Adoption Practice and Development Manager

Job title: Adoption Practice and Development Manager
Salary: PO6 £53,051 - £56,293
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: Hybrid working arrangement

About the role

Adoption England is a collaboration of Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) working together, supported by a central national team hosted by Leeds City Council. Our mission is to strengthen adoption practice and develop support and services that better meet the needs of children, adopted people and families.

We are now recruiting an Adoption Practice and Development Manager to play a key role in supporting the delivery and implementation of national practice improvement projects across England. You will work closely with the Adoption Practice Lead, project managers, workstream leads, and regional and voluntary adoption agencies to ensure that agreed improvements are effectively embedded into practice.

You will coordinate and manage improvement activity, develop national implementation plans, and support agencies to translate change into day-to-day practice. This will include working with local leaders and staff to analyse current practice, identify gaps and help deliver sustainable improvements.

About you

You will be a qualified social worker, registered with Social Work England, with strong knowledge of adoption practice, legislation and the lived experiences of adopted people and families. You understand the importance of modernising adoption and bring a thoughtful, compassionate approach to the complexities for adopted children, the adults they become, and their families affected by adoption.

You will bring significant experience of managing and delivering projects, particularly those involving practice and cultural change, and be confident in supporting implementation across complex systems. You are highly organised and able to manage competing priorities, work to tight deadlines and adapt to changing circumstances. You are skilled in building effective working relationships and influencing across a wide range of partners and stakeholders.

You demonstrate strong leadership behaviours, including the ability to support and lead change, and are committed to continuous improvement and inclusive, anti-discriminatory practice.

If you are motivated by improving outcomes for adopted people, passionate about embedding change in practice and confident working collaboratively in a national role, we would love to hear from you.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions

Post holders will work flexibly both at home and will be available to attend an in person meeting approximately once a month in Leeds and be able to attend in person meetings at other events/conferences across the country as required.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates who identify as Black, Asian or from an ethnic minority background, and those from the LGBTQ+ community, as these groups are underrepresented in our adoption workforce.

This role is available on a secondment basis, and you will need your manager's agreement to apply on this basis.

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Sarah Johal on sarah.johal@adoptionengland.co.uk

Interviews: Monday 2nd November 2026

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children's or Adults' barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Purpose

Support the adoption agencies across England to operationalise Adoption England's development projects and integrate them into the social work practice. Working with the agency leaders and local champions to implement and embed the recommended changes and to achieve better practices regionally and nationally.

Responsibilities

• Co-ordinate and manage the implementation of practice improvement projects across England working with the Adoption Practice Lead and the central team, the workstream lead and the regional and voluntary adoption agencies to support change in culture and practice.
• Work with Adoption England Team, the practice lead and other managers and the workstream lead to create clear description of the practice change and an effective communications plan. Create clear KPIs to track the success of the implementation and a plan to act if the KPIs are not met.
• Create a national implementation plan which plots out the steps to implement the new process across all agencies in England.
• Work in partnership with the local leaders and champions using the national implementation plan, develop realistic local implementation plan, including analysing current local practice, gaps with the proposed new practice and a plan to bridge the gaps.
• Provide support to local leaders and champions to prepare for change, to mobilise the plan and to manage risks during the process.
• In partnership with Adoption England and the agencies commission or develop national training courses and materials to target all stakeholders.
• Support local champions to tailor the national training to meet the different local needs.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with adoption agency leaders and staff at all levels, external agencies and organisations, and other key stakeholders and involve stakeholders and partner agencies in change and improvement
• Chair, lead and manage meetings, including working groups, as required.
• Prepare reports and presentations and documents and to deliver these in ways that meet the needs of different audiences.
• Analyse complex data and situations and make considered, evidence-based decisions.
• Identify resources needed to deliver projects and skills to effectively manage those resources.
• Provide appropriate professional advice at a senior management level using data and evidence.
• Work with people and develop productive working relationships that command respect, trust and confidence across different teams and organisations.
• Make effective decisions and judgements commensurate with the role.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications Qualified Social Worker with Registration with Social Work England upon commencement of the post and maintain registration with evidence of ongoing professional development and with extensive knowledge of maintaining relationships and connections after adoption.

Essential requirementsCandidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

• Able to and substantial experience of leading and managing projects involving cultural change around people, processes, budgets and technology.
• Able to and experience of working effectively as part of a team and demonstrating organisational and time management skills prioritising own and team's work to meet conflicting deadlines
• Able to and experience of developing constructive working relationships and working in partnership
• Able to gather a wide range of information and accurately enter and retrieve data and information from digital and manual systems preparing and presenting reports and data to a wide range of audiences
• Able to and substantial experience of communicating appropriately and effectively with a wide range of people including internal and external partners, customers and members of the public, through a variety of different methods, influencing views and behaviour.
• Able to use and experience of using initiative to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of service objectives and adapting to changing circumstances
• Able to demonstrate leadership qualities including the ability to promote and manage change.
• Able to manage financial procedures and make recommendations on budget management and financial planning and contribute to the setting of budgets
• Proven skills and knowledge of project management cycles and strong skills in operationalising new initiatives and implementing and embedding them into practice.
• In-depth understanding of adoption and or local authority children's services.
• Knowledge of relevant financial regulations to carry out financial transactions
• Knowledge and understanding of diversity issues within local communities.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance, policies with ability to interpret and apply them consistently.
• Understand responsibilities in terms of Health, Safety, Wellbeing, security, confidentiality and data protection

Behavioural and other Characteristics required

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee's responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all, working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.