Lorraine Jefferson, Assistant Director

Together with Terry Fitzpatrick she helped to build the adoption service to be consistently awarded the highest rating by inspectors for over 10 years. As the senior practitioner she was an integral part of a team of social workers who achieved national recognition for their timeliness in placing children for adoption and for the number of adopters they approved and matched with children without delay.

Lorraine was a leading practitioner in developing an early permanence scheme similar to the ‘foster to adopt’ initiative. Lorraine is very much a ‘people’ person who strives to ensure the adoption process is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible for those people who wish to adopt children, whilst always maintaining high standards of practice.

Lorraine was instrumental in setting up ARC Adoption and has the role of Assistant Director, maintaining her focus on the needs of children and adopters alike.  She has been instrumental in the on-going success of the agency and continues to be excited at the opportunities that lie ahead and to be sharing this journey with colleagues who hold similar values.

With an encyclopaedic knowledge of the families we have recruited, coupled with an ability to forge really strong professional relationships with children's agencies, Lorraine has enabled this agency to make a difference to children's lives and make ARC one of the biggest providers of placements in the North East region.