Advanced Practitioner - Children With Disabilities Team, Family Help South in London

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.

It’s an exciting time to join us - Lewisham is a wave 2 Pathfinder authority and is leading the way on national reforms to social work practice through the Families First for Children programme.

INTRODUCTION

An exciting opportunity is available for a Social Work qualified Advanced Practitioner. We are looking for an inspirational leader for the Children with Complex Needs, Family Help Team who is also a skilled and reflective practitioner who is creative and can work with children and their families in an innovative way to ensure they receive the right help at the right time. We are looking for applicants who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and who have the experience and confidence to work with children with disabilities.

What’s the role?

You will work in a diversified team including advanced practitioners, social workers and family practitioners. As an advanced practitioner in this team you will manage a small caseload, manage Duty, and will also be required to deputise for the team manager. Therefore, we are looking for someone who is confident, dynamic and experienced to help lead our efforts in working with and support children and their families. You will play a crucial role in overseeing and supporting our team of social workers and family practitioners. You will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality services, providing supervision and guidance to team members, and working collaboratively with other professionals and agencies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work directly with children and families under CIN, CP and/or legal framework.
• Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure a coordinated approach to supporting adolescents.
• Deputise for the team manager and provide leadership and support to a team of social workers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services to adolescents.
• Support the team manager to monitor the performance of the team, identifying areas for improvement and implementing necessary changes.
• Line supervision for social work apprentices and senior family practitioners. Supervise and mentor team members, offering guidance and support in complex cases.

The ideal candidate should possess strong leadership skills and be able to inspire, motivate and support the team. Have excellent technical knowledge and experience of statutory safeguarding practices, for children in need of help and protection and children looked after, in the context of disabilities.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for people to join our team who:

• Value the importance of communication and seeking feedback.
• Can inspire and motivate those they work with, manage and lead.
• Are committed to developing their skills and expertise to deliver an excellent service.
• Are professionally curious and value thinking slowly and calmly in a balanced way.
• Work inclusively, collaboratively with others recognising their strengths.
• Take responsibility and make a positive contribution by focusing on solutions.
• Are transparent, are appreciative in enquiry, reflect and learn.

What’s in it for you?

Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• 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

Location

The job is primarily based in Laurence House in Catford SE6. There are 2 local train stations 3-5 minutes’ walk from the office, and the train journey from London Bridge is approximately 15 minutes. There are also numerous bus routes that stop right by the office. We operate a hybrid approach where you will be required to work both in the office and from home on a regular basis.

Creating an Inclusive Lewisham

A core value of Lewisham Council is to 'draw on the diversity of our communities to create a more inclusive Lewisham'. We believe that freedom from discrimination and equality of opportunity are fundamental rights, and that each person should be valued regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, or age. Social inclusion lies at the heart of everything we do as a Council in our roles as an employer, a provider of services and a community leader.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process.