High Intervention Worker

Job Description

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

Introduction

Lewisham Virtual School is seeking a High Intervention Worker who is deeply committed, trauma-informed, and passionate about transforming outcomes for Children Looked After (CLA) with additional vulnerabilities.

What’s the role?

This is a high-impact, relationally focused role supporting a caseload of young people who require specialist intervention. You will:

• Lead Trauma-Informed Planning: Coordinate relationally safe education planning around each young person.
• Build Trusted Relationships: Provide reflective, strengths-based mentoring to help young people engage, regulate, and progress.
• Commission Placements: Identify appropriate education settings when mainstream is not suitable, including alternative provision.
• Advocate & Mediate: Act as a central voice in multi-agency meetings, challenging where appropriate to ensure the child’s voice remains central.
• Data & Training: Analyse educational data to track progress and deliver training to social workers, teachers, and carers on attachment-aware approaches.

What’s in it for you?

A Virtual School team committed to trauma-informed practice, offering supportive supervision and a role where your impact is immediate. You will also enjoy:

• Generous holiday allowance and Local Government Pension scheme.
• Flexible working and family-friendly policies.
• Season ticket and bicycle loans.
• Staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships.
• Supportive staff networks.

What we’re looking for

We need a reflective and emotionally intelligent practitioner who possesses:

• Deep Knowledge: A strong understanding of trauma theory, attachment, SEND, and legislation relating to CLA and school attendance.
• Relational Skills: The ability to build trust with young people presenting emotional or behavioural difficulties using curiosity and empathy.
• Professional Confidence: The ability to de-escalate difficult conversations and guide schools or partner agencies with tact.

Experience: A background in education or social care, specifically supporting vulnerable young people who have experienced trauma or placement instability.

Location

The job is primarily based in Laurence House, but we operate a hybrid approach where you will be required to work both in the office and from home on a regular basis.

Special conditions

• The job is subject to an enhanced DBS check

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s.

Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification

Salary

£45,852 to £47,925 (PO2) per annum

N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email JobsAndSkills@lewisham.gov.uk and an advisor will be in touch with you.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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