Start for Life Clinical Officer

Do you want to make a meaningful impact in the lives of babies and their families? Can you bring your clinical skills to support early development and nurture strong parent-infant bonds? Are you excited by the idea of working in a creative, community-focused team? If yes, we have the perfect role for you!

Our Clinical Service is looking for passionate and dedicated Start for Life Clinical Officer to join our amazing team and help make a difference today!

This is an exciting opportunity to support Southwark’s integrated Family Hub model and Start for Life programme. As a Start for Life Clinical Officer, you will deliver high-quality assessment, advice, and evidence-based therapeutic interventions to infants (0–2 years old) and their parents with mild to moderate needs. You will work within a systemic framework, embedded across Family Hubs, Children and Family Centres, and Early Help services. Your work will include both 1:1 and group interventions focused on supporting parent-infant mental health and relationships. You'll also have access to specialist training opportunities, such as Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) and Triple P.

This is a fixed-term role until March 2026, but we’re committed to securing long-term funding to continue the project.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Holds a relevant mental health qualification.
• Has experience and passion for working with infants (0–2) and their families.
• Is skilled in engaging families who may face barriers to accessing services.
• Has strong knowledge of child development, parenting practices, and parent-infant mental health.
• Is experienced in delivering therapeutic interventions with both adults and parent-infant dyads.
• Understands the challenges faced by families in diverse urban communities.
• Is ready to begin as soon as possible to support the success of the programme.

You’ll be part of a collaborative and community-rooted team working across Southwark’s Family Hubs. We share a strong commitment to early intervention, inclusive support, and creating positive, lasting change for families. Our team values professional development, innovation, and building trusting relationships with the families we serve.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Julia Tropiano at Julia.Tropiano@southwark.gov.uk

This is a fixed-term post until March 2026, however, we are invested in seeking long term funding for the project. Enhanced DBS required.

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough.

Advert closing date: 11:59pm on 12 May 2025. Interview date/s: w/c 26 May 2025. The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care.
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.