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CEO
Adoption Agency

Candidate Information Pack

March 2018

CEO – Families for Children

March 2018
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Contents

About FFC Page 3

Our Services Page 5
Our Team Page 6
Our Patrons Page 7
Locations Page 8
Job Description Page 9
Person Specification Page 11
Recruitment Process Page 13

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About FFC

Families for Children Trust is a Specialist Adoption Agency and charitable trust based
in the South West.

At Families for Children we believe that the best place for a child to grow is with their
birth families. However, where this is not possible we endeavour to find new adoptive
families who can offer them a stable and loving home.

The Children

The children we place are from all over the UK and we find new adoptive families for
them in Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and Somerset. All of the children we
place are vulnerable and many have complex extra needs, resulting from early
childhood traumatic experiences, including abuse, neglect or lots of changes and
moves in their lives.

We place children of all ages, sibling groups, children with disabilities, and children
from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities.

We are a specialist adoption agency providing advice and support for those who are
considering adoption and also offer our ‘forever’ policy of support. This means that
we can offer post adoption support to the child and new family for as long as they
need us.

Our services include:

• Recruiting, preparing and assessing potential adoptive parents
• Provision of post adoption support
• Adult Adoptee Counselling for adoptees seeking information about their birth
families
• Independent Birth Relative Service for parents of children being placed for
adoption by the Bournemouth and Poole Local Authorities

All our services are free of charge. The work of Families for Children is part funded
by Local Authority fees paid for placements made by us for children in their care.
Other monies received are from grant making trusts and donations from individuals
and companies who are involved with the charity on a number of levels. As a result,
we are able to offer a lifetime of support to our families.

Families for Children has placed over 500 children in the last 20 years with new
adoptive families in the South West and at any one time can be supporting over 40
families.

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Our History

Families for Children existed for many years as a joint venture operated by the Exeter
Diocesan Board for Christian Care and the Plymouth Diocesan Catholic Children’s
Society. In 2003 the agency became a separate charity in its own right.

We hold adoption files from 1948 for the Society which was then known as the
Plymouth Diocesan Children’s Rescue Society and from 1954 for the Exeter Diocesan
Board for Christian Care.

Although we are a Christian agency we are pleased to welcome enquiries from other
faiths and cultures and as a Christian organisation concerned with the welfare of
children, parents and families, our attitudes and practices are shaped by Christian
values and we therefore aim to uphold the importance of love, family life and the
dignity of each individual.

Our Head Office is situated in the grounds of the historical Buckfast Abbey.

Buckfast Abbey

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Our Service

At Families for Children we are committed to providing long term adoption support
for all our families should they need us. We know the many challenges that our
families face throughout their lives.

We offer help for families, young people, children and birth children of adoptive
parents to ensure the best possible outcomes.

This involves individualised work with children and young people, parents and carers,
in addition to the Adult Adoption and Birth Relative Counselling services.

Our adoption support service is staffed by experienced social workers who are able
to offer specialist support. We offer a creative and flexible service which can adapt
to the needs of a family. We offer insight and understanding into the unique
challenges that adopted children may present and aim to support parents to develop
the skills that they need to ensure that these special children have the best
experience of family life that they can.

Our range of services include:

➢ Rapid Response Service
➢ Life Story Work
➢ Education
➢ Accessing Services/Referrals
➢ Family Support Services
➢ Sensory Processing Clinic
➢ Adult Adoptee Counselling/Tracing Service
➢ Mediation work between adult Adoptees and Birth Relatives

In January 2015 FFC received a full OFSTED

inspection and achieved Outstanding in all areas.

