Experienced Social Worker - Family Support and Safeguarding

Experienced Social Worker - Family Support and Safeguarding

Newham is a vibrant, dynamic, culturally rich London Borough with a young population and limitless potential — a challenging yet rewarding place for social work practice to flourish. As part of a commitment to building a Fairer Newham, the Council is reimagining the way it serves families through its new Family Support and Safeguarding Service (FSS), combining Assessment and Intervention into one cohesive service, and is looking for experienced, committed, relational social workers to join the team.

The FSS service consists of four services and sixteen teams, supporting families from first point of contact and assessment through to any subsequent longer-term intervention — including referral to partners, Child Protection, and Children in Need — until the best, safest outcome for the child is attained. Two teams work exclusively with children and families whose lives are influenced by disability or SEND. The service enhances the family-led, relational values at the centre of Newham's firmly embedded Circles of Support practice model, keeping children at the heart of everything whilst improving the overall experience of families, partners, and social workers. Key responsibilities include:

• Holding a caseload as a caseholding social worker within the FSS service
• Supporting families from first point of contact and assessment through to longer-term intervention
• Undertaking duty work on a rota of 1 week in 16
• Working with children and families affected by disability or SEND (within designated teams)
• Contributing to the evolution of the Circles of Support practice model and Newham's commitment to systemic, restorative practice

Why Work With Us?

• A role in an Outstanding local authority across all four areas of Ofsted's Inspection criteria
• A competitive salary package with a market supplement that rivals capped agency pay
• Genuinely flexible/hybrid working from day one, as long as children and families are supported
• Stability: 100% of Senior Managers are permanent
• Social Care Academy — 50+ social workers have studied for systemic higher education with Newham since 2020, with opportunities to train as a Practice Educator or in Systemic Practice
• Clinical practitioners attached to every team, with reflective supervision groups greatly valued by social workers
• Signed up to the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard, with the CYPS directorate actively leading the Tackling Racism, Inequality and Disproportionality (TRID) Steering Group
• Oyster card/parking permit for business use
• Travel season ticket loan, cycle scheme, and Local Authority pension

About you

Newham is looking for conscientious, considerate, and empathetic social workers who are committed to working relationally with families, putting every child's welfare, potential, and future at the heart of their work. The Council is steadfastly committed to its workforce being representative of the families it works with, and welcomes colleagues who are passionate about tackling disproportionality and building a Fairer Newham. The ideal candidate will:

• Hold a recognised social work qualification
• Be registered with Social Work England (SWE)
• Have experience beyond their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) in either assessment or long-term work with children and families
• Demonstrate a relational, family-led approach to practice
• Share Newham's values around cultural competence, equity, and anti-discriminatory practice
• Be passionate about tackling disproportionality and committed to building a fairer, more equitable service

Newham is committed to creating an inclusive, anti-racist environment for all. Applications are considered on their merits regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender identity, or sexual orientation. This post involves working with children, young people, and/or vulnerable adults and will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

About Newham

Newham is a vibrant and developing part of inner London and home to over 350,000 people, making us one of the largest boroughs in London.

We are proud to be one of the most diverse local authority areas in the UK, with over 104 languages spoken by our children and their families. Newham has a flourishing youth population, with almost a quarter of our residents under 18; this means children's services are always a priority for our Council.

We’ve worked hard to make Newham a great place to be a Social Worker and offer:

• A role in an 'Outstanding' local authority across all four areas of Ofsted's Inspection criteria
• A competitive salary package with a market supplement that rivals capped agency pay.
• Stability: 100% of our Senior Managers are permanent.
• Our firmly established practice model,Circle of Support model was nominated for the prestigious MJ Award for Innovation in Children’s Services and allows systemic, restorative practice to flourish.
• Career progression is valued in Newham with an active Strategic Centre for Talent and Learning Team who work hard to shape strategies to inform career development.
• Social Care Academy – 50+ social workers have studied for systemic higher education with us since 2020. There are opportunities to train as a Practice Educator and opportunities to train in Systemic Practice to heighten your skill set. Clinical practitioners are attached to every team to support you individually and as a group with reflective supervision groups greatly valued by social workers. Our Academy offer received significant praise from Ofsted.
• A commitment to addressing disproportionality wherever we find it- we are signed up to the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard and the CYPS directorate are actively leading in the Tackling Racism, Inequality and Disproportionately (TRID) Steering Group.
• Oyster card/parking permit for business use.
• Travel season ticket loan, cycle scheme, Local Authority pension.

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