Job Description

Salary - Grade
GBP 55,353 to 57,495 55353 - PO5
Contract Type
Permanent
Contracted Hours
Full Time - 36 hours per week
DBS Required
Yes
Department
Adults, Health & Integration
Service
Adult Social Care
Closing date
23/11/2025

Are you an experienced, confident Social Worker ready to step into a leadership role, providing expert guidance on complex cases and driving quality assurance?


The London Borough of Hackney is a dynamic, values-led authority, renowned for our commitment to equity. We are actively focused on becoming an anti-racist borough and proactively bringing fairness across gender, neurodiversity, and social class. Join our Integrated Mental Health Service (IMHS), a Section 75 partnership with East London Foundation Trust (ELFT) , and play a key role in shaping best practice across our redesigned service.

The Role: Professional Leadership

As a Senior Practitioner, you will be a vital link between frontline practice and management, focusing on expertise, quality, and staff development.


Your core responsibilities will be to:


Provide expert professional advice and support to social workers on the most complex cases.


Lead quality assurance within your team, ensuring safe, legally compliant, and strengths based practice.


Take a lead role in safeguarding adults, including chairing and coordinating enquiries where appropriate.


Mentor staff and support the Team Manager with supervision and professional development. Contribute to the embedding of trauma-informed and anti-racist practice across the service.


Collaborate effectively with ELFT and external partners to achieve positive outcomes for residents.

About You: Essential Criteria

We are seeking experienced social workers confident in practice and ready for this leadership opportunity.

You must bring:

A recognised Social Work qualification and current Social Work England registration.


Strong knowledge of key legislation, particularly the Care Act, Mental Health Act, and Mental Capacity Act.


Experience of managing complex casework, safeguarding enquiries, and risk.



The ability to mentor and support less experienced colleagues and promote reflective practice.


Excellent communication skills and a commitment to collaborative, inclusive working.

An Enhanced DBS is required.

What We Offer You

In Hackney, you will be part of a supportive management structure with clear opportunities for career progression. You will be supported to thrive in one of London's most diverse boroughs.

Your Package

Access to comprehensive training and development, including advanced study and leadership opportunities.


Flexible working options.


A range of financial, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including tenancy deposit loans, cycle to work scheme, and discounted gym membership.



As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.


If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV's.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Prior to applying for a vacancy for a secondment opportunity, please liaise with your line manager and inform them of your interest in applying for the role.

This application process replaces a supporting statement.

Closing date for applications: 23 Novenber 2025 (22:59)

Interview date: January 2026

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.



Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.



The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk