One Adoption North and Humber is a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) seeking an exceptional Head of Agency to provide adoption services for five local authorities:  East Riding, Hull, North East Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and York.  Hosted by City of York Council, with office bases across the five localities we are currently working from home.  Our core services include the recruitment and assessment of adopters, family finding for children and adoption support. We are an evolving agency, with a mission to ensure that all those involved in adoption receive an excellent service.

As Head of Agency, your role will be to ensure:

• The timely placement of children for adoption through family finding and matching
• Targeted recruitment and approval of adopters
• Improved adoption support services

The post holder will be the Agency Decision Maker for the approval of adopters and will work in close partnership with the five local authorities to develop and further improve adoption services for children and families.

We are seeking an exceptional, motivated, senior manager who will:

• Lead on the further strategic and operational development of this pioneering adoption agency, nurturing and developing best practice.
• Continue to establish an outcome focussed culture, engaging with all involved in adoption to ensure that their experiences inform the agency’s development.
• Work in partnership with One Adoption West Yorkshire to recruit sufficient adopters to meet the needs of children across the region.
• Work with the Voluntary sector to ensure commissioned services are timely, flexible and responsive to need.
• Be accountable to the Management Board, comprised of representatives of all five local authorities, adoptive parents and the Voluntary sector.
• Manage the Service Managers and teams based in offices across the northern Yorkshire and Humber area.
• Represent the agency at pan-regional and national forums, shaping  future adoption services

If this is you, then please get in touch. In return you will have the opportunity to develop your professional skills and your career in a challenging but supportive environment.

Workplace: Currently working from home.  Based in West Offices, York but with frequent travel to local offices across the One Adoption North and Humber area.

The Council is highly committed to investing in the talent and wellbeing of our staff and can offer generous annual leave allowance, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, comprehensive Health & Wellbeing initiatives and a reward package which recognises your contribution. We can offer flexible working practices, community engagement and volunteer activities and as part of our commitment to you, promote continuous Learning & Development. In addition we also offer a growing range of discounts, rewards and savings.

As this role is public facing, applicants will need to demonstrate, at interview, their competency to converse and provide advice and guidance to members of the public, in spoken English to CEFR level C2: Can express him/herself spontaneously at length with a natural conversational flow, avoiding or backtracking around any difficulty so smoothly that the person with whom they are conversing is hardly aware of it.

City of York Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We require the successful candidate to undertake an enhanced Criminal Record check via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

For further information or an informal discussion please contact Sophie Wales, Assistant Director – Children’s Services, City of York Council at sophie.wales@york.gov.uk

Closing date:  Wednesday 2 December 2020 at 12 Midnight

Interview date:  week commencing 14 December 2020

Job Description