Adopt London North is the Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) for 6 North London boroughs - Haringey, Enfield, Camden, Hackney, Barnet, and Islington (our host borough). On behalf of our boroughs, we provide all adoption services which include:
Adopt London North (ALN) is a group of around 40 friendly and supportive staff, based in our dedicated office space in the Laycock Centre, N1 1TH (just 2 minutes’ walk from Highbury & Islington station). Our staff group is very stable, and you will benefit from working in a team of experienced and specialist adoption social workers.
Adopt London North is part of a wider partnership called Adopt London that covers 24 London boroughs and over 160 staff. We work together to develop and share best practice, and to connect people impacted by adoption across London. We have exciting, shared projects in place to develop our practice across early permanency, matching practice, models of adoption support, and our ‘Black Adoption Project’ which is committed to reducing disparities for Black children in adoption by addressing systemic and cultural barriers throughout the system.
You can find out more about Adopt London here: https://adoptlondon.org.uk/ and about the Black Adoption Project here: https://adoptlondon.org.uk/want-to-adopt/our-children/black-adoption-project/
The role
We are looking to recruit Social Workers to both our Adoption Support team and our Recruitment & Assessment team.
The Adoption Support team runs a busy service supporting adoptive families, adopted adults, and birth families. Work includes arranging therapeutic support under the Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund, case working with families who need advice, support and advocacy, accessing and sharing adoption records with adopted adults, and helping birth families and adoptive families remain in contact. The team also provides support through groups run for a range of clients including adopted adults and parents of adopted teenagers.
The Recruitment & Assessment team lead our work to encourage people to consider adoption, and to provide training, support, and assessment to take prospective adopters to the point of approval, and through the family finding process to the successful placement of a child or children in the family. Work includes dealing with initial enquiries, undertaking prospective adopter assessments, providing specialist training for prospective adopters, and supervising new adoptive parents as their children settle into the family.
We give the opportunity for staff to express an interest in moving to a different team within Adopt London North as spaces in the service become available, to ensure you are provided with a broad range of opportunities to develop your knowledge and expertise.
Working Arrangements
We have a flexible hybrid working style. You will be required to work from the office several times a week and will also undertake meetings with clients in the office and in their homes, but you will have flexibility to choose whether you prefer to be home or office-based on other days. We have regular training and development days, and there are opportunities to specialise your skills through delivering training and workshops, facilitating group work, and taking part in practice development projects.
About You
To be considered for this role you will need to demonstrate (in both your application and your interview):
Our commitment to supporting the diversity of our workforce
We are committed to ensuring that our communities are represented across our workforce at all levels. We are taking concerted, meaningful and intentional action to create an inclusive culture because we believe this is at the heart of enabling diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking, to thrive in our organisation. We are aware of systemic oppression and its impact on individuals and communities in terms of unequal access to services and opportunities. As such, we are taking positive action to challenge all forms of discrimination and injustice. As part of our ‘Black Adoption Project’, we provide confidential, therapeutically supported Safer Spaces sessions on a monthly basis to Black staff.
We welcome questions and requests for discussion about the roles available. Please email Teresa Stratford, Service Manager (teresa.stratford@islington.gov.uk) to arrange a time to speak.
