About the Role
As a (Senior) Social Worker, you will be joining one of the three Children Looked After Teams. Each team is made up of a Team Manager and five Social Workers. Your work will be supported by Systemic Practitioners and Specialist Practitioners.
In this role, you will be supporting children who are living with relatives, friends, foster families, prospective adopters, or in children’s homes and semi‑independent settings. Your primary responsibility will be to build sustainable relationships with these children and plan for their permanence, ensuring their safety and supporting them in taking the necessary steps towards independence.
You will be conducting regular visits, assessments and reviewing their Care Plans, which will allow you to nurture and develop meaningful relationships with children and young people. By understanding and interpreting their wishes, you will be able to champion and support them in reaching their full potential. Occasionally, you may be required to prepare reports and attend court hearings.
In this challenging but rewarding role, you will receive regular supervision and consultations with our Clinical Family Therapy service to ensure you have the necessary support. Additionally, you will work alongside other social workers, placement support officers, and partnership organisations such as Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Independent Reviewing Officers.
Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience
- A qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England, with successful completion of your ASYE.
- Previous experience of working with Looked After Children.
- Confident in your knowledge and practice, with experience across voluntary and statutory settings.
- A natural collaborator and communicator who brings compassion, creativity and clarity to your work.
- A champion for children and families, with a belief in their potential and a commitment to their rights.
How We Support You
You will be part of a small team of five Social Workers with manageable caseloads. Dedicated business support staff work alongside you to reduce admin and free up your time. You will have opportunities to lead, influence and innovate through working groups and service development.
Our training offer is second to none: Systemic Psychotherapy (Levels 1, 2 and 3), Practice Educator training, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma‑Informed Practice, Leadership Development and much more.
We offer clear career progression through our panel for Senior Social Worker and Advanced Practitioner roles, plus ASYE, Step Up and Apprenticeship pathways. Excellent transport links and a vibrant, supportive working culture.
Benefits
Payment of Social Work England registration fee. Plus more – view our Children’s Services offer here.
We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Richmond and Wandsworth Better Service Partnership is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
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