Job summary
- Main area
- Paediatric Management
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- 11 months (Fixed term until 31st March 2025 due to limited funding.)
- Hours
- Part time - 22.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 309-UCLH-4310
- Employer
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- The Lighthouse
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £51,488 - £57,802 Per annum inclusive of HCAS pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/05/2024 23:59
Employer heading
Senior ChISVA/ Consultant Social Worker
NHS AfC: Band 7
Job overview
The Lighthouse is passionate about challenging the current response to children who have been sexually abused. Directly serving North Central London we have influenced policy and practice across the UK to embed this proven multidisciplinary, child-centred way of working, increasing convictions and improving health and well-being of the child/young people and their carers. If you want to experience working in this unique multidisciplinary service for child victims and be part of changing the response to child sexual abuse, we want to hear from you.
The Lighthouse are recruiting to our Case Management team, two Fixed Term Child and Family Practitioners and a Fixed Term Part Time Manager. All three post will be on a short-term basis to start immediately up till 31st March 2025. The Case Management team is multidisciplinary with colleagues coming from a variety of backgrounds including ChISVA's and Social Workers, who work directly with children and carers in supporting their journey through the criminal justice process.
Main duties of the job
The Lighthouse is leading the response in children's recovery from child sexual abuse & is England's only Barnahus/Child House. We are part of an innovative network of integrated multidisciplinary services to Child Sexual Abuse across Europe. We directly serve North Central London but are influencing policy, decision makers & the legal framework for victims of Child Sexual Abuse across the UK & are seen as a model of best practice in this area. We are passionate about promoting this proven child-centred way of working; increasing criminal convictions & victim advocacy; improving health & well-being of our children, young people & their careers. We want our shared learning & research to inform service delivery & the roll out of multidisciplinary Barnahus services in England, so every child has access to similar such services
An exciting opportunity has arisen to be a part of the Lighthouse team shaping the innovation of integrated services for children & carers. We are looking for two experienced & skilled Child & Family practitioners to join our multidisciplinary team of social workers & ChISVAs to work directly with children & carers in assessing needs & devising care plans. You will be supporting the child's criminal justice journey & early advice; children’s safeguarding; & pathway through the Lighthouse service & their recovery from sexual abuse. We are also looking for a part time Senior ChISVA /social worker who will manage & support our Child & Family Practitioners.
Working for our organisation
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.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This post is open to practitioners from a variety of professional backgrounds who have experience of working directly with children & carers who have been affected by child sexual abuse in the UK & have a working knowledge of Home Office ISVA Guidance, criminal justice & safeguarding processes & Children's social care procedures.
The Senior ChISVA/Consultant Social Worker will alongside the current Consultant Social Worker & Practice Development Manger supporting a team of Child & Family Practitioners to ensure the development, delivery, & continuous improvement of the Lighthouse services for CYP & their carers, particularly as it relates to victim experience & providing advocacy & choice during criminal justice process.
Holding a small case load of more complex cases the Senior ISVA/Consultant Social Worker will provide case management to the Child & Family practitioners within the Lighthouse & support the management process for new referrals, support triage & safeguarding oversight on all referrals.
The Senior ChISVA/Consultant Social worker will support colleagues across the Lighthouse services (including case management processes & management of risk issues) as well as providing liaison & advice regarding police processes for victims & to local social care teams & referrers regarding the criminal justice process & ChISVA support at the Lighthouse.
The Lighthouse Model
The Lighthouse is the first UK Child House, a multi-professional, child centred & trauma informed service for CYP who have experienced child sexual abuse & a national leader in the field. The Lighthouse provides a holistic health assessment & medical support, emotional support & therapeutic interventions, advocacy & police interviews led by clinical psychologists. This child-centred concept has had proven success abroad, in particular Iceland, where there is evidence of increased convictions & improved health & well-being of the child/young person.
After a successful pilot, funded by the Home Office, NHS England, Mayor’s office for Police & crime (MOPAC) & Department for Education from 2018 - 2022, the Lighthouse secured recurrent statutory funding from April 2022. NHS England commission the service which is provided by University College London Hospitals (UCLH) in partnership with NSPCC & Metropolitan Police Service. CYP who live in the five boroughs in North Central London: Camden, Islington, Enfield, Haringey & Barnet can be referred or can self-refer to the service.
