Senior Social Worker – Specialist team

Senior Social Worker – Risk Outside the Home (ROTH)

Lewisham Council

Salary: £39.04 per hour (Umbrella)
Contract: Locum | Full-time | 24 Weeks | Inside IR35
Working Pattern: Minimum 3 days in the office per week (Thursday mandatory, plus 2 duty days)
Start Date: ASAP

Lewisham Council is looking to recruit experienced Senior Social Workers to join its specialist Risk Outside the Home (ROTH) service. This is an exciting opportunity to work within a dedicated adolescent safeguarding team supporting young people aged 11 and over who are experiencing extra-familial harm, exploitation, serious youth violence, and other complex risks outside the home.

Working within a highly skilled multi-agency service, you'll play a key role in safeguarding vulnerable adolescents, building meaningful relationships with young people and their families, and delivering effective statutory interventions that improve long-term outcomes.

About the Role

As a Senior Social Worker within the ROTH Team, you'll manage a complex caseload of adolescents where the primary concerns relate to exploitation, contextual safeguarding, missing episodes, criminal and sexual exploitation, and other risks outside the family home.

You'll undertake statutory assessments, attend Strategy Meetings, complete Section 47 investigations, chair Child in Need Meetings, and work collaboratively with police, education, health, youth justice, and other partner agencies to reduce risk and achieve positive outcomes for young people.

This is an excellent opportunity for practitioners who are passionate about working with adolescents and confident managing complex safeguarding cases.

Key Responsibilities

  • Manage a complex caseload of adolescents aged 11+ presenting with Risk Outside the Home concerns.
  • Complete statutory assessments and develop effective intervention plans.
  • Undertake Section 47 investigations and safeguarding enquiries.
  • Attend Strategy Meetings and work collaboratively within multi-agency safeguarding processes.
  • Chair Child in Need Meetings and review progress against plans.
  • Undertake direct work with young people and their families using relationship-based practice.
  • Prepare high-quality reports for child protection conferences, legal proceedings, and court where required.
  • Work closely with police, education, health, youth justice, and other partner agencies.
  • Maintain accurate and timely case recordings in line with statutory requirements.
  • Support colleagues and contribute to reflective practice within the team.

Practice Model

Lewisham's Risk Outside the Home (ROTH) service is built around relationship-based and contextual safeguarding practice. The team works collaboratively with partner agencies to understand and reduce risks occurring beyond the family home, ensuring young people's voices remain central to assessment, planning, and intervention.

Social workers are encouraged to build meaningful relationships with adolescents and their families while delivering evidence-informed practice that supports long-term positive outcomes.

Requirements

  • Social Work degree or equivalent qualification.
  • Social Work England registration.
  • Significant post-qualified experience within Children's Services.
  • Experience working with adolescents and complex safeguarding concerns.
  • Experience undertaking Section 47 investigations, Strategy Meetings, and Child in Need processes.
  • Strong understanding of child protection legislation and statutory guidance.
  • Experience managing complex risk within a multi-agency environment.
  • Excellent assessment, communication, and report writing skills.
  • Previous experience supervising or mentoring colleagues is desirable.

Benefits

  • £39.04 per hour (Umbrella).
  • 24-week locum opportunity.
  • Hybrid working with a minimum of three office days per week.
  • Thursday is the team's mandatory office day, alongside two duty days.
  • Opportunity to join a specialist adolescent safeguarding service.
  • Supportive management team with regular supervision.
  • Long-term opportunity within a well-established London borough.

Interested?

Contact Rhys Rafferty at Sheldon Phillips on 07595 063297 or email rrafferty@sheldon-phillips.com to discuss this role in more detail.

Referral Bonus: Know someone who would be a great fit? Refer them to Sheldon Phillips and, if we successfully place them into a locum role, you'll receive a £300 referral bonus as a thank you. If you know an experienced social worker looking for their next opportunity, we'd love to hear from them. Terms and conditions apply.