• Who are we?
• What are our values?
• What do we do?
• How do we relate to other teams?

The Worcestershire Children's Services County Adoption Team was established in December 2001 when the Directorate's Family Placement Services were restructured. We are a team of Specialist Adoption Social Workers within Children's Services in Worcestershire. The Team is split into North and South bases, located in Bromsgrove and Pershore respectively.

Who are we?
In the County Team there are two Team Managers, one Senior Practitioner, 8.5 (full time equivalent) Social Workers and administrative support staff. Within the team, there are workers with special responsibility for post adoption services (including 'Letter Box'), inter-county adoption and family resources for disabled children.

Both bases cover the full range of adoption services.

Members of the team all have extensive experience of work with children and families in a variety of settings. Currently men and people from ethnic minorities are under represented in the team.

What are our values?

• we believe in a child's right to a family life and permanence
• we respect confidentiality
• we value difference and diversity and where appropriate will consult with professionals from elsewhere
• we are sensitive to our unequal partnership with service users
• within our working relationships, we try to encourage an atmosphere of openness and mutual respect.

What do we do?
We provide a service open to everyone connected with adoption, recognising that this is a life-long experience. Within this, our priority is to meet the needs of children affected by adoption.

Our main tasks are:-

• assessment of prospective adopters
• pre and post adoption training for adoptive parents
• adoption co-working and family finding for children
• some direct work with children in preparation for adoptive placements
• court work
• preparing and presenting reports to the County Adoption Panel
• counselling of adopted adults
• support to adoptive families, in co-ordination with Children and Families Teams
• providing a duty service on adoptive issues, giving information, or advising on other sources of help
• post adoption support to adoptive families, adopted adults and birth relatives
• counselling and advice to birth families before and after adoption
• advice and assessment in step-parent adoption cases.

How do we relate to other teams

• once families have contacted the County Adoption and Fostering Recruitment and Training Team, this team co-facilitates preparation courses. We will then undertake the family's homestudy assessment and present the necessary reports to the Adoption Panel
• our work with children and families teams has recently been redefined by the new National Adoption Standards. Through co-working with our colleagues, we now work together at the earlier stages in planning for permanency for a child
• we work closely with our specialist fostering colleagues in both bases to ensure children's needs are fully met by the whole family placement service.

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Get in touch with our Contact Centre:
Call: 0845 607 2000  or  Email: socialcare@worcestershire.gov.uk
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