Advanced Social Work Practitioner (Children Looked After Service)

Advanced Practitioner (Children Looked After) P05: £52,674 pa rising in annual increments to £55,710 pa incl. LW Permanent / Full-Time/ Hybrid Working 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 looking for an experienced Advanced Practitioner to join our Children Looked After (CLA) Service team. The ideal candidate will hold a recognised social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England (SWE). 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. About the Role We are looking for a dedicated and proactive professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will be able to prioritize effectively, identifying urgent tasks and actions to ensure that all work is completed within tight timescales. You will be highly organized, able to manage your own workload with minimal supervision, and have strong initiative to act where needed. You will support your Team Manager and confidently take the lead in their absence. You will facilitate group supervisions, provide clear guidance, and offer practical, well-informed advice on complex, high-risk cases 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: Lambeth adopts a Signs of Safety approach, and the successful candidate will be familiar with this practice model. They should feel confident supporting colleagues and facilitating group discussions using this framework. A deep understanding of the developmental stages of children and the impact of trauma, neglect and abuse. Proficiency in child protection legislation and statutory guidance, including the Children Act 1989 and 2004. The ability to build trust and rapport with children, young people and parents, encouraging openness and honest dialogue. Resilience to deal with the demands of a fast-paced environment and quick turnaround of work. Creative problem-solving skills to find innovative solutions for challenging situations, ensuring the best possible outcomes for children and families. Experience in providing guidance and supervision to less experienced colleagues, supporting their development. A drive for improving practice and performance in the team and modelling best practice. A commitment to ongoing professional development, staying up to date with the latest research, policies, and best practices in children’s service The candidate should also be familiar with utilising Microsoft Copilot to enhance productivity. Able to work from the office at least two days per week and fully available during the designated duty week, which occurs once a month. About us It is an exciting time to join Lambeth Council, we have bold ambitions for the future of Lambeth’s communities and residents through our Lambeth 2030 Plan ‘Our Future, Our Lambeth. To deliver on these ambitions, we have embarked our transformational One Lambeth Programme ensuring we are ‘connected by purpose,’ in everything we do to deliver excellence. We are proud to have recently developed a refreshed set of One