Letterbox Officer

Letterbox Officer
Southwark
22/hr

Part time role: 21/hr a week
Start date: ASAP

Akton recruitment is working closely with the local suthortires and we are looking for an Letterbox Officer in the Southwark area. The role is a part time position 21/hrs a week.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

• To act as a Letterbox Lead and work as a Letterbox Officer in the South London Regional Adoption Agency (RAA.) (The adoption services for the 10 South London Boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark Sutton, Wandsworth and Achieving for Children, the Voluntary Adoption Agency delivering adoption services on behalf of Richmond and Kingston and Greenwich).
• The post holder will organise and maintain the contact service functions for the children, birth families and adopters in their contact arrangements, identifying needs and providing appropriate support and advice. Provide key administrative support across designated practice group that ensures timely and appropriate interventions with children and their families.
• The post holder will provide a social work service which is both relationship-based and responds in a timely manner within statutory guidelines.
• The post holder will work collaboratively with the team, supporting the development of best practice and confident practitioners through coaching and mentoring of students, newly qualified social workers and less experienced practitioners. The post holder may hold line management responsibilities depending on the business requirements and number of individuals in their team.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
Responsibilities
1. To support the letterbox service for ALS.
2. To organise and arrange indirect contact as agreed in Adoption Support Plans.
3. To create and maintain an up to date database of letterbox contact to ensure that letters are
received and sent at appropriate times per the Adoption Support Plan.
4. To keep appropriate records and tracking.
PURPOSE OF THE JOB
1. To work with other Letterbox Officers across ALS with transparency
3. To create and maintain an up to date database of letterbox contact to ensure that letters are received and sent at appropriate times per the Adoption Support Plan.
4. To keep records and statistics for performance measures
5. To be aware and have the skills to understand appropriate language in letters, gifts and photos in indirect contact.
6. To assist the Letterbox Lead in organising and supporting training of the adopters and birth families about the types of appropriate contact.
8. The ability redact sensitive information and discuss appropriate letterbox content with adopters and birth families.
Knowledge, including educational qualifications:
1. Knowledge regarding the types of contact in post adoption and appropriate letterbox content and expectations.
2. Understanding about safeguarding practices in relation to post adoption contact
3. Awareness of, and sensitivity to, the needs of vulnerable children and their families
4. Understanding of the role and responsibilities of the Children's services function

Experience:
5. Drafting correspondence and writing reports for a range of different audiences
6. Working with word processing packages at a speed commensurate with the responsibilities of the role
7. Proven ability to utilise technology effectively, in particular excel and with case management systems to analyse and
produce quality data,
8. Ability to manage competing demands, work methodically, think systematically and achieve targets.