Job Description

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

We are looking for a Social Worker to join our innovative Families First Contact Point (FFCP). They will play a crucial role in our multi-disciplinary team, making critical decisions about the right help and support for children and families using the Lewisham Family Help Continuum of Need. This role involves undertaking comprehensive assessments and working with families to determine whether they require statutory intervention or can be supported through community-based resources.

What’s the role?

FFCP is designed to make informed decisions about whether children and families need statutory help or intervention or whether their needs can be met or can be supported through community-based resources.

As a Social Worker, you will be part of a co-located multi-disciplinary team. The service is committed to reducing duplication and hand-offs for families, providing a relationship-based and strengths-based response to partners, families, carers and the public.

You will undertake screening of all contacts using our RAG rating system, complete triage work involving information gathering and MASH checks, visit families to complete Family Help assessments and coordinating support. The role requires excellent skills in engaging with diverse families, conducting comprehensive assessments, and making sound professional judgements about risk and need.

Lewisham was chosen to be a DfE Pathfinder authority to test social care reforms, and FFCP represents our commitment to innovative practice that puts families at the centre of decision-making whilst ensuring children receive appropriate support and protection.

We are committed to using relational and strength-based approaches, recognising that this works best for children and families. We aim to be Trauma Informed, Anti-Racist and use Restorative and Signs of Safety approaches to deliver interventions to children and their families

The ideal candidate should have excellent skills in engaging with diverse families, technical knowledge of children in need of help and protection, and children looked after. They must have experience in conducting comprehensive assessments, excellent report writing skills, and the ability to assess risk and develop effective multi-agency intervention plans. Knowledge of the Family Help Continuum of Need and experience of working in contact/assessment services would be advantageous.

About You

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Social Worker to join FFCP. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in social work, with a proven track record of providing high-quality support and services to individuals and families. You will be passionate about making a positive impact in the community and possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Key Qualifications and Experience

• A degree in Social Work or a related field.
• Post qualifying experience in social work.
• Experience working in Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) and conducting comprehensive assessments.
• Strong understanding of social work principles, practices, and ethics.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Strong organisational and time management abilities.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team.
• Commitment to continuous professional development and learning.

Personal Attributes:

• Empathetic and compassionate, with a genuine desire to help others.
• Resilient and able to handle challenging situations with professionalism.
• Adaptable and open to new ideas and approaches.
• Recognise the importance of effective communication and actively seek feedback.
• Exhibit professional curiosity and value thoughtful, balanced decision-making.
• Collaborate inclusively and work with others in a strengths-based manner.
• Take responsibility and contribute positively by focusing on solutions.

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.

• Families are respected and supported to stay together, whenever there is safety.
• Families will tell us they understand why we are involved.
• Children will tell us their social worker has made a difference to their lives.
• Children who are in our care know we care, and we won’t give up on them.
• Young people who have been in our care feel confident about their future.

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:

• Staff talk positively about their manageable caseloads, regular supervision, team meetings and access to a range of training, including the social work model of practice.
• Senior leaders demonstrate a clear focus on hearing the voices of children to develop and improve services.
• Leaders know the service well. They have a clear understanding of areas for development that are being appropriately addressed.

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.

• The Executive Director for Children and Young People and his team are credited for driving these improvements, with particular focus on enhancing workforce stability, early help services, and partnerships with stakeholders.
• Noteworthy practices include creative life-story work and culturally sensitive social work approaches, crucial in a diverse borough like Lewisham.
• The Council's anti-racist practice network and safe space platform also garnered praise for supporting staff from black and global majority backgrounds.
• Overall, the report highlights a commendable commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people in Lewisham.

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;

• You will be supported through our comprehensive learning and development offer, which includes subscription to ‘Research in Practice’.
• You will receive regular supervision and appraisal.
• You will have 1-1 practice development coaching as a case holder, and professional development coaching as a manager.
• You will have access to regular Signs of Safety training
• You will have access to external leadership development opportunities such as the Black and Asian Leadership Initiative (BALI).
• You will have a clearly defined career progression pathway with opportunities for professional development at all levels.
• There will be opportunities to become a practice educator and work with students and newly qualified social workers.

What we’re 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:

• value the importance of communication and seeking feedback
• can inspire and motivate those they work with, manage and lead
• are committed to developing their skills and expertise to deliver an excellent service
• are professionally curious and value thinking slowly and calmly in a balanced way
• work inclusively, collaboratively with others recognising their strengths
• take responsibility and make a positive contribution by focusing on solutions
• are transparent, are appreciative in enquiry, reflect and learn.

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:

• Generous leave entitlement
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

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.

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 LewishamWorks@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

• The post holder must have a social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England
• The job is subject to a DBS check (Enhanced)
• For an informal discussion about this job, please contact pathfinder@lewisham.gov.uk

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

£45,852 - £47,925 per annum (SW / SCP 31-33)

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.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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