The posting
Contract to start ASAP until 17-01-27 with a possible extension.
Full job description
Adoption Agency Adviser
Hours: Full-time (37 hours per week)
Contract: Temporary Contract, ending 17 January 2027
Support High-Quality Adoption Decision-Making Across Staffordshire
We're recruiting an experienced Adoption Agency Adviser to join Staffordshire County Council, providing professional advice, oversight, and guidance across adoption services.
This is a specialist role suited to an experienced social care professional with strong knowledge of adoption legislation, statutory guidance, panel processes, safeguarding, and permanence planning. You'll play a key part in ensuring adoption decisions are robust, lawful, child-focused, and delivered in line with statutory requirements and best practice.
You'll work closely with social workers, managers, adoption panels, legal professionals, health colleagues, partner agencies, prospective adopters, and other stakeholders involved in adoption and permanence planning.
About the Role
As Adoption Agency Adviser, you'll provide expert professional advice and support to ensure the Council's adoption functions are delivered safely, effectively, and in accordance with legislation, regulations, and statutory guidance.
What you'll be doing:
- Providing specialist advice and guidance on adoption legislation, regulations, statutory guidance, and best practice
- Supporting adoption panels and agency decision-making processes
- Reviewing adoption documentation and reports to ensure they are accurate, complete, and of a high professional standard
- Advising social workers and managers on complex adoption and permanence matters
- Ensuring adoption cases progress appropriately and within required timescales
- Supporting robust permanence planning for children where adoption is being considered
- Providing advice on prospective adopter assessments, matching, and placement decisions
- Working closely with legal services on adoption-related matters and court processes
- Ensuring compliance with safeguarding requirements and promoting the welfare of children throughout the adoption process
- Supporting quality assurance and service improvement activity across adoption services
- Contributing to policy development, procedures, and professional standards
- Identifying areas of risk or concern and ensuring these are escalated appropriately
- Supporting effective multi-agency working with health, education, legal, and other professionals
- Providing professional challenge and oversight where required
- Maintaining high standards of record keeping, confidentiality, and information governance
- Contributing to audits, reviews, inspections, and performance monitoring
- Supporting managers with complex case discussions and decision-making
Requirements
We're looking for a highly experienced and knowledgeable adoption professional with strong judgement, excellent communication skills, and a detailed understanding of statutory adoption processes.
You'll ideally have:
- Significant experience within adoption, fostering, permanence, or Children's Social Care
- Strong knowledge of adoption legislation, regulations, and statutory guidance
- Experience supporting or advising adoption panels
- Experience reviewing complex social work reports and adoption documentation
- Strong understanding of safeguarding and permanence planning
- Experience providing professional advice to social workers and managers
- Excellent analytical and decision-making skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to provide professional challenge in a constructive and evidence-based way
- Experience working with legal professionals and court processes
- Ability to manage complex and sensitive information appropriately
- Strong understanding of quality assurance and service improvement
- Experience working within a local authority Children's Services environment
- Ability to work effectively with senior managers and multi-agency professionals
- Professional social work qualification or equivalent relevant qualification
- Current Social Work England registration, where applicable
- Eligibility to work in the UK
- Ability to provide three years of references/work history
- Ability to complete a Criminal Convictions Declaration
- Ability to sign a Confidentiality Agreement
Why Apply
- Specialist adoption role within Staffordshire County Council
- Opportunity to influence high-quality adoption and permanence decision-making
- Chance to work with experienced social care, legal, and multi-agency professionals
- Varied role combining advisory work, quality assurance, panel support, and case oversight
- Opportunity to contribute to improved outcomes for children and families
- Professional and collaborative Children's Services environment
Benefits
- Weekly Pay
- Company Pension
- Ongoing Agency Support
Additional Information
Client: Staffordshire County Council
Location: Staffordshire Place 1, Stafford, ST16 2DH
Hours: 37 hours per week
Start Date: 12 October 2026
Contract End Date: 17 January 2027
Pay Rate: £42.00 per hour Umbrella
Contract Type: Temporary
Job Types: Full-time, Temporary contract
Pay: £42.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
Application question(s):
- Do you have significant experience working within adoption, fostering, permanence, or Children's Social Care?
- Do you have strong knowledge of adoption legislation, statutory guidance, and adoption panel processes?
- Are you a qualified social worker with current Social Work England registration, where required?
- Are you able to work 37 hours per week from Staffordshire Place 1 and start from 12 October 2026?
Experience:
- Adoption / Permanence: 3 years (preferred)
- Children's Social Care: 3 years (preferred)
- Local Authority: 2 years (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Social Work England Registration (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
Disclaimer: On applying for this vacancy, you agree that your personal details will be passed onto our client for their consideration of your suitability for the role. I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to notify iWork Recruitment Limited of any hirer who I do not want my details to be passed onto.
5306354-10-26
