social worker - Adoption and fostering services

MAIN PURPOSE The Social Worker, Adoption and Permanence Team will be responsible for the recruitment, assessment and supervision of approved adopters. The Social Worker will be expected to visit adopters with placed children on a regular basis, these visits to be at least monthly. The Social Worker will ensure that the carers offer a standard of care, which ensures that the best interests of placed children can be met and that the principles of Safe Caring are applied. The Social Worker will participate in the presentation of training for prospective and approved adopters, and in the recruitment of adopters who would be able to meet the varied needs of the children looked after by London Borough of Merton. The Social Worker - Adoption and Permanence Team will offer post adoption support and special guardianship support to adults and families, including the provision of counselling under Section 51, Adoption Act 1976, as required. The Social Worker will provide a service to prospective adopters who are considering adopting a child from overseas, including the completion of an inter country adoption assessment, and post placement welfare supervision. Social Worker in the Adoption and Permanence Team will also family find for children and young people. Social Worker will be responsible for assessing and training relatives and carers applying to become a special guardian for specific children/young peopleKNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES Knowledge of, and ability to undertake statutory tasks related to, all relevant children’s services social work legislation and also other relevant legislation (eg Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004, Data Protection Act, Disability Discrimination Act, Human Rights Act provisions, also relating to disability, human rights, discrimination, access to records, data protection, etc.). Ability to use IT to record efficiently relevant information and to maintain comprehensive case records, on such information-recording systems as are provided by the service. To make available proficiently-maintained records, as required (such as for monitoring purposes, statutory Reviews, compilation of statistical information and for Inspections). To be IT literate in the in the performance of these recording duties.