Personal Advisor

Are you passionate about helping young people in need make a successful transition to adulthood?

If yes, we have the perfect role for you!

Southwark Council is recruiting a Permanent Personal Advisor to join our dedicated Care Leavers Service and play a key role in supporting young people as they transition into adulthood. Come and join us and make a difference today!

About the Role:

This is an excellent opportunity for a passionate and dedicated individual to work collaboratively with our young people. You will play a crucial role in supporting and empowering young people currently in care, as well as those who have left care and are eligible for leaving care services. Through practical and planned interventions, you will help them make a successful transition to adulthood.

Personal Advisors are vital members of our Children’s Services team, fulfilling a statutory function by working with care leavers (aged 18 to 25). You will befriend, advise, assist, to enable care leavers meet their goals by providing direct practical support, working within multidisciplinary networks within the statutory and non-profit sectors.

We are committed to continually improving outcomes for our children, including increasing the number of young people in education, employment, and training. We also aim to enhance our expertise in safeguarding young adults and ensuring good accommodation outcomes.

About You:

We are looking for a passionate individual who is determined to ensure that all Looked After Children and Care Leavers receive the best opportunities, support, and pathways to successful independence. Your primary goal will be to help our care leaver’s transition to adulthood through practical and well-planned interventions.

To succeed in this role, you will be:

• Organised and committed to working in co production with our young people, determined to deliver the services they deserve.
• Passionate about making a positive impact on care leavers' lives, working with our young people to set clear and SMART goals in their Pathway Plans and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• An excellent communicator with strong interpersonal and influencing skills, able to collaborate effectively with our young people.
• Ability to record in a timely way with a first-person approach.

For more information, please see the job description and person specification at the bottom of this advert.

About Us:

Our Children's Services provides outstanding support to vulnerable children and families in Southwark. Our systemically informed, relationship-based approach prioritises the needs of each child, working purposefully with families to manage risk, promote positive outcomes, and create lasting change.

Our most recent Ofsted inspection was graded as ‘good’ in all areas. The children in our care said we are a “special council and are like a family to them”. Ofsted also said ‘Staff have access to a wide range of training and development opportunities. They report that they are very well supported by proactive, visible managers, who encourage them to engage in personal development. These events enable them to reflect and focus on making improvements to their practice. Caseloads are manageable, enabling workers to undertake effective direct work with care leavers.’

Contact Details:

If you would like an informal conversation about this role, please contact Cyril Leroy (Cyril.leroy@southwark.gov.uk) or Leila Lynch (Leila.lynch@southwark.gov.uk).

Additional Information:

• Working Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday - Friday
• Type of contract: Permanent
• DBS required
• You are expected in the office at least three times a week and you will be part of a duty rota.
• Location: Talfourd Place Peckham London SE15 5NW

Benefits and more information:

https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/

Recruitment Timeline:

• Close Date: 11:59pm on Sunday 26th October 2025
• Shortlisting Date(s): Week commencing 27th October 2025
• Interview Date(s): Week commencing 3rd November 2025

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once enough applications have been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

About Southwark:

We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises, and we have a young, diverse and growing population.

At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.

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Attachments

• Personal Advisor - Job Description & Person Specification