The Lighthouse Team
The service is jointly managed by the Lighthouse Operational Manager & the Clinical Lead. The Lighthouse service includes a CAMHS team of therapists (including Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatrist, CAMHS practitioners), Lived Experience Consultant; a Case Management team including Child & family practitioners, who are ChISVA's & social workers: a Health team including Paediatricians, Clinical Nurse Specialist for sexual health, Play Specialist; & can access ‘Letting the Future In’ practitioners (NSPCC) in the Lighthouse.
The Case Management team
The Lighthouse is a service with a focus on quality & safety for children & young people. The posts will be within the Case Management team which is a busy, fast paced & responsive team made up of child & family practitioners who are ChISVA's & social workers. The team is responsible for ensuring the seamless journey through the lighthouse & working closely with colleagues in the community particularly the Police & Children's Social Care . You will be a good team member & be able to contribute in areas of clinical practice & development; will be responsible for working independently, as well as being able to contribute to multi-disciplinary working, & managing a caseload of children & young people ensuring safe & effective practice.
With our focus on safety & improving the experience of children & young people who have been sexually abused, we are committed to advocating for victims' rights & the wishes of children & young people in the Lighthouse within the criminal justice process. We work closely with community colleagues addressing health & wellbeing inequalities for those child & young people who experience more barriers to accessing support in their recovery.
We are passionate about creating inclusive service delivery, where children are & workplace that promotes & values diversity & actively addresses barriers faced by our children. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian & minority ethnic candidates as they are underrepresented within the service.
Given the nature of the service & high level of exposure to information about child sexual abuse, you will be expected attend mandatory reflective supervision; you must be comfortable with both with formal process & "softer" engagement & development approaches; you will have good awareness of trauma informed practice; be committed to promoting psychological safety for yourself; & building on effective partnership working with colleagues in the community.
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
*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 second year in a row.
UCLH top trust to work at in England – for the second year running! : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Once again, UCLH has received the highest score of all general acute and acute/community NHS trusts in England for staff that would recommend us as a place to work.
Person specification
1. Knowledge & Qualifications
Essential criteria
- a. ChISVA accreditation with recognised provider or Social work qualification (Masters Level or equivalent) and current HCPC registration.
- b. Recognised management and leadership qualification or demonstrable equivalent management and leadership experience.
- d. A highly developed understanding of systems and barriers faced by vulnerable children in accessing services to support their experience of recovery from child sexual abuse particularly for black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and children with disabilities.
Desirable criteria
- c. Highly developed specialist knowledge in working with victims of child sexual abuse cases going through the criminal justice system including up to date knowledge fo the criminal justice system.
- e. Knowledge of up to date Pan London child protection procedures and statutory guidance relating to multidisciplinary safeguarding.
2. Experience
Essential criteria
- a. At least 4 years work experience working with children and carers affected by sexual abuse through the investigation and criminal justice process.
- b. Experience of supporting children and their carers in complex criminal justice cases including undertaking needs and risk assessments, safety planning and case co-ordination.
- c. Experience of anti-racist practice or practice that is focused on addressing barriers for vulnerable children particularly those from minoritised groups in accessing support services
- d. Experience of managing ChISVA’s /Social workers offering case management and reflective supervision.
Desirable criteria
- e. Experience of working with police officers and promoting the rights of victims with in investigations and the criminal justice process.
- f. Experience of multiagency engagement working collaboratively with Childrens Social Care and safeguarding processes.
3. Communication
Essential criteria
- a. Ability to provide and receive receiving highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills, such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere.
- b. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- c. Excellent oral, written and presentation skills
- d. To ensure the Service’s procedures for managing risk are followed at all times, and to seek appropriate advice as necessary.
4. Personal And People Development
Essential criteria
- a. Decision-making skills
- b. Knowledge on safeguarding issues linked to this role
- c. Able to communicate effectively to all disciplines
- d. Able to manage time effectively
- e. Able to priorities objectives and workload
5. Quality
Essential criteria
- a. Ability to priorities work in the face of competing demands
Desirable criteria
- b. Ability to manage and deliver to deadlines and within resources
7. Information processing
Essential criteria
- a. Able to utilise ICT to full potential
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Eimear Timmons
- Job title
- Practice Development Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
For an informal discussion about the posts and opportunity of working at the Lighthouse please contact: Eimear Timmons or Clementine Anderson - [email protected]
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