Joanne Alper

Experience

• 

  Bedfordshire County Council

  Jul 1991 - Apr 1994

  generic child care social worker social worker covering, mental health, disability and 65plus

  • Social Worker

    Aug 1993 - Apr 1994

  • Social Worker

    Jul 1991 - Aug 1993
• 

  Bedford Borough Council

  Apr 1994 - Apr 1997

  Social Worker

  Child protection social worker undertaking joint investigations of child abuse alongside Bedfordshire police

• 

  Luton Borough Council

  Apr 1997 - Apr 2003

  Looked After Children's team. Senior supervising social worker in a generic child care team

  • Team Manager

    Jan 2000 - Apr 2003

  • Senior Social Worker

    Apr 1997 - Jan 2000
• 

  Fosterplus - UK

  Apr 2003 - Aug 2006

  Service Manager

  Fostering manager. During this period I also set up Adoptionplus as a registered Adoption Support Agency.

• 

  Adoptionplus

  Aug 2006 - now

  I am committed to relationship based models of social work, promoting non shaming pro learning organisational cultures and developing effective and innovative services for children and families.I was instrumental in the setting up of Adoptionplus as a VAA, rated Outstanding by OFSTED for over 10 years. The agency provides trauma and attachment informed therapeutic adoption placement services for children who have experienced significant abuse. I developed this pioneering approach as I believe in the need to take a longer term therapeutic perspective for young people who have a history of maltreatment. The organisation also provides a range of therapeutic and training services. I have led on 3 successful Government Innovation grants and additionally designed and implemented pioneering new partnership services within many local authorities and RAAs around the UK. I am the author of 7 books, editor of 2 and have contributed to numerous journals, chapters and research articles. I have held the position of Trustee on the CVAA Board and sat as a specialist adviser on the NICE committee for Quality Standards in Attachment. Show less

  • Director

    Jun 2019 - now

  • Director of Services

    Aug 2006 - Jun 2019