At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead practice development and improve outcomes for children and families in a dynamic social care environment.
- Company: Join Lambeth Borough, a vibrant community committed to diversity and excellence in social care.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a creative team dedicated to continuous learning and high standards.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Strong social work experience and a passion for mentoring and practice improvement.
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. With exceptional schools, lush green spaces including Brockwell Park, cultural gems like the Black Cultural Archives, and world-renowned institutions such as St Thomas's Hospital, Lambeth offers an enriching and dynamic environment.
An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Lambeth Social Care Academy due to the promotion of the current post holder. We are seeking an experienced and passionate Practice Development Lead to join our ambitious and forward-thinking team. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly skilled social worker who is committed to improving outcomes for children and families through practice excellence, workforce development, and continuous learning.
As a Practice Development Lead, you will be a key member of the Lambeth Social Care Academy, working closely with the Principal Social Worker, Service Managers, Advanced Practitioners, and frontline teams to drive practice improvement across Children's Social Care. You will play a central role in embedding Lambeth's Signs of Safety practice model, ensuring that practitioners are supported, challenged, and developed to deliver relationship-based, strengths-focused practice that keeps children safe and achieves lasting change for families. The role combines practice leadership, quality assurance, workforce development, coaching, and organisational learning. You will act as an agent of change, championing what good practice looks like and supporting services to achieve and sustain high standards through reflective learning, audit activity, supervision, consultation, and training.
Working collaboratively with operational services and partner agencies, you will identify strengths, analyse themes and trends, and help translate learning into meaningful improvements that enhance outcomes for children and young people.
You will bring:
- Strong and credible frontline social work experience with a track record of excellent practice.
- A passion for practice development, learning, and supporting others to grow.
- Experience of coaching, mentoring, supervising, or developing social workers, including students, ASYEs, and experienced practitioners.
- A sound understanding of Signs of Safety and the ability to support practitioners to apply the model confidently in their work with children and families.
- Experience of quality assurance activity, including auditing, case consultation, reflective learning, and practice improvement.
- The ability to analyse complex information, identify themes and learning, and influence change at both practitioner and service level.
- Excellent communication, relationship-building, and facilitation skills.
Lambeth is committed to creating a learning culture where practitioners are supported to do their best work with children and families. The Social Care Academy is at the heart of this ambition, providing innovative learning opportunities, professional development pathways, and practice leadership across the directorate. You will be joining a dynamic, creative, and highly regarded team that values curiosity, collaboration, reflective practice, and continuous improvement. Together, we are working to ensure that every child receives the right help at the right time and that our workforce feels confident, supported, and empowered to make a difference.
If you are passionate about developing others, championing excellent social work practice, and embedding Signs of Safety across Children's Services, we would love to hear from you.
Please note you must be registered with Social Work England at the time of application. You will be required to undertake a Cifas check.
At Lambeth, we are dedicated to providing quality services and equal opportunities for all. We are committed to safer recruitment and are proud to be a Stonewall diversity champion, a Living Wage Employer, and to guarantee interviews for all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the role.
Practice Development Lead employer: Borough of Lambeth
The Borough of Lambeth is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises community engagement and professional development. As an Early Years Quality Improvement Officer, you will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on early years education while benefiting from comprehensive training and support in a dynamic Greater London setting. Join us to be part of a team dedicated to fostering high standards and compliance in out-of-school settings, all while enjoying the rich cultural diversity and resources that Lambeth has to offer.
