Main Purpose of the Job:
To work as an expert social worker on the most challenging and complex cases. To model and support others to deliver reflective practice that meets local standards and is congruent with the vision, values, and practice framework, promoting relationships and engagement with children, young people, and families. To support and deputise for the Team Manager, providing supervision, advice, mentoring, and consultation to newly qualified and less experienced social workers. To manage and evaluate the performance of colleagues in line with guidance for Assessed Supported Year in Employment (AYSE) and Council policy. To lead on promoting the continuing professional development of colleagues within the service, including facilitating team practice development and group supervision sessions.
Summary of Responsibilities and Personal Duties:
PERSONAL DUTIES
To undertake casework with the more complex and challenging families that require a high level of social work expertise.To carry a small caseload and jointly allocate with less experienced social workers.
To supervise, support, advise, mentor newly qualified and less experienced staff in Complex/High Risk cases (Between 1 – 3 NQSWs/SWs & students).This will include authorising assessments, plans, and other documents and chairing strategy meetings and discussions.
To support, advise, and mentor social workers to ensure understanding and compliance with legislation, statutory guidance, local procedures, and guidance in relation to safeguarding vulnerable children, looked after children, and permanence planning.
To lead, model, and support others to deliver relationship-based, reflective practice which is congruent with the vision, values, practice framework, bottom lines, and meets the expected practice standards.
To promote effective participation and engagement with children, young people, and families. Leading on seeking feedback in order to learn and deliver good outcomes and supporting social workers to deliver family network meetings and family group conferences.
To work closely with the Principal Social Worker and Quality & Improvement Service to create and promote learning opportunities, promoting training and CPD in the team.
To take a lead role in a specialist area of practice such as domestic abuse, court work.
To lead and facilitate group supervision, case mapping, and practice development sessions within the team/service. To act as practice leaders for Signs of Safety and contribute to the overall implementation plan.
To act as a practice educator or be willing to undertake the PEPS 1 and 2 and to offer student placements in the team.
To promote excellent interagency work by modelling and providing advice and support with partnership working and chairing multi-agency meetings.
To support social workers to write complex reports, including Child Permanence Reports, Child Protection Conference Reports, and court reports.
To deputise for Team Managers when required to do so by the Group Manager and Head of Service.
To support the team manager in improving performance management and quality assurance.
Knowledge:
Aptitude:
Skills:
Experience:
General Education:
(Please note qualifications are an essential requirement and ORIGINAL Certificates only will be accepted; these will be verified before start of appointment).
Join us for exclusive events dedicated to qualified social workers registered with Social Worker England. Discover why Lewisham is the ideal career move in Children’s Social Care.
Please note these events are for qualified social workers registered with Social Worker England. Separate events for students and newly qualified social workers are planned. While we welcome international applications, please be aware that we are currently unable to sponsor work visas, and registration with Social Work England is required.
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 (plus public 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 policies including 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
“Lewisham has so much to offer any social worker. I feel supported, respected and valued every step of the way”
Lewisham Social Worker
If you have any questions about applying for this role, or if you are interested in having an informal discussion about working with us, please contact our Recruitment and Retention Manager, Angela Main at angela.main@lewisham.gov.uk or Sara Taylor, our Principal Social Worker: sara.taylor@lewisham.gov.uk