Senior Practitioner Birth Relative Support

About Us

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the continued development of Adopt Thames Valley (ATV) Regional Adoption Agency. ATV launched in December 2017 and is the shared Adoption Service for Bracknell Forest, Oxfordshire, Reading Borough Council (Brighter Futures for Children), The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (Achieving for Children), Swindon Borough Council, West Berkshire Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council.

The Regional Adoption Agency is hosted by Oxfordshire County Council and so your contract and work conditions will sit within Oxfordshire County Council.

The Permanence Support Team is a specialist team providing post-order support to adopters, special guardians, and their children, adults affected by adoption, and to birth families. The post is to support birth parents who have experienced loss through adoption. The role will be to provide emotional and practical support to navigate the adoption process for birth parents. This will be the organisation of meetings with adoptive parents, risk assessments, support with contact, running support groups and general support as specific pieces of work arise.

Are you a passionate, qualified Social Worker with experience of adoption? Are you interested in different ways of working in this field?

We are ideally seeking a Social Worker with at least three years post qualifying experience in adoption and with relevant work settings, such as within Children's Services or Family Placement, and who has excellent assessment, analytical and report writing skills. This role is to support birth parents and families who have experienced loss and trauma. We require a supportive and compassionate candidate who can demonstrate an understanding of the long‑term impact of trauma.

The applicant will need to demonstrate that they have a good understanding of the needs of adoptive families, and that they are keen to develop their knowledge and skills further. The successful applicant also needs to be computer literate.

• Vivup benefits platform
• Vivup highfive recognition platform
• Cycle scheme (for eco-conscious commuters)
• Electric vehicle lease scheme
• Discounts at local retailers
• Salary finance options
• Up to 33 days of annual leave (including bank holidays)
• A competitive 19.9% employer pension contribution rate

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from the Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Oxfordshire County Council are 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 these commitments.

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi‑time, part‑time working, job sharing, nine‑day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact:
Emma Griffin, Emm