Social Worker

Lewisham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Local Government Pension scheme

Flexible working

Season ticket loan

Bicycle loan

Staff discounts

Supportive staff networks

Job summary

Lewisham Council is seeking an experienced Senior Social Worker for the Risk Outside the Home (ROTH) Team, focusing on safeguarding adolescents and tackling extra-familial harm. You will manage a caseload, lead assessments, and work with police, education, health and youth justice partners to keep young people safe.

You will join a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive service that values professional challenge, robust safety planning, and ongoing training and development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker with at least 3 years post-qualification experience.
• Registration with Social Work England.
• Strong understanding of adolescent development and contextual safeguarding.
• Experience with exploitation, serious youth violence, contextual safeguarding and trauma-informed practice.
• Excellent communication, analysis and risk assessment skills.
• Experience in multi-agency working and professional challenge.
• Commitment to anti-oppressive practice and young person-centred approaches.
• DBS enhanced disclosure required.

Responsibilities

• Holding and managing a caseload of adolescent safeguarding cases.
• Leading on assessments, interventions and planning for young people experiencing extra-familial harm.
• Building trauma-informed relationships with young people and families.
• Chairing and contributing to multi-agency meetings and professional networks.
• Working with police, education, health, youth justice and community partners.
• Developing contextual safeguarding practice across the service.
• Ensuring timely recording, assessment, and statutory interventions.
• Delivering robust safety planning with multi-agency partners.

Skills

Caseload management

Adolescent safeguarding

Risk assessment

Multi-agency working

Trauma-informed practice

Communication skills

Anti-oppressive practice

Job description

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities! 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 Are you an experienced and passionate Social Worker committed to safeguarding young people and tackling extra-familial harm? We are seeking motivated Senior Social Worker's to join our innovative Risk Outside the Home (ROTH) Team, working with some of our most vulnerable young people exposed to exploitation, serious youth violence, county lines, missing episodes, and other contextual safeguarding concerns. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a specialist team that focuses on understanding and reducing harm occurring beyond the family home, whilst working collaboratively with young people, families, networks, partners, and communities. What's the role? As a Senior Social Worker, you will play a key role in safeguarding adolescents by:

• Holding and managing a caseload of adolescent safeguarding cases.
• Leading on assessments, interventions and planning for young people experiencing extra-familial harm.
• Building trusted, trauma-informed relationships with young people and their families to achieve a positive outcome.
• Chairing and contributing to multi-agency meetings and professional networks.
• Working creatively alongside police, education, health, youth justice, and community partners.
• Contributing to developing contextual safeguarding practice across the service.
• Ensuring timely recording, assessment, and statutory interventions in line with legislation and local procedures.
• Working collaboratively with multi-agency partners to deliver robust safety planning
• Qualified Social Workers with a minimum of 3 years post-qualification experience registered with Social Work England.
• Strong understanding of adolescent development and contextual safeguarding
• Knowledgeable in exploitation, serious youth violence, contextual safeguarding and trauma-informed practice.
• Skilled in building purposeful relationships with young people who may be reluctant to engage.
• Confident practitioners with excellent communication, analysis, and risk assessment skills
• Confident in multi-agency working and professional challenge.
• A commitment to anti-oppressive practice and young person-centred approaches
• Committed to achieving outstanding outcomes for vulnerable young people.
• The post holder must have a social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England
• Must be 2 years post qualified for this role
• The job is subject to a DBS check (Enhanced)
• Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:
• 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