoption Agency to help us make a positive difference to adoptive families, adoptees and birth relatives across our region. This exciting opportunity requires a 37 hours per week (part time considered if overall compliment can be fulfilled), where you'll play a key part in shaping the future of adoption support.

You’ll collaboratively lead the Adoption Support Team while fully leading and shaping the direction of the Adopted Adults Team. In the Adoption Support Team, you will help shape and deliver a range of services that support families, children and young people who have been adopted and may face challenges in their daily lives. This includes assessing families who may require additional support from us and/or access to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund. You will be responsible for managing a team of Social Workers, Child and Family Support Workers and Coordinators to deliver our Adoption Support Offer. This includes working alongside our Training Team and MDT to consider our workshops, webinars and therapeutic parenting offer and the planning and delivery of family events that help families and young people connect and thrive.

As the manager of the Adopted Adults Team, you will be responsible for supporting adoptees to access their adoption records and accessing intermediary services. Familiarising yourself with post and pre-commencement legislation, you will be responsible for implementing a consistent, meaningful, compassionate and legally informed service, aligned with national recommendations.

About you

We are looking for someone with substantial post-qualifying experience in social work. A strong understanding of child protection legislation would be favourable, and management experience. You will bring excellent communication skills, empathy, and the ability to reflect and innovate. You’ll also be committed to improving outcomes for families and adoptees and motivated to grow both personally and professionally. This is a unique opportunity to use your voice and leadership to shape our services and make a real difference to our families and adoptees.

What you’ll do

• Managing, prioritising and reviewing complex caseloads within departmental guidelines.
• Managing staff allocations and ensuring work is completed within statutory regulations.
• Managing staff including the recruitment and selection process, managing annual leave, sickness, career progression and performance.
• Offering robust reflective management oversight through supervision, case oversight and auditing.
• Ensuring that best outcomes for children are at the centre of all practice and decision making.
• Contributing to data monitoring, service analysis and evaluation.
• Manage concerns, complaints and allegations.
• Ensuring that all Hampshire County Council Safeguarding policies are adhered to, and concerns are raised in accordance with these policies.
• Work in collaboration with our key partners and colleagues across the region.
• Supporting the senior leadership team in the development and growth of the agency at a local and national level.
• Authorising assessments.
• Working flexibility to meet the needs of the service which will include supporting evening and Saturday working.
• Triage and allocations.

What we’re looking for

Essential Qualification

• Social Work Degree with at least 3 years post qualifying experience.
• Social Work England registration.

Essential Knowledge, Experience, Skills and Behaviours

• Social care management experience including experience of managing staff through change.
• Significant experience and knowledge of adoption services and processes.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations.
• Strong report writing and negotiation skills.
• Proactive with ability to work alone and as part of a team when required.
• Enthusiasm for achieving the best outcomes for children and families.

Desirable Qualifications, Knowledge, Experience, Skills and Behaviours

• A capacity to engage and communicate with parents and carers who may be experiencing distress.
• Ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines, and multi-agency colleagues, and to work collaboratively with a team to achieve common objectives.
• Capacity for tolerating high levels of demand with an ability to work effectively and independently under pressure, while using supervision effectively.

If you feel you have the necessary background, experience, and skills to undertake this role we would like to hear from you.

What we can offer you

Salary: The salary band for this role is £57,755 - £65,222. The starting salary is £57,755 with annual progression through the salary bands. Here at SCC we have a range of different benefits, a few examples can be found below.

• Excellent local government pension with 16.8% employer contribution
• Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)
• Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service
• Flexible working options (role-dependent)
• Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
• Training and development, including coaching and mentoring
• Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks
• Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
• Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
• Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
• Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
• Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer

For further information on our benefits package please visit Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk).

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion

For further information and details regarding the role, please contact Carol Beddow, Service Manager on carol.beddow@hants.gov.uk

Recruitment contact details

Email: recruitment@southampton.gov.uk

Tel: 023 8083 4033

For more information about SCC please visit Southampton City Council. Follow us on social media for regular updates on our featured jobs and latest news.