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Our Team

The FFC Team consists of:

Senior Leadership Team

➢ CEO – Caroline Davis

Other roles and responsibilities: Agency Decision Maker and Responsible Individual
➢ Head of Operations – Jakki Parsons
Other roles and responsibilities: Registered Manager
➢ Head of Business – Nigel Backhouse

The Team

➢ 4 Social Work Managers

➢ 20 Social Workers
➢ 7 Support Workers
➢ 12 Administration, Fundraising and Marketing

Trustees
➢ 10 Trustees
The trustees include: business development consultant, 2 experienced social
work managers, a finance expert, a barrister, a retired chief executive of a
children’s charity, a teacher, an accountant, a Canon of the Church of
England and an adoption campaigner.

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Our Patrons

Michael Caines MBE

“Families for Children is a charity close to my heart as

I myself am adopted and have benefited from growing
up in a loving family. Adoption does work and gives a
huge amount of benefit for the adoptee and parent
alike. Families for Children is a brilliant charity. I do
believe in adoption and Families for Children need
support for funding - not just for adoptions but also
for after care. The backgrounds of children being
adopted now are different. These children have real
issues and need support and care to make sure they
don’t fall through the net. FFC support the wellbeing
of the parent and the child. Together they teach the
capacity to love and the good side of human nature
through family life and help the children to grow up
and be in a better place.”

Michael Caines is one of Britain's most acclaimed chefs. AA Chef's Chef of the Year
in 2007 and awarded MBE in 2006 for services to the hospitality industry, Michael
was previously Executive Chef at Gidleigh Park, the prestigious country house hotel
on the edge of Dartmoor at Chagford, Devon, where he has earned his reputation -
as well as two Michelin stars - serving distinctive modern European cuisine utilising
the finest local and regional produce and ingredients. He is currently working on his
own restaurants in Lympstone and Wales.

Vice Patron – Judi Spiers

Judi Spiers is a true 'Devon Maid' who
returned to her home ground after
spending several years with BBC Radio
2. A highly experienced and respected
broadcaster and interviewer

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Our Locations

Our head office is based at Buckfast in Devon where we have ample parking, private
meeting rooms and available conference facilities. We also have an office in
Dorchester will similar support facilities and local team of social workers and support
staff.

We also have a sub-office base in Filleigh, along with home workers that are based
in Exeter, Cornwall and Somerset.

DEVON HEAD OFFICE NORTH DEVON OFFICE DORSET OFFICE

Higher Mill The Garden Flat Unit 11
Buckfast Castle Hill Estate Herringston Barn
Buckfastleigh Filleigh Dorchester
Devon Devon Dorset
TQ11 0EE EX32 0RQ DT2 9PU

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Job Description

Job Title Chief Executive Officer

Responsible to The Chair and Members of the Board of Trustees
Salary up to £65,000
Location Buckfast, Devon

Summary

Responsible for the strategic overview and management of Families for Children
Adoption Agency.

To include: Strategic, policy, personnel and budgetary control, leadership and

planning for future developments of services, fund-raising/income generation,
marketing, liaison with local authorities, voluntary organisations, relevant
Government departments and agencies.

Main Responsibilities

➢ Lead and manage the Leadership Team consisting of the Head of Operations
and the Head of Business.
➢ Manage the Marketing and Fundraising services of the Agency.
➢ Provide strategic leadership based on sound
professional and managerial principles,
consistent with Agency values and statutory
requirements, ensuring that the purposes
and objectives of FFC are met and that the
long-term sustainability and financial
viability of the organisation is maintained.
➢ Advise the Trustees on the formulation and
implementation of plans, programmes and
policies, to keep the agency abreast of
current developments in professional
practice, legislation and service
opportunities and national and local
challenges.
➢ Ensure that all aspects of the work of FFC
are kept under review through systematic
monitoring and evaluation of key areas of
performance, e.g. finance, HR and social
work practice, and provide regular reports to
the agency sub committees and the Board
of Trustees.

