Senior Social Worker Leaving Care Service
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Posted on:
23 hours ago
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1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Senior Social Worker - Leaving Care Service
PO(Plus Market Supplement)
Office & Community Based
Interviews: w/c 20.04.2026
Senior Social Worker PO5. Candidates must have experience of working directly with care leavers.
Leaving Care Service Office & Community Based London Borough of Newham
Interviews: w/c 20.04.2026 (Job advert may close early if high volume of applications received)
Join Us and Help Build a Fairer Newham Recently Rated Outstanding by Ofsted (Nov 2025)
Newham is a vibrant diverse and culturally rich borough with a young population and limitless potential. We are proud to be one of the first local authorities in the country to recognise having left care as a protected characteristic reflecting our unwavering commitment to equity inclusion and meaningful change for our care leavers.
In November 2025 Ofsted rated Newhams Childrens Services Outstanding including the Leaving Care Service. Inspectors highlighted the boroughs exceptional dedication to young people and the strength of our relational longterm practice:
Council members senior leaders and the workforce share a strong commitment to Newham care leavers Young people remain at the heart of practice long after they leave care support does not lessen as they transition into adulthood. Personal advisers build strong and enduring relationships providing consistent guidance support and advocacy. They fiercely champion their young peoples rights and there is a strong culture of keeping the door open long after age 21.
This is a rare opportunity to join an Outstanding service where restorative systemic and relationshipbased practice sits at the centre of everything we do. You will be joining a highly supportive and reflective team that values trust professional growth and meaningful relationships with young people.
If you want to make a real lasting differenceand be part of a service that genuinely champions its care leaversNewham is the place to do it.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Senior Social Worker to join our dynamic Leaving Care Service. You will work within one of five supportive teams each comprising a Team Manager a Senior Social Worker and a group of Personal Advisers.
As a Senior Social Worker you will undertake complex relationshipbased work with care leavers aged 1825 ensuring they receive consistent highquality statutory support as they transition into adulthood. You will also play a key leadership role within the team contributing to professional development reflective practice and service stability.
In this role you will:
- Build trusting meaningful and enduring relationships with care leavers aged 1825.
- Lead on comprehensive assessments risk management and safety planning to safeguard young people.
- Coproduce realistic progressive and aspirational Pathway Plans that reflect each young persons goals and strengths.
- Provide expert guidance and advocacy across housing health education employment finance and wellbeing.
- Support young people to develop and sustain safe family kinship and community connections.
- Work collaboratively with internal and external partners to ensure a holistic and coordinated approach.
- Linemanage and provide case supervision to one Personal Adviser ensuring oversight of all young people allocated to that PA.
- Offer professional leadership to colleagues through mentoring coaching and modelling reflective restorative practice.
- Provide interim managerial cover in the absence of the Team Manager supporting service continuity and decisionmaking.
- Chair key meetings relating to young peoples plans ensuring highquality multiagency coordination.
About You
To be shortlisted you must be a qualified and experienced Senior Social Worker with Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) Level 1 & Level 2 qualification alongside:
- A strong track record of working with care leavers or children in care in a statutory setting.
- Proven experience managing a complex caseload and coproducing highquality outcomefocused Pathway Plans.
- Confidence and skill in assessing managing and mitigating risk including developing effective safety plans.
- A deep understanding of the challenges faced by careexperienced young people including trauma identity stability and transition to adulthood.
- Insight into the barriers young people face when accessing education employment training housing and health services.
- Experience working within a diverse urban community and a commitment to antidiscriminatory and antioppressive practice.
- High professional standards excellent written and verbal communication skills and a commitment to reflective practice systemic thinking and continuous learning.
- The ability to coach mentor and support colleagues contributing to a positive and restorative team culture.
Please view JD here
Additional Information
We are committed to creating an inclusive anti-racist environment for all. When you apply for a job at Newham your application is considered on its merits regardless of your age disability ethnicity faith gender identity or sexual orientation. If you share our vision and values and you bring the experience and skills we need thats all that matters to us.
The London Borough of Newham has important responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children young people and vulnerable adults. If you are appointed to a job that involves working with these groups you may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Please attach CV along with your supporting statement explaining in no more than x2 A4 sides why and how you meet the criteria for this role.
We practice anonymised recruitment. Please ensure that you remove all personal information from any documents that you upload.
The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud other unlawful or dishonest conduct malpractice and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas and your data protection rights can be found by Experience:
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About Company
The London Borough of Newham is located only 5 miles east of London. It is well positioned with access to all major networks in London and the south east. It is well connected by public transport with, bus, tube and DLR. When the Crossrail service opens it will call at Custom House ... View more
