At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead safeguarding efforts for children at risk, ensuring their safety and wellbeing.
- Company: Join the London Borough of Havering, committed to child welfare and community support.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a supportive work environment.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for growth and collaboration across multi-agency teams.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your social work skills.
- Qualifications: Qualified Social Worker with experience in safeguarding and child protection.
The predicted salary is between 54267 - 58461 £ per year.
As an Advanced Practitioner within the Safeguarding Team, you will play a pivotal role in delivering high quality statutory social work to children at risk of significant harm. You will hold a reduced but complex caseload, undertaking assessments, planning and direct work where practice requires enhanced expertise, professional oversight or intervention. Your work will ensure that children's safety, lived experiences and outcomes remain at the centre of all decision making.
You will provide practice leadership across the team, supporting social workers to deliver child centred, analytical and strengths based assessments and plans in line with statutory guidance and local thresholds. This will include offering professional consultation, modelling best practice, supporting reflective supervision, and contributing to the development of confident, skilled and resilient practitioners.
The role involves oversight and quality assurance at key points in the child's journey, including Child in Need, Child Protection and care proceedings. You will support robust risk assessment and defensible decision‑making, ensuring that safeguarding concerns are responded to promptly, proportionately and effectively, and that statutory responsibilities are met to a high standard.
You will work closely with families and a wide range of multi‑agency partners, including police, health, education and legal services, to ensure coordinated responses to risk and need. You will also contribute to service development through audit activity, learning reviews, performance analysis and reflective learning, helping to drive continuous improvement across the Safeguarding Service.
This role offers an excellent opportunity for an experienced practitioner to influence practice, strengthen safeguarding responses and make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and families.
Key aims and objectives of the role include:
- Delivering high‑quality, child‑centred safeguarding practice to children at risk of harm
- Providing professional leadership and expert consultation to support and develop social workers
- Promoting consistent, analytical and strengths‑based assessment and care planning
- Supporting effective risk management and defensible safeguarding decision‑making
- Contributing to quality assurance, learning and continuous service improvement
This is a rewarding opportunity for a skilled, reflective practitioner who is passionate about safeguarding children and supporting excellence in social work practice.
You will be an experienced, confident and highly skilled social work practitioner with a strong commitment to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. You will bring advanced professional judgement, a clear safeguarding focus and the ability to support high‑quality practice in complex and high‑risk situations.
You will be a qualified Social Worker, holding a CQSW, Diploma in Social Work or equivalent qualification, and be registered with Social Work England. You will have substantial post‑qualifying experience within children's social care, including significant experience of statutory safeguarding work across Child in Need, Child Protection and care proceedings.
You will have a strong understanding of risk, harm and protective factors, and be confident in working with complexity, uncertainty and challenge. As an Advanced Practitioner, you will have demonstrable experience of providing practice leadership, supporting and mentoring social workers and contributing to reflective supervision, quality assurance and service improvement.
You will be confident in offering professional consultation, modelling best practice and supporting colleagues to develop analytical, strengths‑based and child‑centred approaches to assessment, planning and intervention. You will have a strong working knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance and local thresholds, including Working Together to Safeguard Children, and the ability to apply this effectively to complex safeguarding cases.
You will be skilled in risk assessment and defensible decision‑making, ensuring that safeguarding responses are timely, proportionate and focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for children. You will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling you to work effectively with children, families and a wide range of multi‑agency partners, including police, health, education and legal services.
You will be confident in contributing to strategy discussions, child protection conferences, reviews and court processes, ensuring that children's voices and lived experiences are clearly evidenced and represented.
Non‑negotiable qualities for this role include:
- A clear and unwavering commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
- Advanced professional judgement and confidence in managing complex risk and decision‑making
- Strong practice leadership skills, with the ability to support, challenge and develop others
- High standards of professional integrity, accountability and reflective practice
- A values‑led, inclusive approach aligned with Havering's commitment to learning, development and workforce wellbeing
If you are a skilled, reflective and motivated practitioner who is passionate about safeguarding children and supporting excellence in social work practice, we would welcome your application.
For an informal discussion about the post, please contact [contact information]. Please attach your supporting statement, explaining in no more than x2 A4 sides why and how you meet the criteria for this role. We practice anonymised recruitment. Please ensure that you remove all personal information from any documents that you upload.
Closing date: 22nd March 2026
Shortlisting date: w/c 23rd March 2026
Interview date: w/c 30th March 2026
The London Borough of Havering has important responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. If you are appointed to a job that involves working with these groups, you may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Advanced Practitioner - Safeguarding in Romford employer: Borough of Havering
Havering is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being of its employees while making a significant impact on the lives of children and families. With a strong commitment to systemic practice, access to accredited training, and a supportive work culture, you will have the opportunity to lead a talented team in a role that is both meaningful and rewarding. Join us in a vibrant community where your expertise is valued, and together we can create positive outcomes for those we serve.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Advanced Practitioner - Safeguarding in Romford
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the safeguarding field, attend relevant events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of current safeguarding practices and legislation. Be ready to discuss real-life scenarios where you've made a difference. Show them you're not just a candidate, but a passionate advocate for children's welfare.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t underestimate the power of follow-ups! After an interview, send a quick thank-you email to express your appreciation for the opportunity. It keeps you fresh in their minds and shows your enthusiasm for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, you’ll find all the latest opportunities tailored to your skills and passion for safeguarding children.
We think you need these skills to ace Advanced Practitioner - Safeguarding in Romford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Supporting Statement:Make sure your supporting statement is tailored to the role of Advanced Practitioner Safeguarding. Highlight your relevant experience and how it aligns with the key aims of the position. We want to see how you can make a difference!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:Since this role involves providing practice leadership, don’t forget to showcase your leadership skills in your application. Share examples of how you've supported and developed others in your previous roles. We love to see that kind of initiative!
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, be clear and concise. Stick to the point and ensure your statements are easy to read. We appreciate well-structured applications that get straight to the heart of your qualifications and experiences.
Apply Through Our Website:Remember to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to navigate. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Borough of Havering
✨Know Your Safeguarding Legislation
Make sure you brush up on relevant legislation and statutory guidance, especially 'Working Together to Safeguard Children'. Being able to discuss how these apply to complex safeguarding cases will show your expertise and commitment.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've provided practice leadership in previous roles. Highlight instances where you've supported or mentored social workers, as this is crucial for the Advanced Practitioner role.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Be ready to discuss your approach to analytical and strengths-based assessments. Think of specific cases where your decision-making led to positive outcomes for children and families, as this will demonstrate your capability in managing complex situations.
✨Engage with Multi-Agency Collaboration
Familiarise yourself with how you’ve worked alongside various agencies like police, health, and education. Be prepared to share experiences that highlight your communication skills and ability to coordinate responses effectively.
