Social Worker (Hidden Harm Coordinator)

The Person Specification is a picture of the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to carry out the job. It has been used to draw up the advert and will also be used in the shortlisting and interview process for this post. Those categories marked 'S' will be used especially for the purpose of shortlisting. Please ensure that Equality and Diversity issues are addressed specifically in relation to the role for which you are applying when addressing the requirements of this person specification where appropriate. If you are a disabled person, but are unable to meet some of the job requirements specifically because of your disability, please address this in your application. If you meet all the other criteria you will be shortlisted and we will explore jointly with you if there are ways in which the job can be changed to enable you to meet the requirements.

Equality & Diversity:

• Awareness of and a commitment to Equality of Access and Opportunity in a diverse community (S)

Knowledge:

• Extensive understanding of current policy issues in relation to services for children and young people (S)
• Extensive knowledge of substance misuse in the context of health and social care and early intervention context and the interfaces between commissioning and service design approaches (S)
• Extensive knowledge of methods and techniques to manage and influence families affected by substance abuse
• Extensive knowledge of substance misuse and safeguarding (S)
• Extensive knowledge of service redesign, service improvement models and best practice, and change management and implementing policy changes (S)
• Extensive knowledge of social work practice and the early help agenda (S)
• Extensive knowledge of social care policies and procedures and child protection at every level of need (S)

Aptitude:

• Ability to adopt an innovative approach to complex situations to generate new perspectives, react positively to problems, and develop radical solutions to improve safeguarding (S)
• Ability to be an influential and persuasive communicator, engendering commitment across groups from all levels of the partnership to achieve objectives (S)
• Ability to respond calmly in highly contentious and complex situations and remain controlled and responsive (S)

Skills:

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal (S)
• Excellent political awareness
• Excellent engagement skills
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Excellent ability to drive change

Experience:

• Extensive experience of working with substance misusers and their families (S)
• Demonstrable experience of influencing and delivering safeguarding in a partnership context (S)
• An excellent track record of fostering and sustaining partnerships, particularly in the context of safeguarding, maintaining a door open policy (S)
• Experience of writing, reviewing, and implementing policies leading to and motivating service changes (S)
• Experience of developing and embedding service design methodologies into organizational practice
• Proven experience of proactively working on own initiative, under pressure to tight timescales, managing and prioritizing workload (S)
• Extensive experience of directly overseeing frontline staff and the delivery of training (S)

General Education:

• Social Work Degree or Higher (S)
• Excellent levels of literacy and numeracy (S)
• Qualified Social Worker registered with Health and Care Professions Council (S)

Personal Qualities:

• Flexible, innovative, and creative approach
• An inclusive team player
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people
• Has a high degree of integrity
• Shows resilience and toughness under pressure
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal and networking styles
• Shows a high drive for achievement

Circumstances:

• Able to work out of a variety of locations, including people’s homes, adult services, and children’s services.

Welcome to Lewisham – a vibrant and culturally diverse borough that is bursting with fantastic things to see and do. As a truly international borough with over 170 languages spoken in our homes and businesses, a thriving cultural scene, and a treasure trove of indie shops, bustling markets and more, it’s a great place to start and build a career.

Social work in Lewisham is changing and we have set out our vision and values for how we practice.  In Lewisham Children’s Social Care (CSC), we know what good social work looks like and we are passionate about creating the right conditions and culture for good practice to thrive.

Our social workers benefit from working in small, supportive teams with caseloads on average between 15-20 children. Our ‘Signs of Safety’ practice framework means we are committed to working in a relationship-based way with children and families, focussing on strengths in the family network to effect change. A positive learning culture which promotes opportunities for reflection and relationship-based practice is important to us. We are committed to developing our practice using reflective practice spaces such as case mapping, thinking spaces and group supervision. 

Our permanent and stable senior management team are visible and approachable.  Our dedicated PSW and workforce team supports professional development across the service so that you will;

• be supported through our comprehensive learning and development offer, which includes subscriptions to ‘Research in Practice’ and ‘Making Research Count’.

• receive regular supervision and appraisal.

• have 1-1 practice development coaching as a case holding practitioner, and professional development coaching as a manager.

• have access to regular ‘Signs of Safety’ training and the opportunity to become a practice leader through attending our bespoke practice leader course.  

• have access to external leadership development opportunities such as Pathways and the Black and Asian Leadership Initiative (BALI).

• have a clearly defined career progression pathway with opportunities for professional development at all levels.

We have a strong working relationship with Goldsmiths, University of London as part of the South East London Teaching Partnership so our practitioners have the opportunity to teach on social work courses as teaching consultants. We host ‘Step Up’, ‘Frontline’ and traditional route students and social workers have the opportunity to become practice educators.

Core CSC Staff Benefits include:

• We have been awarded the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard – a benchmark for high employment standards. We are also one of the first London Councils to be accredited a London Living Wage employer and are a Disability Confident employer as well as a Timewise accredited Flex positive employer. We offer a 35-hour working week, and:

• The opportunity to work in a thriving, diverse and developing inner London borough with a stable management team, manageable caseloads and a workforce group committed to promoting your development and emotional wellbeing

• Generous salary for social workers at all levels

• Generous holiday entitlement​ - starting at 27 days a year (plus public holidays) rising to 32 and 35 days after 5- and 10-years’ continued service. 

• Oyster card access for travelling in and around London for work and we are exploring initiatives, including Zip cars

• Flexible working policies​ and a variety of hybrid, and flexible working options – we know how important this is to you

• Smarter Working with new modern technology and training to support this

• Career average pension scheme

• Family friendly policies including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and special leave for emergencies.  ​

• Variety of support schemes including key worker housing, tax-free childcare scheme, access to Civil Service Sports Club which offers financial discounts and savings on days out and entertainment. KAARP activities and entertainment discounts.  We offer a shop local discount scheme, volunteering leave, long service awards, membership of the Crownsavers Credit Union and access to Payroll Giving.

• Health and Wellbeing support includes a staff support hub and 24/7 employee assistance programme which incorporates mental health support, counselling services and access to the PAM Assist health and wellbeing app.

• We have signed the Menopause Pledge and offer gender specific and gender-neutral health and wellbeing support with access to financial advice. We offer discounted gym and leisure centre membership including free lunch time swimming; interest free loans for season tickets, nursery childcare, and bikes, a “try before you buy” bike scheme and cycle training, smoking cessation, free eye tests and money towards glasses.

• Active Employee Groups including the Black and Multicultural Forum, Anti-racist Network Group, LGBTQ+ Forum, Disabled Staff Forum, Climate Emergency Staff Forum, Trade Union Memberships, and a staff-led Change Network​

Staff tell us they feel valued and enjoy working in Lewisham and are well supported by their managers with regular reflective supervision and good access to training.

“Lewisham has so much to offer any social worker. I feel supported, respected and valued every step of the way”

Lewisham Social Worker

If you have any questions about applying for this role, or if you are interested in having an informal discussion about working with us, please contact our Recruitment and Retention Manager, Angela Main at angela.main@lewisham.gov.uk or Sara Taylor, our Principal Social Worker: sara.taylor@lewisham.gov.uk