Advanced Social Work Practitioner (Children Looked After Service)

Lambeth Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Lambeth Council in London is seeking an experienced Advanced Practitioner for the Children Looked After (CLA) service. The role requires a recognised social work qualification and SWE registration.

Hybrid working with office attendance required. You will lead in the Team Manager's absence, facilitate group supervisions, and provide guidance on complex, high-risk cases while supporting ongoing professional development and innovative practice within the team.

Qualifications

• Recognised social work qualification and SWE registration.
• Experience with Children Looked After (CLA) services.
• Familiar with Signs of Safety practice model.
• Ability to lead supervision and mentor junior staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead group supervisions and provide clear guidance on cases.
• Step in for the Team Manager in their absence and manage duties.
• Offer practical advice on complex, high-risk cases.
• Support high-quality care planning and positive outcomes for looked-after children.

Skills

Signs of Safety

Trauma-informed practice

Communication skills

Microsoft Copilot

Education

Recognised social work qualification

SWE registration

Tools

Microsoft Copilot

Job description

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Advanced Practitioner to join our Children Looked After (CLA) Service team. The ideal candidate will hold a recognised social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England (SWE).

Advanced Practitioner (Children Looked After)

P05: £52,674 pa rising in annual increments to £55,710 pa incl. LW

Permanent / Full-Time/ Hybrid Working

About The CLA Service

The Children Looked After (CLA) service provides support to children, young people, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) aged 0-16 who are in care. Our service is structured across four teams, each consisting of a Team Manager, Advanced Practitioner, Social Workers, and Personal Advisors (UASC team only).

Our core aim in the CLA service is to ensure that the children and young people we work with are supported to achieve the best possible outcomes. As an Advanced Practitioner, you will support your team in delivering high-quality care planning and promoting the highest standard of social work. You will also be responsible for developing innovative and creative strategies to ensure that children in care are supported to develop their independence and achieve outstanding outcomes.

About The Role

We are looking for a dedicated and proactive professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will be able to prioritise effectively, identifying urgent tasks and actions to ensure that all work is completed within tight timescales. You will be highly organized, able to manage your own workload with minimal supervision, and have strong initiative to act where needed.

You will support your Team Manager and confidently take the lead in their absence. You will facilitate group supervisions, provide clear guidance, and offer practical, well-informed advice on complex, high-risk cases.

About You

• Lambeth adopts a Signs of Safety approach, and the successful candidate will be familiar with this practice model. They should feel confident supporting colleagues and facilitating group discussions using this framework.
• A deep understanding of the developmental stages of children and the impact of trauma, neglect and abuse.
• Proficiency in child protection legislation and statutory guidance, including the Children Act 1989 and 2004.
• The ability to build trust and rapport with children, young people and parents, encouraging openness and honest dialogue.
• Resilience to deal with the demands of a fast-paced environment and quick turnaround of work.
• Creative problem-solving skills to find innovative solutions for challenging situations, ensuring the best possible outcomes for children and families.
• Experience in providing guidance and supervision to less experienced colleagues, supporting their development.
• A drive for improving practice and performance in the team and modelling best practice.
• A commitment to ongoing professional development, staying up to date with the latest research, policies, and best practices in children’s service
• The candidate should also be familiar with utilising Microsoft Copilot to enhance productivity.
• Able to work from the office at least two days per week and fully available during the designated duty week, which occurs once a month.

About Us

It is an exciting time to join Lambeth Council, we have bold ambitions for the future of Lambeth’s communities and residents through our Lambeth 2030 Plan ‘Our Future, Our Lambeth’. To deliver on these ambitions, we have embarked our transformational One Lambeth Programme ensuring we are ‘connected by purpose’, in everything we do to deliver excellence. We are proud to have recently developed a refreshed set of One Lambeth Values and Behaviours that were developed for staff by staff; Equity, Ambition, Kindness, and Accountability. For more information, please have a look at our dedicated One Lambeth Values and Behaviours page.

About The Borough

Located in the heart of South London, Lambeth Borough is a vibrant community of over 317,600 residents. Stretching from the dynamic neighbourhood of Streatham in the South to the iconic landmarks of Waterloo in the North, we are proud to be the 9th largest borough in London. Our diversity is our strength, with more than 130 languages spoken, making Lambeth the home of the Windrush generation, London's largest LGBTQ+ community, and a thriving Portuguese-speaking community.

It is an exciting time to join Lambeth Council, we have bold ambitions for the future of Lambeth’s communities and residents through our Lambeth 2030 Plan ‘Our