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Advanced Practitioner (Children Looked After Service)

Posted 29th Apr, 2025
Location
Lambeth
Salary/rate
£52,674 – £55,710
Hours
Full-time
Working arrangements
Blended
Contract type
Permanent
Closing date
11th May, 2025
About the role

Advanced Practitioner (Children Looked After)

P05: £52,674 pa rising in annual increments to £55,710 pa incl. LW

Permanent / Full-Time/ Hybrid Working

We are seeking an experienced Advanced Practitioner to join our team within the Children Looked After (CLA) Service.

About the CLA Service

The Children Looked After (CLA) service provides support to children, young people, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) aged 0-16 who are in care. Our service is structured across four teams, each consisting of a Team Manager, Advanced Practitioner, Social Workers, and Personal Advisors (UASC team only).

Our core aim in the CLA service is to ensure that the children and young people we work with are supported to achieve the best possible outcomes. As an Advanced Practitioner, you will support your team in delivering high-quality care planning and promoting the highest standard of social work. You will also be responsible for developing innovative and creative strategies to ensure that children in care are supported to develop their independence and achieve outstanding outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

  1. Promote Effective Communication: Foster clear and effective      communication with families, advising social workers and other professionals on the necessary steps to achieve positive outcomes for children.
  2. Team Management Support: Assist Team Managers with day-to-day management tasks and performance monitoring.
  3. Support Complex Casework: Provide social work support for complex and challenging families, guiding and mentoring other social workers in the team.
  4. Constructive Challenge: Challenge partners appropriately to ensure the best outcomes for children, young people, and families.
  5. Mentorship and Supervision: Provide supervision and mentorship to newly qualified Social Workers and less experienced staff, supporting their development in handling complex and high-risk cases.
  6. Autonomous Workload Management: Manage a complex workload with autonomy.
  7. Legal: Sound knowledge of court work which includes care proceedings, PO and adoption.
About you

About You:

We are looking for a compassionate, resilient, and experienced individual who has worked with children, young people, and their families in challenging circumstances. The ideal candidate will have:

  • A deep understanding of the developmental stages of children and the impact of trauma, neglect, and separation.
  • Proficiency in child protection legislation and statutory guidance, including the Children Act 1989 and 2004, and the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
  • The ability to build trust and rapport with children and young people, encouraging openness and honest dialogue.
  • Creative problem-solving skills to find innovative solutions for challenging situations, ensuring the best possible outcomes for children.
  • Experience in providing guidance and supervision to less experienced colleagues, supporting their development.
  • A commitment to ongoing professional development, staying up to date with the latest research, policies, and best practices in children’s services. 
About Lambeth

Located in the heart of South London, Lambeth Borough is a vibrant community. 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. The Civic Centre is just a short walk from the main underground and train station.  

“Lambeth – a borough with social and climate justice at its heart. By harnessing the power and pride of our people and partnerships, we will proactively tackle inequalities so that children and young people can have the best start in life and so everyone can feel safe and thrive in a place of opportunity.”

Lambeth 2030 (Borough Plan)

In Lambeth, we offer our social workers:

  • Fantastic, modern working environment in the award-winning Lambeth Town Hall and Civic Centre buildings
  • Competitive Salary, often including a generous market supplement (depending on the role)
  • Up to 35 days annual leave, dependent upon continuous service
  • 5 Minutes from London Underground and excellent transport links into the centre of London
  • Hybrid/Flexible working
  • Cycle to Work Scheme (including City Bike Hire scheme)
  • Attractive Local Government Pension Scheme
  • A permanent senior leadership team in QA
  • Manageable caseloads that enable connection with families

Find out more about working in Lambeth

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