Senior Social Worker - Out of Hours Emergency Duty Social Work Team

SOUTHWARK COUNCIL; London; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

SOUTHWARK COUNCIL is seeking a Senior Social Worker to join their Out of Hours Emergency Duty Team in London. The role focuses on managing urgent social work cases—supporting children, vulnerable adults, and handling critical mental health assessments. This full-time, permanent position offers competitive salary and ample opportunities for professional development within a supportive team environment.

Qualifications

• Hold a recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Strong post-qualification experience in managing complex, crisis-driven cases.

Responsibilities

• Responding to emergency situations such as child protection and Mental Health Act assessments.
• Making informed decisions quickly while working autonomously.

Skills

Crisis Management

Resilience

Critical Thinking

Inter-agency Coordination

Education

Recognised Social Work Qualification

Job description

Senior Social Worker - Out of Hours Emergency Duty Social Work Team

Reference number: SC07415

Location: London

Schedule: Full-time

Salary Range: (Full time equivalent) - £48,618 to £57,726 per annum (SCP 11 + 2 increments)

Contract Type: Permanent

Are you a Senior Social Worker ready to embrace the fast-paced world of emergency practice?

Do you enjoy working independently but still value being part of a supportive team?

Are you seeking a role that encourages your professional growth - whether you’re already an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) or working towards it?

If yes, we have the perfect opportunity for you!

We are looking for an experienced Senior Social Worker to join our Out of Hours Emergency Duty Team and make a lasting difference. Come and be part of our team!

Salary Range: £48,618 to £57,726 per annum (SCP 11 + 2 increments)

About the Team/Service

Our Out of Hours Emergency Duty Team is a small, close-knit group of highly skilled and compassionate Senior Social Workers. We manage urgent and complex cases with professionalism, empathy and care. Operating during evenings, weekends, and public holidays, we play a key role in safeguarding children, supporting vulnerable adults and responding to mental health crises.

We provide emergency social work support for urgent situations outside of normal working hours, including:

• Child protection concerns, urgent needs assessments, and cases involving homeless children and young people, in accordance with the Children Act 1989.
• Emergency mental health needs, including Mental Health Act assessments.
• Urgent assessments for older adults and individuals with physical or learning disabilities.

We are committed to supporting our team with the training, guidance and resources needed to thrive in this challenging and rewarding environment.

About the Role

This is a unique and fulfilling role in a fast-paced and varied setting - no two shifts are the same. Our service operates outside standard office hours (weekdays from 5:00pm to 9:00am, and 24 hours on weekends and Bank Holidays), covering both Children’s and Adult Social Care emergencies.

You’ll work independently as a ‘stand-alone’ practitioner while coordinating with multi-agency partners as needed. Support and consultation from the team manager will be available for complex cases.

Key responsibilities include:

• Responding to emergency situations such as child protection concerns, Mental Health Act assessments and crises involving vulnerable adults or individuals with disabilities.
• Making informed decisions quickly while working autonomously.
• Coordinating multi-agency responses with guidance from the team manager on complex issues.

We welcome applications from qualified social workers with experience in either Children’s or Adult Social Care. If you are not yet an AMHP, we offer full support, including training and academic development, to help you achieve this qualification.

About You

We’re looking for a confident and experienced Senior Social Worker with strong post-qualification experience in managing complex, crisis-driven cases. You should be resilient, calm under pressure, and capable of working independently during out-of-hours shifts.

Depending on your background, we’ll support your continued professional development:

• If you come from Children’s Social Care: You’ll be supported to undertake a postgraduate course leading to AMHP qualification. This includes academic study alongside participation in the out-of-hours rota and a part-time daytime placement in a Mental Health Team.
• If you’re already an AMHP with Adult Social Care experience: You’ll be supported to gain experience in Children’s Social Care through collaborative work with daytime teams.

To be successful in this role, you will need to:

• Hold a recognised Social Work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.
• Be able to manage a caseload of complex cases effectively.
• Produce high-quality written reports under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Coordinate emergency responses efficiently and communicate clearly with partner agencies.
• Demonstrate professional curiosity, critical thinking and sound judgment.
• Comply with statutory duties, legislation, national guidance and local procedures.

For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification located at the bottom of the advert.

If you are an AMHP in Adult Social Care or an experienced Senior Social Worker in Children’s Social Care with a proven ability to manage urgent, high-risk situations, we would love to hear from you!

Contact Information:

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Kate Windows via email at [e-mail]

Additional Information:

• Salary Range: £48,618 to £57,726 per annum (SCP 11 + 2 increments. 36 hours per week. DBS check is required for this position.

Recruitment Timeline:

• Advert close date: 11:59pm on Sunday 6 July 2025.
• Shortlisting date/s: week commencing 7 July 2025.
• Interview date/s: week commencing 14 July 2025.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care.
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition.