Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities! We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.
It's an exciting time to join us - Lewisham is a wave 2 Pathfinder authority and is leading the way on national reforms to social work practice through the Families First for Children programme.
INTRODUCTION
An exciting opportunity is available for a Social Work qualified Advanced Practitioner. We are looking for an inspirational leader for the Children with Complex Needs, Family Help Team who is also a skilled and reflective practitioner who is creative and can work with children and their families in an innovative way to ensure they receive the right help at the right time. We are looking for applicants who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and who have the experience and confidence to work with children with disabilities.
What’s the role?
You will work in a diversified team including advanced practitioner, social workers and family practitioners. As an advanced practitioner in this team you will manage a small caseload, manage Duty, and will also be required to deputise for the team manager. Therefore, we are looking for someone who is confident, dynamic and experienced to help lead our efforts in working with and support children and their families. You will play a crucial role in overseeing and supporting our team of social workers and family practitioners. You will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality services, providing supervision and guidance to team members, and working collaboratively with other professionals and agencies.
Key Responsibilities:
The ideal candidate should possess strong leadership skills and be able to inspire, motivate and support the team. Have excellent technical knowledge and experience of statutory safeguarding practices, for children in need of help and protection and children looked after, in the context of disabilities.
What we’re looking for
What’s in it for you?
Our Vision - What Good Children’s Social Work Looks Like in Lewisham
In Lewisham Children’s Social Care, we know what good social work looks like and we are passionate about creating the right conditions and culture for good practice to thrive.
We have taken a whole system approach to improving our services to children and young people in our borough using Signs of Safety as our practice model. Ofsted recognised the progress we have made noting that:
In January 2024, Ofsted's report lauds significant improvements in our children's services. Praised areas include strong leadership, high-quality support for families and children, and positive outcomes across all criteria.
Why choose Lewisham?
“Lewisham has so much to offer any social worker. I feel supported, respected and valued every step of the way” (Social Worker).
Our social workers benefit from working in small, supportive teams with caseloads on average between 15-20 children. Our Signs of Safety family-led practice framework means we are committed to working in a relationship-based way with children and families, focussing on strengths in the family network to effect change. A positive learning culture which promotes opportunities for reflection and relationship-based practice is important to us. We are committed to developing our practice using reflective practice spaces such as case mapping, thinking spaces and group supervision.
Our permanent and stable senior management team are visible and approachable. Our dedicated workforce team supports professional development across the service so that you will;
What we are looking for
If you want to work in a thriving borough and our social work vision connects with your professional values, then we are interested in hearing from you. We are looking for people to join our team who:
In return, we’ll offer excellent development opportunities, the opportunity to make a real difference to our local community plus a range of benefits including:
Location
The job is primarily based in Laurence House in Catford SE6. There are 2 local train stations 3-5 minutes’ walk from the office, and the train journey from London Bridge is approximately 15 minutes.
There are also numerous bus routes that stop right by the office.
We operate a hybrid approach where you will be required to work both in the office and from home on a regular basis.
Creating an Inclusive Lewisham
A core value of Lewisham Council is to 'draw on the diversity of our communities to create a more inclusive Lewisham'. We believe that freedom from discrimination and equality of opportunity are fundamental rights, and that each person should be valued regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, or age. Social inclusion lies at the heart of everything we do as a Council in our roles as an employer, a provider of services and a community leader.
The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s.
Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.
Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification
Salary
£56,436 - £58,551 per annum (SCP 41 - 43)
N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.
Diversity
Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme; further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply
The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email JobsAndSkills@lewisham.gov.uk and an advisor will be in touch with you.
Your Application
The recruitment process is anonymous, and we don’t accept CV’s.
Applicant handbook- please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.
Special conditions
For an informal discussion about this job, please contact pathfinder@lewisham.gov.uk
The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.
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Lewisham is a vibrant and culturally diverse borough. This reflected in all aspects of daily life, from the response to the pandemic where the community rallied to support our most vulnerable residents, to the 170 languages spoken in our homes, schools and businesses. We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.
As we plan ahead, we are working towards a fairer, greener, healthier and more economically sound future for all in Lewisham. This means continuing our efforts to tackle climate change for generations to come; ensuring that good health and wellbeing is equally accessible to everyone; and safeguarding local jobs and up-skilling residents with tools they need to succeed. Building on the community spirit and activism that has been so prevalent in recent years, we are committed to creating a Future Lewisham we can all have a part in.
