Children’s Social Worker

Children’s Social Worker

The closing date is 06 July 2026

We are looking to recruit a part time Children’s Social Worker to our Acute Perinatal Ward who will provide a child‑focused, perinatal mental health social work service to our families.

You will work closely with the PMOA Safeguarding Lead, be an active member of the multi‑disciplinary team, and liaise with external and partnership agencies to support mothers and their families.

Job Responsibilities

1. Work in partnership with service users, families and carers to meet social care needs within complex perinatal mental health situations.
2. Provide an effective social work service by ensuring access to appropriate resources from local authorities and national agencies.
3. Make referrals where appropriate and provide or access advocacy, information and guidance for service users, carers and agencies.
4. Act as a member of the multi‑disciplinary ward team, exercising professional responsibility through case discussions and support for women referred with complex problems, including assessment of risks such as self‑harm, self‑neglect, vulnerability, harm to others, domestic abuse, exploitation and safeguarding of children and adults.
5. Coordinate care for service users and their babies by conducting risk assessments and aftercare plans informed by the Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004, Domestic Abuse Act 2021, Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Care Act 2014.
6. Provide direct work to support positive parenting and mental health recovery for service users and their families.
7. Contribute to complex risk assessment and ongoing risk management, safety planning and safe discharge arrangements in accordance with child safeguarding and mental health legislation.
8. Offer social work advice, training and supervision to ward staff alongside the PMOA Safeguarding Lead, focusing on child safeguarding and family law in perinatal mental ill‑health.
9. Implement child safeguarding practices and promote the welfare of children, following national, London and SLaM policies and attending multi‑agency safeguarding meetings as required.
10. Implement adult safeguarding procedures in accordance with inter‑agency and Trust procedures for safeguarding adults, including domestic abuse and exploitation.
11. Work closely with other professionals and external agencies to meet the complex needs of users and carers within the hospital and community settings.
12. Apply social work ethical principles, values and critical reflection to respect diversity and guide practice sensitively and innovatively.
13. Promote equality, diversity and inclusion, maintaining awareness of the policy and creating a safe, supportive and welcoming environment.
14. Attend professional social work supervision with the PMOA Safeguarding Lead to promote continuous professional development.
15. Undertake specialist perinatal and SLaM mandatory training in consultation with the PMOA Safeguarding Lead.
16. Produce and write complex reports and complete agreed core tasks for SLaM, including procedural and administrative duties related to the social work function.
17. Ensure information is recorded consistently, accurately and meets statutory timescales, maintaining confidentiality and sharing information in accordance with Trust data protection requirements.
18. Assist in appropriate service developments, quality assurance audits and research as deemed appropriate and in consultation with the PMOA Safeguarding Lead and the ward manager.
19. Carry out the duties and responsibilities of the post, in accordance with Trust Health and Safety Policy and relevant Health and Safety legislation.
20. Be responsible for personal and professional development as identified through supervision.
21. Undertake mandatory training and other educational activities agreed with the Ward Manager and Safeguarding Lead.
22. Provide general support to Nursery Nurses, Support Workers and other learners, offering training and assessing competence alongside the Safeguarding Lead.
23. Participate in raising awareness of the role with statutory and non‑statutory agencies.
24. Participate in research and audit activity as required.
25. Value diversity and promote equality of opportunity, ensuring fair treatment and respect for all contributions.
26. Maintain up‑to‑date and accurate records, including risk assessment and crisis contingency planning, in accordance with Trust and team policies.
27. Assist in ensuring individual care plans are well documented and reflect a multidisciplinary approach, evidence‑based practice and appropriate review periods.
28. Maintain the confidential nature of clinical information, whether written or verbal.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Recognised social work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Qualifications or training in specialist skills such as psychological interventions.

Knowledge

• Key legislation central to a professional child social work service in perinatal mental health settings, including the Children Act 1989 (2004), Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.
• Working knowledge of the Care Act 2014 and Mental Capacity Act 2005, specific to adult safeguarding procedures.
• Significant knowledge of child development, parenting capacity, environmental factors and risk and protective procedures.
• Understanding of diversity and equality issues and their application in perinatal psychiatry.

Experience

• Evidence‑based approach and best practice principles working with service users and their families.
• Effective work with women and families from diverse minority ethnic and cultural backgrounds and with high levels of deprivation, social isolation, exclusion and stigma.
• Direct experience with infants, children, young people and their families where perinatal mental health is a factor.
• Experience of multi‑agency pre‑birth planning (CPA) for women with serious mental illness.

Skills

• Effective liaison with and specialist consultation to other agencies.
• Ability to manage time and competing demands in a high‑pressure environment.
• Effective written and verbal communication and recording skills.
• Ability to understand and reflect on complex parenting issues in the context of mental illness, with awareness of professional and personal challenges.
• IT skills, including proficiency in Outlook, Word and electronic service user database systems.
• Evidence of networking within the Perinatal Psychiatry Specialty.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975.

Contract

Permanent

Working Pattern

Part‑time

Salary

£55,524 to £62,652 a year inclusive of Outer HCAs

Location

Mother and baby unit, Fitzmary House, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3BX

Reference Number

334-CLI-8049530

#J-18808-Ljbffr…