Advanced Practitioner, Corporate Parenting

Lewisham Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Local Government Pension scheme

Flexible working and family friendly

Season ticket and bicycle loans

Staff discounts including subsidised 


Supportive staff networks

Job summary

Lewisham Council in London is seeking an Advanced Practitioner social worker to lead a team handling Children Looked After and Care Proceedings. You will supervise and guide a team of social workers and family practitioners, ensuring high-quality, child-centred services.

The role includes deputising for the team manager and shaping service delivery. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership, statutory safeguarding knowledge, and a track record of improving outcomes for children.

Qualifications

• Social work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Experience leading teams of social workers and family practitioners.
• Experience with Children Looked After and Care Proceedings.
• Ability to supervise staff and deliver high-quality services.

Responsibilities

• Direct work with children in care and those in care proceedings, progressing care plans including adoption.
• Collaborate with other professionals to coordinate support.
• Deputise for the team manager and provide leadership to social workers and practitioners.
• Monitor team performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Line supervise AYSEs, social worker apprentices, and supervisees in complex cases.

Skills

Leadership

Supervision

Safeguarding

Team management

Communication

Education

Social Work qualification

Job description

Job Description

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.

Introduction

An exciting opportunity is available for a social work qualified Advanced Practitioner. This is a unique opportunity for 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 motivated, knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and who have the experience and confidence to work with Children Looked After and Care Proceedings.

What’s the role? …

You will work in a diversified team including advanced practitioners and social workers. This pivotal role offers the opportunity to manage a focused caseload and oversee duty responsibilities, while actively deputising for the team manager.

What’s in it for you?

• Generous holiday allowance
• 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

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who is an experienced practitioner 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. We are looking for a confident, dynamic and forward-thinking practitioner with the expertise and passion to help shape our service and drive positive outcomes for children and their families.

Key Responsibilities

• Work directly with children and families where children are in our care; this includes children and families who are in care proceedings and progressing care plans for children where there care plan is one of permanence; including adoption work
• Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure a coordinated approach to supporting children in our care.
• Deputise for the team manager and provide leadership and support to a team of social workers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services children and young people in our care.
• Support the team manager to monitor the performance of the team, identifying areas for improvement and implementing necessary changes
• Line supervision for AYSEs in their assessed year, social worker apprentices, supervise and mentor team members, offering guidance and support in complex cases.

The ideal candidate should possess strong leadership skills and be able to inspire, motivate and support the team. You will 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 corporate parenting.

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.

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 (Basic/Enhanced)

Salary

£58,299 - £60,486 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 reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.