We are seeking an experienced and dedicated Clinical Practitioner to provide expert clinical consultation, therapeutic assessments, and direct intervention to children, young people, and families. Working within a systemic framework, you will play a critical role in enhancing the skills of social workers and youth offending practitioners, ensuring that emotional and mental health needs are identified and effectively addressed.
Main duties of the job
Key responsibilities include:
* Leading the provision of therapeutic consultation and intervention, supporting children, families, and professionals.
* Assessing risk and protective factors, helping to develop safe, effective intervention strategies.
* Providing specialist clinical assessments and evidence-based therapeutic interventions to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and their families.
* Delivering training and guidance on clinical theories, assessment techniques, and therapeutic approaches to social workers and youth justice teams.
* Producing high-quality, analytical reports to inform care planning, court proceedings, and multi-agency decision-making.
* Establishing strong relationships with children and families, helping to build trust and resilience.
* Collaborating with local NHS services, including the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, to ensure access to specialist support.
* Responding to child protection concerns in line with statutory safeguarding procedures.
* Delivering services flexibly across different settings, including homes, schools, and community locations, to meet the needs of families.
About us
Make a Real Difference in the Lives of Vulnerable Children and Families
Are you a skilled and compassionate Clinical Practitioner looking for an opportunity to drive meaningful change? Do you want to use your expertise to shape innovative, trauma-informed approaches that improve the lives of children and young people? If so, Southwark Council wants to hear from you.
At Southwark Council, we are committed to improving the lives of children, young people, and families across the borough. Our Children & Families Division plays a vital role in safeguarding and supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our community. We work tirelessly to ensure that children grow up in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment, with access to the right services at the right time.
Our Clinical Services Team is at the heart of this mission, providing expert consultation and therapeutic support to social work and youth offending teams. This is an opportunity to be part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary team that is shaping the future of children's services in Southwark.
Job responsibilities
Responsibilities
* Lead on the provision of therapeutic consultation and support to children and families within assigned teams and offer advice and support to other professionals in understanding and developing skills in the methods used.
* Contribute to the assessment of risk and protective factors in cases where there are issues of risk of harm to children.
* Develop and implement non-judgmental and creative ways of working to meet the emotional and mental health needs of vulnerable children and their families.
* Provide training in clinical theories, assessment, and therapeutic methods to social work colleagues.
* Undertake assessment of therapeutic need and analyse, evaluate the most appropriate therapeutic interventions based on need.
* Provide evidence-based assessment and therapeutic work with vulnerable children and families, including provision of direct therapeutic work to adults (parents/carers).
* Establish rapport and build and maintain a professional, respectful, and honest relationship with children and their families, to develop trust and assist in safeguarding children and promoting positive and timely outcomes.
* Help evaluate and monitor the service delivered, with a commitment to children and family involvement, including the analysis of complex data and reporting to senior management as required.
* Organise complex information and produce comprehensive, analytic, high-quality reports which make cogent arguments based on the evidence and present information in writing and in person in a range of settings, including with families, foster carers, police, colleagues, and to the family and criminal courts.
* Develop links with and support access to local NHS services provided via the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
* Respond to child protection concerns that arise in the course of the interventions, in line with child protection procedures and guidance.
* Deliver services flexibly across different parts of the service (as dictated by service need) and within homes, schools, or community settings where required.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Therapeutic qualification providing registration with one of the following registering bodies: United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), British Association of Counsellors & Psychotherapists (BACP), British Association of Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP), Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) as a mental health nurse, Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a practitioner psychologist or art/occupational therapists.
* Must be able to provide evidence of continuing professional development.
* Knowledge of therapeutic services that offer support to children and their families.
* Knowledge and understanding of child development, parenting capacity, environmental factors, and risk and protective factors.
* Knowledge and understanding of current issues and best practice in relation to children's social work and therapeutic interventions.
* Knowledge of roles and responsibilities of key children's agencies.
* Knowledge and understanding of a range of psychological interventions and methodologies and commitment to the systemic approach.
* Knowledge of adult mental health disorders and relevant services.
Experience
* Experience of delivering evidence-based therapeutic services to children and within a relevant setting ideally with experience of working within a children's social care setting and providing formal reports to the family or youth justice courts.
* Experience of assessment and therapeutic work with adults.
* Experience of successfully working in an anti-discriminatory way including addressing issues of racism, inequality, and injustice.
* Ability to collate and analyse complex information, and produce and present quality reports in a variety of different settings, including courts and review meetings.
* Understanding of "Social Work Matters" and commitment to the principles of openness, transparency, leadership, and accountability.
* Ability to evaluate the quality of services provided and produce recommendations for improvements.
* Ability to build professional relationships with children and their families that promote positive outcomes.
* Computer literacy skills at a level to maintain case records within information management systems.
* Ability to work closely and support other practitioners, and maintain effective working relationships.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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