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Job Description

➢ Ensure effective links are maintained and developed with relevant Government
Departments and agencies, local authorities, voluntary organisations and
supporters of FFC and generally promote its work to maintain a high public
profile.
➢ Ensure that FFC maintains fair and effective employment policies and
practices, including in particular the recruitment, retention, training and
development of its staff, in the promotion of its overall objectives.
➢ Ensure the maintenance and good order of the agency’s buildings and their
contents and the safety and well-being of the occupants of the agency’s
premises, consistent with the requirements of current Health and Safety
legislation.
➢ Promote and maintain policies and best practice to ensure that staff,
supporters and service users are enabled to participate meaningfully in the
formulation of policies and practice to meet the changing needs of children
and families.
➢ Undertake such other duties and responsibilities of an equivalent nature as
may be determined from time to time by the Trustees, in consultation with the
post holder.

General Responsibilities

➢ To adhere to at all times the objectives of the Charity’s mission statement and
ethos.
➢ To provide services in accordance with the Charity’s policies and team
objectives to the benefit of all stakeholders (i.e. service users, children,
prospective adopters, adoptive parents, customers, suppliers, staff,
volunteers etc.), using personal skills, experience and knowledge.
➢ To identify and respond to the needs of the Charity’s stakeholders, working in
a flexible manner to meet the needs of the service.
➢ To provide professional expertise in order to maintain and improve the
efficiency and the quality of service of the Charity.
➢ To work in an anti-discriminatory manner in all aspects of the post on behalf
of the Charity and to understand and comply with the Charity’s Equal
Opportunities Policy.
➢ To maintain confidentiality at all times in line with the Charity’s Confidentiality
Policies and Procedures and adhering to confidentiality and data protection
legislation.
➢ To comply at all times with the Charity’s Safeguarding and Health and Safety
Policies and Procedures.
➢ To undertake any other related duties as may be required by the Charity.

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Person
Specification
Essential (E)
Education
Desirable (D)

Degree or equivalent. E

Member of a Professional Body E

SW Qualification D

Business Qualification D

Experience

Strategic and day to day management of finance/budgets (5 years

E
minimum at this level in a social care/similar setting)

Performing at a strategic level in a medium sized organisation E

Proven record of business/strategic work E

Management of change E

Marketing E

Working with a Board of Trustees Governance E

Knowledge

Understanding of charity responsibilities/law E

Adoption/child care/health sector E

Understanding of the social work role E

Safeguarding E

Business/IT E

Skills and Abilities

Highly skilled and experienced manager/leader E

Good motivator and communicator E

Able to work alongside and motivate SMT/SLT E

Leader and motivator E

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Business focused E

Financially aware with sound negotiating skills E

Able to maintain and develop networks within charity and business E

settings

Presentation of reports both written and verbal E

Ability to represent the Agency at local and national level E

Other Relevant Factors

Supportive of the Christian Ethos of the Agency E

Positive outlook and sense of humour E

A professional attitude to work E

Confidential in your work E

Enhanced DBS check E

Flexibility of working hours E

Commitment to equal opportunities and antidiscriminative practice E

Commitment to attend internal/external training sessions and E

meetings

Car driver/owner E

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Recruitment
Process
The recruitment process is outlined below.

Stage 1

Apply for the role by emailing your CV and covering letter to James Moran at
james@hamptonsresourcing.com

Stage 2

Pre-screening calls and face-to-face meeting with James Moran

Stage 3

Phone call with Caroline Davis – CEO of FFC

Stage 4

Shortlisting meeting between James Moran and FFC

Stage 5

Interview Day
This day will include 4 separate interviews:
➢ Professionals Sub-Committee Interview
➢ Business Sub-Committee Interview
➢ Young Persons Interview
➢ Presentation

For informal enquiries please contact

James Moran on:
✉ james@hamptonsresourcing.com
✆ 01926 356546 / 01926 353999

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Higher Mill
Buckfast
Buckfastleigh
Devon
TQ11 0EE
01364 645480
info@familiesforchildren.org.uk

23a Coten End

Warwick
CV34 4NT
01926 353 999
info@hamptonsresourcing.com

CEO – Families for Children

March 2018