Adoption Panel Advisor (CDC)

Based at: Civic Office, Doncaster

Salary details: Grade 10, £49,817 - £54,143

Contract Type: Permanent, Full Time

Hours: 37 hours per week

Closing date: 18 October 2026

Enhanced Level DBS Disclosure is required for appointment to this post

The City of Doncaster Council is a confident, ambitious organisation which puts improving the life of its residents at the centre of everything we do. You have a opportunity to be part of this in the role of Adoption Panel Adviser.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join One Adoption South Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) as an Adoption Panel Adviser. The post has arisen due to the reconfiguration of panel adviser roles across the South Yorkshire region that cover Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham.

The post holder will predominantly cover the Adoption panels in both Doncaster and Rotherham, whilst on occasion covering panels in Barnsley and Sheffield. You will join a dynamic, creative, confident and forward-thinking management team within the RAA to ensure consistent standards are met in terms of advice to both panels and Agency Decision Maker’s (ADM’s) in both the RAA and each respective local authority.

The person appointed should be a qualified social worker with at least 5 years post qualifying experience preferably with some management experience.

The panel adviser will provide advice to both the ADM of the RAA and to the adoption panels regarding adopter approvals and matches for children as well as local authorities and the Local Authority ADM’s regarding plans and matches for children in their care.

They will also provide advice to the adoption panel in relation to specific cases and more generally in terms of the agency’s policies and procedures, raise any pertinent issues and provide regular updates to panel in relation to any cases it has considered.

The role involves quality assurance of all paperwork submitted to the ADM in respect of plans and matches for children and all paperwork submitted to panel in respect of adopter approvals. This will include liaising with social workers and team managers in respect of that paperwork to quality assure child permanence reports, prospective adopter reports and adoption placement reports. The expectation will be that the panel adviser feeds back to the local authority/Trust in respect of the quality of reports and contribute to the overall planning of the service as well as providing some training for staff in area teams e.g. on the writing of child permanence reports.

They will arrange for the appointment, termination and reviews of all members of the RAA central list to panels and the constitution of panels. The post also includes induction and training of panel members and the overall administration of panels to ensure they run smoothly.

We value a range of experiences and skills. If you have transferable skills from other roles or voluntary work, we encourage you to apply.

In return for your contribution, we offer:

• Competitive leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme
• Wellbeing support and staff networks
• Development and training opportunities
• Staff discounts and benefits schemes
• More information on benefits can be found in the attached benefits booklet.

Please review the job summary and profile and demonstrate in your application how you meet the required criteria.

Shortlisting 19th October and interview 23rd October.

For an informal discussion, please contact: Michael Richardson, Tel: 01302 735477, Email: Michael.Richardson@doncaster.gov.uk

We encourage applicants to use their own words to reflect their experience and skills and over-reliance on AI is discouraged.

The Advance Employment Team offers personalised support to help you take your next step into work. From building your CV and getting the right interview skills to accessing a wide range of free courses, the team will help you grow your skills and confidence and find a job you’ll enjoy. Get in touch by email (advanceemploymenthub@doncaster.gov.uk) or visit the Advance website (www.advancedoncaster.co.uk) to discover the support available.

City of Doncaster Council is committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and improving quality of life for all. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults.

We are a Disability Confident employer and committed to a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We offer interviews to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria and make reasonable adjustments as required.

This post involves working with children and therefore if successful you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service records check at an enhanced level. Further information about the Disclosure Scheme can be found at www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check.