Consultant Social Worker

London Borough of Bexley; Greater London; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

London Borough of Bexley is seeking an experienced Consultant Social Worker / Practice Educator to lead the adoption of the Signs of Safety model and to support workforce development across Children's Social Care.

You will coach, mentor and develop social workers, contribute to practice improvement, and help ensure the best outcomes for children, young people and families. This role is office-based at least 3 days a week.

Qualifications

• Experience with Signs of Safety or similar strengths-based approach.
• Passion for developing others and improving practice.
• Experience in coaching, supervision or facilitating learning.

Responsibilities

• Support implementation and development of the Signs of Safety practice model.
• Coach practitioners and managers to embed strengths-based, solution-focused practice.
• Identify learning needs and develop and deliver effective training and development opportunities.
• Deliver professional development programmes alongside the Academy team.
• Act as a Practice Educator and support ASYE social workers.
• Coach, mentor, and develop social workers throughout their careers.
• Contribute to quality assurance through audits, evaluation, and practice analysis.
• Share learning and promote reflective practice across the service.
• Support service development, improvement initiatives, and strategic priorities.

Skills

Signs of Safety experience

Coaching and mentoring

Strong analytical skills

Relationship-building

Learning & development

Job description

About The Role

Help transform outcomes for children and families.

Are you an experienced and passionate social worker who believes in strengths-based, relationship-focused practice? Do you enjoy coaching others, developing professional practice, and supporting positive change?

As a Consultant Social Worker / Practice Educator, you will play a key role in embedding high-quality practice across Children's Social Care as part of our Families First Partnership journey. This is an exciting opportunity to influence practice, support innovation, and help create a culture where children, young people, and families remain at the centre of everything we do.

Working closely with practitioners, managers, and the Academy team, you will champion the Signs of Safety practice model, support workforce development, and promote a culture of learning, reflection, and continuous improvement.

What You'll Be Doing

• Supporting the implementation and development of the Signs of Safety practice model.
• Coaching practitioners and managers to embed strengths-based, solution-focused practice.
• Identifying learning needs and developing and delivering effective training and development opportunities.
• Delivering professional development programmes alongside the Academy team.
• Acting as a Practice Educator and supporting ASYE social workers.
• Coaching, mentoring, and developing social workers throughout their careers.
• Contributing to quality assurance through audits, evaluation, and practice analysis.
• Sharing learning and promoting reflective practice across the service.
• Supporting service development, improvement initiatives, and strategic priorities.

About You

You will be an enthusiastic and skilled social work professional with:

• Experience of Signs of Safety or a similar strengths-based approach.
• A passion for developing others and improving practice.
• Experience of coaching, mentoring, supervision, or facilitating learning.
• Strong analytical, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• A commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children, young people, and families.

Why Join Us?

This is a fantastic opportunity to influence practice across the service, support the development of social workers, and contribute to a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous learning. You'll join a supportive team committed to delivering the very best outcomes for children and families.

If you're ready to make a lasting impact on practice, people, and outcomes, we'd love to hear from you.

Please refer to the Job Description attached for more information.

Please note that the successful candidate will be required to be office based at least 3 days a week.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Stefanie Robert, Principal Social Worker at [e-mail]

Candidate Profile

For the full list of essential and desirable criteria for this role then please refer to the Person Specification within the Job Description attached.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Interviews commencing week beginning 28th September 2026

About Us

Bexley is a vibrant and diverse outer London Borough nestled in the Thames Gateway between London and Kent which means it combines the perfect blend of city vibe and the tranquillity of Kent. It's got award-winning parks, open spaces, and heritage sites. The borough has excellent transport connections, including the Elizabeth Line and proximity to the M25. Bexley offers fantastic amenities such as libraries, leisure centres, and shopping areas. Our borough is also home to numerous primary and secondary schools, as well as further education institutions.

Our Offer to you

We will offer you in return a package that includes a competitive salary, coaching and mentoring programmes, an excellent pension scheme and generous annual leave plus bank holidays. For more information on the benefits package on offer please refer to the Candidate Information document attached.

Recruitment Information

As a disability confident employer Bexley welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including hidden disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us on [e-mail]

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

This role may be available as a development opportunity through secondment for the Council’s existing employees. The Council’s Secondment Scheme can be found here. If this option is of interest, please contact the recruiting manager.

We reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date.