Person specification You should demonstrate on your application form how you meet the essential criteria. Please ensure that you address each of the criteria as this will be assessed to determine your suitability for the post. Essential criteria Qualifications Essential Criteria description Assessed by criteria 1 SWE recognised social work qualification. Application Experience & Skills Essential Criteria description Assessed by criteria 2 Good understanding of relevant legislation, Application/Interview regulation, safeguarding practices and research on what works to improve outcomes for children and families. Understanding of the relevant statutory guidance and National Minimum Standards. 3 Relationship and effective direct work Interview/Test Demonstrated evidence of building purposeful relationships balancing empathy and authority. You will show experience of direct work, working with the impact of trauma and ensuring safeguarding is always prioritised. Demonstrate an ability to facilitate direct work with adoptive parents, individually, facilitating groups and delivering training. 4 Communication (oral) Interview/Test Demonstrate evidence of communicating and listening with children and families/carers taking into account diversity and the need to tailor communication style to engage and motivate people to participate in support services. To demonstrate an ability to supervise Essential Criteria description Assessed by criteria others in partnership within the regulatory requirements. 5 Communication (written) Application Produce written cases notes and reports that are well argued, focused and jargon free with sound analysis and rationale for actions. 6 Child Development Interview Demonstrate ability to engage children in their environment, understand the world in which they live and the quality of their key relationships; to recognise signs that the child may not be meeting developmental milestones, has been harmed or is at risk of harm; to utilise research and evidenced-based approaches to actively inform casework. To promote stable and permanent outcomes for children, enabling carers to prepare and plan for caring for children long term, making use of all relevant services. 7 Adult mental ill health, substance Interview misuse, domestic abuse, physical ill health and disability To demonstrate the ability to assess the impact of secondary trauma on carers and families caring for children and young people and an ability to enable carers to maintain caring through periods of stress. 8 Abuse and neglect in children Interview Demonstrate the ability to assess the impact of cumulative trauma and be clear about concerns. Demonstrate the ability to facilitate the development of others to provide attuned care to children affected by abuse and neglect. 9 Assessments Application/Interview Demonstrated ability to collaboratively carry out multi-agency, in-depth and ongoing assessments of social need and risk to children with particular emphasis on capacity for change, leading to effective planning to address the impact of trauma, where the voice of the child is given precedence. An ability to assess and review the potential of applicants to offer attuned care to children and Essential Criteria description Assessed by criteria young people and to prepare them effectively to meet the needs of children. An ability to propose matching and selection of placements, with timescales as required and identify support needs and ensure support is provided. 10 Analysis, decision making, planning and Application/Interview/Test review Evidence of being able to identify thresholds within the continuum of risks and needs. Ability to make clear recommendations about how to enable change to address risk and need based on evidence and professional judgement. Collaborate with the child, family or carers to set out clear goals about what needs to change and when. Evidence of drawing the relevant people into the plan, including family’s own support network, ensuring plans are purposeful and support children to reach their potential. To evidence the suitability of an applicant to care for looked after children through assessment and review. 11 The law and the family, and youth justice Application systems To work in partnership with colleagues to provide appropriate evidence for Court. To ensure all relevant information is available for Independent Panels including the Independent review mechanism. 12 Role of supervision Application/Interview Demonstrated ability to make effective use of reflective and discussion opportunities to enhance your professional practice. Awareness of your own emotional response to the work and the ability to identify strategies to ensure a high quality of service. Demonstrate an ability to provide effective supervision and support of foster carers under regulatory requirements, helping carers become aware of their own emotional response to the care and to identify strategies to ensure a high quality service. Essential Criteria description Assessed by criteria 13 Organisational context Application/Interview/Test Demonstrated high organisational skills and ability to prioritise workload in order to meet the requirements of the organisation and national systems. Advocate for the children and young people you work with to receive organisational focus, resource and support from internal and external agencies. To advocate for good practice in the partnership between carers and internal and external agencies, ensuring carers are treated fairly. Special requirements of the post Essential Criteria description Assessed by criteria 14 This role requires registration and good Application standing with Social Work England (SWE) and satisfactory enhanced clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Islington is one of the most vibrant areas of London, with a diverse population, a unique cultural identity and a wealth of open spaces, theatres, museums, cinemas, and galleries.
Our Children’s Social Care services have been rated by OFSTED as Outstanding and praises an “unwavering commitment to improving and enriching the lives of children and their families”
A snapshot of what we offer our social workers:
Up to 28 days annual leave per year (increasing to 33 days after five years of local government service)
In addition to annual leave, the council grants 3 privilege days which must be taken during the Christmas and New Year period as the council stipulates.
35-hour working week
A range of flexible working arrangements
Zone 1-2 Travel card for our Children’s Social Workers
Retention bonus’ for our Children’s Social Workers
Specially designed core training package
Excellent pension scheme with a new Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution (Shared Cost AVC) employee benefit scheme.
Competitive pay – and a commitment to paying all staff and apprentices the London Living Wage
Lead authority for Step Up to Social Work
Social Work training through Social Work Apprenticeship Degree
Highly valued Assessed and Supported Year in Education through Islington ASYE Academy.
Access to Management and Coaching Apprenticeships
Pathways Program for first time and experienced managers
Opportunities to train as a Practice Educator
For more information and a discussion about working for London Borough of Islington, contact our Principal Social Worker Wynand McDonald, Principal Child and Family Social Worker at Wynand.mcdonald@islington.gov.uk.