Advanced Practitioner – Family Help South
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.
We are looking for an inspirational leader to sit across our Family Help South Service as a Social Work qualified Advanced Practitioner. We are seeking a skilled and reflective practitioner who is creative and can work with young people and their families in an innovative way to ensure they receive the right help at the right time.
You will work in a diversified team including advanced practitioners, social workers, and family practitioners. As an Advanced Practitioner, you will not only hold a caseload but will also be required to deputise for the team manager. We are therefore looking for someone who is confident, dynamic, and experienced to help lead our efforts in working with and supporting young people and their families. The teams across the service include Family Help Teams 1–5, a Family Wellbeing Team, Children With Disabilities Team 2, and Occupational Health.
Within Family Help South, the Family Wellbeing Team aims to improve the safety and wellbeing of children affected by the drug and alcohol use of their parents and carers, through providing earlier and easier access to substance misuse and mental health support — diverting families from traditional Child Protection processes. Key responsibilities include:
- Deputising for the team manager and providing leadership and support to a team of social workers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services
- Supporting the team manager to monitor performance, identifying areas for improvement and implementing necessary changes
- Working directly with children and families under CIN, CP, and/or legal frameworks
- Providing line supervision for ASYE social workers and senior family practitioners, offering guidance and support in complex cases
- Closer working with the family network during the assessment and safety planning process
The role is primarily based at Laurence House, Catford, London, SE6 4RU. A hybrid working approach is in operation, requiring regular time both in the office and working from home. Please note that weekend working is required for this role.
About you
We are looking for inspirational, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic practitioners who have the experience and confidence to work with young people and their families in a frontline safeguarding environment. The ideal candidate will be a confident and dynamic leader, able to support and mentor colleagues whilst holding their own complex caseload.
The ideal candidate will:
- Hold a relevant Social Work qualification (essential)
- Have a minimum of three years’ post-qualifying Social Work practice experience managing a frontline safeguarding caseload
- Have experience of working with parents who have complex needs where there is a risk of significant harm to their children
- Have experience of completing parenting assessments, or other assessments of parents regarding the safety and wellbeing of children for use in the Family Proceedings Court
- Have experience of using the Signs of Safety practice framework to structure assessments and interventions with families
- Have experience of completing family network meetings to achieve the safety and wellbeing of children
- Have experience of giving evidence in the Family Proceedings Court
Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact the lead contact on this advert. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
About Lewisham
Welcome to Lewisham – a vibrant and culturally diverse borough that is bursting with fantastic things to see and do. As a truly international borough with over 170 languages spoken in our homes and businesses, a thriving cultural scene, and a treasure trove of indie shops, bustling markets and more, it’s a great place to start and build a career.
Social work in Lewisham is changing and we have set out our vision and values for how we practice. In Lewisham Children’s Social Care (CSC), we know what good social work looks like and we are passionate about creating the right conditions and culture for good practice to thrive.
Our social workers benefit from working in small, supportive teams with caseloads on average between 15-20 children. Our ‘Signs of Safety’ 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 PSW and workforce team supports professional development across the service so that you will;
be supported through our comprehensive learning and development offer, which includes subscriptions to ‘Research in Practice’ and ‘Making Research Count’.
receive regular supervision and appraisal.
have 1-1 practice development coaching as a case holding practitioner, and professional development coaching as a manager.
have access to regular ‘Signs of Safety’ training and the opportunity to become a practice leader through attending our bespoke practice leader course.
have access to external leadership development opportunities such as Pathways and the Black and Asian Leadership Initiative (BALI).
have a clearly defined career progression pathway with opportunities for professional development at all levels.
We have a strong working relationship with Goldsmiths, University of London as part of the South East London Teaching Partnership so our practitioners have the opportunity to teach on social work courses as teaching consultants. We host ‘Step Up’, ‘Frontline’ and traditional route students and social workers have the opportunity to become practice educators.
Core CSC Staff Benefits include:
We have been awarded the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard – a benchmark for high employment standards. We are also one of the first London Councils to be accredited a London Living Wage employer and are a Disability Confident employer as well as a Timewise accredited Flex positive employer. We offer a 35-hour working week, and:
The opportunity to work in a thriving, diverse and developing inner London borough with a stable management team, manageable caseloads and a workforce group committed to promoting your development and emotional wellbeing
Generous salary for social workers at all levels
Generous holiday entitlement – starting at 27 days a year(pluspublic holidays)rising to 32 and 35 days after 5- and 10-years’ continued service.
Oyster card access for travelling in and around London for work and we are exploring initiatives, including Zip cars
Flexible working policies and a variety of hybrid, and flexible working options – we know how important this is to you
Smarter Working with new modern technology and training to support this
Career average pension scheme
Family friendly policiesincluding maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and special leave for emergencies.
Variety of support schemes including key worker housing, tax-free childcare scheme, access to Civil Service Sports Club which offers financial discounts and savings on days out and entertainment. KAARP activities and entertainment discounts. We offer a shop local discount scheme, volunteering leave, long service awards, membership of the Crownsavers Credit Union and access to Payroll Giving.
Health and Wellbeing support includes a staff support hub and 24/7 employee assistance programme which incorporates mental health support, counselling services and access to the PAM Assist health and wellbeing app.
We have signed the Menopause Pledge and offer gender specific and gender-neutral health and wellbeing support with access to financial advice. We offer discounted gym and leisure centre membership including free lunch time swimming; interest free loans for season tickets, nursery childcare, and bikes, a “try before you buy” bike scheme and cycle training, smoking cessation, free eye tests and money towards glasses.
Active Employee Groups including the Black and Multicultural Forum, Anti-racist Network Group, LGBTQ+ Forum, Disabled Staff Forum, Climate Emergency Staff Forum, Trade Union Memberships, and a staff-led Change Network
Staff tell us they feel valued and enjoy working in Lewisham and are well supported by their managers with regular reflective supervision and good access to training.
“Lewisham has so much to offer any social worker. I feel supported, respected and valued every step of the way”
Lewisham Social Worker
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