Adoption Enquiry Adviser – Chester

Adoption Enquiry Adviser attached to our Chester Office

• We promote flexibility by operating a Hybrid Working Policy with the ability to work remotely as required
• Part Time 28 hours per week, 7 hour days TBC | Fixed Term to cover secondment
• Salary up to £20,783 (equivalent to £25,979 FTE) – depending on experience
• 24 days Holiday (Plus a Long Service Holiday Award after 5 Years) pro-rata and additional public bank holidays.

Do you have excellent literacy, confidentiality and communication skills?

Do you hold knowledge on adoption, fostering or similar experience?

This is an exciting opportunity to join and support an innovative, children’s charity and one of the largest voluntary adoption agencies in the UK. The Adoption Enquiry Adviser roles is within the social work section of the agency.

About us

Adoption Matters is a registered children’s charity and one of the largest voluntary adoption agencies in the UK. We recruit, train, support individuals and families as adopters, offer them ongoing support, and training for as long as they need it. We also provide support to birth families and adopted adults. In 2024, the Adoption Matters family grew as we launched our not-for profit fostering agency Foster Care Matters.

About the role

Undertake duties as required to support the agency in delivering comprehensive adoption service, while adhering to the agency’s policies and procedures.

Your main responsibilities will involve

Our enquiry team are responsible for managing all adoption enquiries and assisting with recruitment of prospective adopters. The post holder will be an integral part of a supportive team, whose focus will be on recruiting individuals and families, supporting them through their early adoption journey and in turn working towards our goal of helping to reduce delays for children in care waiting for adoption.

As the first point of contact for our charity and agency, you will be responsible for ensuring a positive experience and maintaining the existing high-quality customer service offered at the same time as meeting the demands and needs of the agency.

• Receive record and respond to all enquiries to the adoption service.
• Ensure all enquiries are handled in a timely and professional manner, whilst giving full and accurate information.
• Provide information and advice to individuals and families interested in adoption on what is desirable and required to provide homes for children waiting for adoption.
• Ensure all enquirers are sent adoption information packs, booked onto relevant information events, followed up with courtesy calls, emails and other chase methods in line with business processes and timescales set.
• Co-present at our virtual information events to share initial information with enquirers about Adoption Matters and the adoption process.
• Implement a diary and schedule system to ensure timely follow up of enquirers in the future using internal IT system.
• Keeping accurate records of all enquirer contact via our CHARMS database.
• Liaise with marketing to ensure website and communications are kept up to date with all recruitment event activity.
• Assist in meeting the overall recruitment targets and key performance indicators for the agency.

Are you the right person for the role?

• We’re looking for someone with excellent customer service and interpersonal skills to drive and deliver, striving to promote our ethos and values whilst ensuring the child is the centre of all we do.
• You will need to have the drive to work on your own initiative and meet deadlines working closely with many teams in the agency.
• Our values are honesty, empathy, ambition, respect and together; and these will hopefully be aligned with your own.
• An Enhanced DBS check will be required.
• Excellent literacy, grammar, prioritisation, and organisational skills.
• Excellent telephone manner, interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Attention to detail and commitment to a high degree of accuracy.
• IT skills – familiarity with IT packages, especially Microsoft Office, TEAMS and the internet.
• Knowledge of Adoption / children in care – desirable but full training given.
• Knowledge of CRM (customer relationship systems) systems ideally CHARMS – desirable but full training given.
• Demonstrates sound judgment in seeking guidance when necessary.
• The ability to work effectively under pressure and use initiative for problem solving.
• Interacts well with others in a professional and confident manner.

Please refer to the full job description and person specification for further details on the role.

What we offer in return 

• Hybrid Working Policy with the ability to work remotely as required.
• Any additional time worked in excess of normal working hours to facilitate the needs of the agency, may be taken flexibly as time off in lieu.
• Competitive rates of pay.
• Pension scheme.
• Generous holidays. Plus, a paid end-of-year discretional shutdown period (pro-rata to the weekly contacted hours of work) after satisfactory completion of the six-month probationary period.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme, 24/7 well-being support scheme.
• Your development: working across departments you will be an integral part of a supportive team.
• Full training is provided, and the opportunity to make a difference, feel valued and achieve the job satisfaction you’ve always wanted.
• One paid wellbeing hour to be taken monthly.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Our values are honesty, empathy, ambition, respect and together. We encourage applications from all areas of the community. We believe that our organisation should reflect and represent the full richness of human diversity in terms of background, identity, ability and circumstance. As groups of people currently under-represented as Adoption Matters employees, we are particularly keen to receive your application if you are Black, Asian or minority ethnic, have a disability or have personal experience of the care system and/or adoption.

We are open to discussion of any reasonable adjustments or any flexible arrangements you may need to achieve your full potential at any stage of the process, and if you are successful in gaining a position with us, during employment. We promise the only thing we assess within your application is how you have demonstrated your suitability for the job, and nothing else.

What’s next? Follow the instructions below to apply. We can’t wait to hear from you!

How to apply

To apply please download the Job/Candidate Application Pack, which includes the Job Description and the Person Specification, before completing the application form and returning it via email or post along with a copy of your CV.

Email: recruitment@adoptionmatters.org

Post: FAO HR Department, Adoption Matters, 14 Liverpool Road, Chester, CH2 1AE.

• Adoption Matters Adoption Enquiry Adviser Job Description
• Adoption Matters Adoption Enquiry Adviser Person Specification
• Adoption Matters Adoption Enquiry Adviser Application Form

As this is a bespoke support role, if you would like an informal discussion about the roles main tasks then please contact us via the above recruitment email address.

Early application is encouraged as we review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

Closing date: 09:00am, Monday 1^st December 2025

Interview date: Friday 5^th December 2025

Interview venue: Adoption Matters Chester office, 14 Liverpool Road, Chester, CH2 1AE.

If you require any more information on this role please contact our HR team on Tel: 01244 390 938.

Adoption Matters is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people therefore please note our recruitment procedure includes DBS checks and other relevant employment checks, including the right to work in the UK.

Anyone joining the Adoption Matters team is subject to safer recruitment pre-appointment checks.

Please refer to our Safeguarding Policy.

Please note that we only contact candidates selected for interview and we are unable to provide feedback on individual applications.