Social Worker - 0-15 Care Service

Are you a Social Worker passionate about making a difference in children’s lives?

Do you believe in the power of relationships to bring about meaningful change for children, young people and families?

Are you a dedicated and passionate Social Worker looking to make a real difference

If yes, we have a great opportunity for you!

We are currently seeking Social Workers to join us in the 0 - 15 Care Service as we embark on an exciting new journey.

About the Role:

This is a unique opportunity to help shape and create a service that truly reflects the needs of our children and young people - one that we can all be proud of.

We are looking for a dynamic and committed Social Workers who are passionate about improving outcomes and ready to contribute to the development of a refreshed and responsive Service.

Working in the Care Service in Southwark means being part of a service that is committed to relationship-based practice, high support and high challenge, and a culture of learning, reflection and kindness. We value creativity, collaboration and a shared commitment to achieving the best outcomes for our children. You’ll be joining a service that is ambitious, inclusive and focused on continuous improvement.

Working in the Care Service in Southwark means being part of a Service where you are truly valued and supported to grow. We believe that great social work happens when practitioners feel safe, encouraged and inspired. You’ll be joining a service that invests in its people - where your voice matters and your professional journey is nurtured every step of the way.

Support offered includes:

• Regular supervision with line manager (providing opportunity for reflection and learning).
• Practice Group Supervision to reflect on case dilemmas with the Team and clinical practitioners
• Access to in-house and bespoke training
• Regular service development days and Learning Fest
• Community events and specific Team away days

Our Children’s Services have been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted for over a decade, and we continue to strive for excellence in our practice and the best possible outcomes for our children and families.

We have a well-embedded practice framework, underpinned by our above principles. We make extensive use of systemic and strengths-based practices, as well as restorative and attachment-informed approaches.

This was noted by Ofsted in 2017 who said “Southwark attracts experienced, high-quality social workers who are keen to work in small units that employ systemic methods…”

In 2019 we had a focused visit it was noted ‘Progress has been made since the last inspection in ensuring that permanence is routinely considered when planning for children’. Social Workers will be supported to ensure that all children achieve permanence within the required timescales to ensure that there is no drift.

About you:

As a social worker you will be key in ensuring the welfare and assessed needs of those whom we support making sure they are managed in a safe and inclusive way.

We are looking for enthusiastic, passionate and motivated social workers to join our service. You will adopt a strength-based, person-centred approach to your work and be able to balance challenging demands whilst growing and developing in your practice.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative.

We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Contact Information:

If you’d like to discuss further, please get in touch with Nina Lehmann (Service Manager, 0-16 Care Service) via email at Nina.Lehmann@southwark.gov.uk or Elaine Reid (Head of Service) at elaine.reid@southwark.gov.uk

Additional Information:

• Qualifications Required: Social Work Qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Working Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday - Friday (Full time)
• Enhanced DBS required
• Location: Sumner House, SE15 5QS.

Benefits and more information:

https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/

Recruitment Timeline:

• Advert close date: 11:59pm on Sunday 14th September 2025
• Shortlisting: Week commencing 15th September 2025
• Interviews: Week commencing 22nd September 2025

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

About Southwark:

We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises, and we have a young, diverse and growing population.

At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.

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Attachments

• Social Worker Job Description and Person Specification