Consultant Social Worker

The post holder will manage cases, support & supervise team members including Child and Family practitioners/ChISVA's and student social workers and oversee the performance of the team, working alongside the CMT Leadership. providing, case consultation, triaging referrals to the service and will contribute to intake decisions, and service delivery planning, ensuring the highest standards of advocacy and safeguarding in line with ISVA, Home Office and Ministry of Justice guidance. You will lead quality assurance, audits, service improvement initiatives, and support research into children's experiences of the criminal justice process. You will also hold a small caseload of complex, high-risk cases.,

• Identify and address barriers to support, engagement and recovery for diverse children affected by sexual abuse who have bee referred to the Lighthouse.
• Provide supervision, case consultation, guidance and planned case management to Child and Family Practitioners/ChISVA's and Student Social Workers
• Contribute to intake decisions, case discussions and multidisciplinary planning to ensure effective safeguarding and advocacy for children and families.
• Ensure compliance with ISVA, Home Office and Ministry of Justice guidance, and maintain high standards of clinical, safeguarding and operational governance.
• Participate in quality assurance, audits, and research initiatives to improve the child's experience of the criminal justice process.
• Support service development, continuous improvement, and the implementation of best-practice directives across the Lighthouse.
• Represent the Lighthouse at internal and external meetings, fostering strong partnership working with police, social care, legal partners, therapeutic services and community organisations.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research. We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology. We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040. For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description. You will represent the Lighthouse externally at case management meetings, support professional training and workshops, and ensure the voice of children, young people and families informs service development. You will promote contextual and transitional safeguarding across the service, contribute to clinical governance, and maintain high standards of risk management, documentation, and data reporting. ....CONTINUED FROM MAIN DUTIES SECTION:
• Support the Delivery of training, workshops, and practice development initiatives to build team competence and knowledge.
• Promote contextual and transitional safeguarding approaches, ensuring risk assessments and safety plans are robust and regularly reviewed.
• Champion the voice of children, young people and families, supporting participation in forums, feedback surveys and service evaluation.
• Maintain accurate, timely records in electronic systems, ensuring compliance with information governance and audit requirements.
• Support the development and professional growth of the case management team, modelling reflective practice, psychological safety, and high-quality, child-centred advocacy.
The Lighthouse, Camden The Lighthouseis the UK's first Child House and a national leader in trauma-informed, multidisciplinary support for children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse. Based in Camden and serving North Central London, we bring together police, health, psychology and advocacy under one roof to provide holistic care, early support, and criminal justice advocacy. We are seeking a Consultant Social Worker to lead our Case Management team, supporting and Child and Family Practitioners while shaping high-quality, child-centred services. We are committed to addressing structural inequality inexperienced by children who report sexual abuse both in our service provision and referral criteria. Our commitment to inclusion We value professionals who understand the impact that culture, identity, disadvantage and structural inequalities can have on a child's experience of abuse and access to support. We are committed to helping you strengthen and enhance this aspect of your practice through reflection, learning and collaboration, so that all children and families receive equitable and compassionate care. . We are committed to recruiting a diverse and inclusive workforce and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and ethnic minority candidates and from men, who are underrepresented in the service. Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff
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  You will be a qualified, experienced social worker with experience of providing expert advice and leadership on safeguarding investigations and managing complex safeguarding cases, promoting best practice and supporting professional networks engaging with Lighthouse services. You will have significant knowledge of criminal justice pathways and the role of ISVA/ChISVA's and will have proven leadership in supervising teams. You will have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills and be skilled at navigating complex, sensitive and uncertain situations. You will demonstrate resilience, embrace reflective and appreciative practice, and build strong collaborative partnerships to meet the evolving needs of children affected by abuse.
• Triage referrals to the service.
• Lead on providing expert consultation and on safeguarding children impacted by child sexual abuse to community colleagues including children's social care. Hold a small caseload of complex, high-risk cases, delivering trauma-informed, child-centred direct interventions.
  
  UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England - for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff - To find out more, visit: Flexible working. To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?