Senior Practitioner Birth Relative Support
| Posting date: | 09 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £46,142 to £49,282 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Competitive |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 07 February 2026 |
| Location: | Oxford City/ Oxford North, ox4 1jp |
| Company: | Oxfordshire County Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | OCC/TP/1183/1718 |
Summary
About Us
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the continued development of Adopt Thames Valley (ATV) Regional Adoption Agency.ATV launched in December 2017 and is theshared Adoption Service for Bracknell Forest, Oxfordshire, Reading Borough Council (Brighter Futures for Children), The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (Achieving for Children), Swindon Borough Council, West Berkshire Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council.The Regional Adoption Agency is hosted by Oxfordshire County Council and so your contract and work conditions will sit within Oxfordshire County Council.
About the Role
The PermanenceSupport Team is a specialist team providing post-ordersupport to adopters, special guardians, and their children, adults affected by adoption, and to birth families.The post is tosupport birth parents who have experienced loss through adoption.The role will be to provideemotional and practicalsupport to navigate the adoption process for birth parents.This will be the organisation of meetings with adoptive parents, risk assessments,support with contact, runningsupport groups and generalsupport as specific pieces of work arise.
About you
Are you a passionate, qualified Social Worker with experience of adoption ? Are you interested in different ways of working in this field?
We are ideally seeking a Social Worker with at least three years post qualifying experience in adoption and with relevant work settings, such as within Children’s Services or Family Placement, and who has excellent assessment, analytical and report writing skills. This role is to support birth parents and families who have experienced loss and trauma.We require a supportive and compassionate candidate who can demonstrate an understanding of the long-term impact of trauma.
The applicant will need to demonstrate that they have a goodunderstanding of the needs of adoptive families, and that they are keen to develop their knowledge and skills further. The successful applicant also needs to be computer literate.
Rewards and benefits
As part of our team, you’ll benefit from
- Vivup benefits platform
- Vivup highfive recognition platform
- Cyclescheme (for eco-conscious commuters)
- Electric vehicle lease scheme
- Discounts at local retailers
- Salary finance options
- Up to 33 days of annual leave (including bank holidays)
- A competitive 19.9% employer pension contribution rate
Ourcommitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce.Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peersupport, education and safe spaces for all.
Ourcommitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes
As a DisabilityConfident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job.We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships.We are alsocommitted to helping andsupporting those transitioning from HM ArmedForces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.
Ourcommitment to:
Safeguarding
Oxfordshire County Council arecommitted to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers toshare thiscommitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.
Ourcommitment to:
Flexible Working
We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, jobsharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.
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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact: Emma Griffin, Emma.Griffin@Oxfordshire.gov.uk
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme