Your new role Southend City Council are looking to appoint a part-time, permanent Adoption Support Co-ordinator as part of the Letterbox Scheme. The main purpose of this role is to assist adopted children exchange information with their birth family, so that they can maintain some form of contact. This will help the children have a sense of their identity, whilst still feeling accepted and part of their new adopted family.The post holder will be required to meet with birth relatives and adopters face to face or virtually, to help improve participation and quality of the Letterbox scheme, as well as support with the initial assessment of suitability for Keeping in Touch (Direct Contact).They will ensure the smooth running of the day-to-day functions of the Letterbox scheme, making sure service users receive appropriate confidential information in a professional and timely manner. There will also be a need to participate in the training of prospective adopters to bring awareness around the benefits of the Letterbox exchange with children and the benefits this brings to the placement, as well as assisting with the running of support groups for birth families, adoption activity days and adoption children's events. What you'll need to succeed To be successful in this position, you must have knowledge and experience of adoption services. Be able to make reference to Adoption Support Regulations and have awareness of current legislation, such as the Children Act, Every Child Matters and Public Law.You will need to have empathetic interpersonal skills that will enable you to engage service users, including some vulnerable adults (birth relatives), to produce appropriate exchanges for the child. What you'll get in return When joining the council, you can enjoy a range of benefits including: 25 days annual leave, flexible working and excellent training and development opportunities. They are committed to ensuring that you are supported in this varied and challenging role with the appropriate level of training. What you need to do now If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. Hays EA is a trading division of Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited and acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk ADZN1_UKTJ