Overview
An exciting opportunity for the role of Adopter Recruitment assessment and Family Finding Team Manager with Northamptonshire Children's Trust Voluntary Adoption Agency. As the team manager, you will be responsible for managing the agency's adopter recruitment and assessment functions and leading on family finding for children within NCT who have a plan of adoption. You will be pivotal in maintaining collaborative working relationships with colleagues within the Children's Trust, Family Adoption Links Regional Adoption Alliance and partner agencies to ensure that services are developed and delivered to meet the needs of families and children within the context of the modernising adoption agenda. Key initiatives developed within the service include preparing and assessing adopters with a focus on maintaining meaningful relationships for adopted children with their birth families and other significant people and promoting Early Permanence. You will be joining a highly motivated and skilled team of practitioners and managers who aspire to deliver outstanding services to children and families and to developing and delivering services in line with learning from research, feedback and best practice models.
In February 2025 NCT VAA had its second Ofsted inspection as a Voluntary Adoption Agency since registration, the outcome of which was that the service was rated as GOOD with Outstanding features and noted that: “The leadership and management of the agency is particularly strong and ambitious. The manager and responsible individual are very experienced in adoption. They are driven by a real passion to make a positive difference to children. Together they ensure that the culture of the agency is characterised by high expectations and aspirations for all children”.
We welcome the opportunity to speak to any interested candidates so please feel free to email Marie.Strydom@nctrust.co.uk to agree a mutually agreeable time to call you.
Benefits
* We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.
* Great benefits package including: SWE Registration paid yearly (social care colleagues); Recruitment Welcome Bonus of £2,200; relocation costs up to £8,000; retention bonuses for established personnel.
* 28 days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days after 5 years.
* Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
* Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave.
* Employee Assistance Programme with Health Assured (24/7, 365 days a year) for you and your immediate family, including counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
* Employee discounts with local and national retailers and services.
* Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits.
* Supportive and inclusive management team and extensive Learning & Development opportunities.
* Subsidised town centre car parking scheme.
What will you be doing?
As a team manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day delivery of the work of the adopter recruitment, assessment and family finding team. You will provide line management supervision and support to practice managers, social workers and family support workers within the team to ensure the promotion of high quality services for children and their families. You will maintain an oversight of practice standards and compliance using case auditing and monitoring of service KPIs and work collaboratively with the service manager to develop and improve practice in line with the service plan. You will work with the service manager to review and develop practice and policy in line with changes to regulation and legislation and in response to local and national developments including learning from research.
About you
We are looking for someone who is passionate about developing and delivering high quality services for children and their families. Northamptonshire Children's Trust have a Relational Practice Approach and the pillars that empower best practice include Trauma Informed Approach, Systemic Practice and Signs of Safety. Post qualification and training in related methodologies and tools will be beneficial. You will have a creative and flexible approach that will support the service as we move forward. You will have experience of supporting staff and stakeholders through change, and a commitment to maintaining a culture in which staff, children and families feel supported and are involved in practice development. You will be able to develop and maintain respectful, collaborative working relationships with key stakeholders.
You will have had previous experience of working and managing within a social care setting including within adoption services and as such a working knowledge of the Adoption Regulations, NMS and the legislative framework within which Adoption services operate. Previous experience of working within a VAA alongside a Childrenfs Trust would be beneficial but is not essential. You will be a qualified social worker registered with Social Work England.
When applying please ensure your supporting statement covers how you fulfil the essential criteria set out in the person specification as this will be used to shortlist. You will need to provide a full employment history including any gaps since leaving full time education. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Barred List check.
About us
At Northamptonshire Children's Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of all we do - in every decision we make and every action we take. Our mission is driven by the unwavering commitment to achieving the best outcomes for them. The Trust is wholly owned and funded but operationally independent from the Councils. Our workforce are our most valuable asset and are pivotal to making the services and support we offer to children, young people and families who need us to be the absolute best we can be. We value our colleagues and empower them to be able to do the best job of their lives every single day, working in a culture of support and kindness where achievements are celebrated and creativity is welcomed.
At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation. We are a disability confident employer and have a commitment to care leavers who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria. Join our dedicated team and be a part of an organisation where your work makes a real difference.
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