Advanced Social Work Practitioner

About you:

Have working knowledge of the framework within which social care operates, inclusive of legislation and national guidance and procedures specific to this post

Have knowledge of statutory work with children, including children in need, child protection, children looked after and court work. Knowledge of different types of interventions in family support

1. A nationally recognised or other social work England recognised social work qualification
2.  Have at least 3 year of post-qualifying experience in a statutory Children’s Social Care setting .
3. The opportunity The CSW role requires you to work systemically with families and coordinate the work of four Frontline participants to develop them into outstanding social workers who will affect positive change for children.
4. Have undertaken and been successful within Frontline’s Recruitment and Selection Process to be either a CSW or Deputy CSW

The role is made up of the following core components:

• Practice expert -Consistently model good and outstanding social work practice and skill to participants on the programme.
• Consistently model high quality social work by: identifying and managing risk, being curious and analytical, hypothesising, building strong relationships and using evidence-based interventions to help families change.
• Be the named case holder of all cases assigned to the unit and responsible for ensuring statutory requirements of the unit’s cases are complied with.
• Provide ongoing support and guidance to participants on their cases, being the main point of contact for participants in the unit, answering questions they have.
• Take responsibility for decisions in case work (in accordance with your line management responsibility). This includes consistently demonstrating confidence in being able to explain to participants your decisions and the way these have been made. –
• Support participants to develop leadership qualities in practice, building on their leadership training, encouraging participants to set a vision with families, coordinating professional networks toward a common goal, and working effectively with conflict.
• Practice educator -Create good learning opportunities for participants by identifying appropriate cases for the unit throughout the year.
• Use your judgment to expose participants to increasingly complex and varied casework at the appropriate level, increasing their autonomy as they demonstrate progress.
• Support the participants to apply the practice models they have learnt (systemic approach; social learning theory and motivational interviewing) in case discussions and work with children and families.
• Regularly observe the participants in their direct work with families, giving developmental feedback. At specific observation points in the year, you will assess and grade the practice observed.
• Prepare progress review reports on each participants in January and July each year, providing evidence and analysis of each participant’s progress through the programme.

See Job description on advert for full details

Tower Hamlets offers the best of London in one borough.

We believe the best place for children is to be raised within their own families, immediate or wider, wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so.​ Social Workers are at the core of our work with children and families. Our approach is about enabling social workers to build relationships and strengthen families by working with people in a compassionate and understanding way. ​

We are determined to continue our journey of improvement and deliver outstanding services for children and families of Tower Hamlets, and our offer to staff includes:

• The opportunity to work in a richly diverse, challenging and supportive inner London Borough

• Competitive remuneration package

• Investing in the workforce with end-to-end career support

• A manageable and diverse caseload and good quality reflective supervision

• Steps to Success, coaching, and bespoke learning and development support from the Learning Academy to develop your practice, with a clear framework for career development and progression into leadership.

• Travel card/season ticket loan, Cycle to Work scheme, Local Government Pension Scheme

• Opportunities for agile/flexible working 

• Discounted gym membership, access to free eye test, rent deposit scheme and & You at Work discounts as well as many other benefits

• Generous annual leave package and wellbeing service

• Smarter Working with new modern technology

If you have any questions about applying for this role, please contact Nazma Rabbani, Project Officer at Nazma.Rabbani@towerhamlets.gov.uk. For an informal discussion about working in Supporting Families at Tower Hamlets please contact Sam Nair, our Principal Social Worker at Sam.Nair@towerhamets.gov.uk