Personal Advisor

Personal Adviser – PO1
Leaving Care Service | Office & Community Based | London Borough of Newham
Interviews: W/c 16.02.2026

Join Us and Help Build a Fairer Newham — Recently Rated Outstanding by Ofsted (Nov 2025)

Newham is a vibrant, diverse, and culturally rich borough with a young population and limitless potential. We are proud to be one of the first local authorities to make “having left care” a protected characteristic, and we remain firmly committed to creating a fairer, more equitable environment for our care leavers to live, learn and thrive.

In November 2025, Ofsted rated Newham’s Children’s Services Outstanding, including the Leaving Care Service. Inspectors praised the borough’s unwavering commitment to care leavers, stating:

“Council members, senior leaders and the workforce share a strong commitment to Newham care leavers… Young people remain at the heart of practice long after they leave care… support does not lessen as they transition into adulthood. Personal advisers build strong and enduring relationships… providing consistent guidance, support and advocacy. They fiercely champion their young people’s rights, and there is a strong culture of keeping the door open long after age 21.”

This is a rare opportunity to join an outstanding service where restorative and systemic practice is at the centre of everything we do. You will be part of a highly supportive and reflective team that values meaningful relationships and professional development.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Personal Advisor to join our dynamic Leaving Care Service. You will work within one of five teams, each made up of a Team Manager, a Senior Social Worker, and five Personal Advisors.

Each Personal Advisor holds a caseload of approximately 25 care‑experienced young people, supporting them as they transition into independent adulthood.

In this role, you will:

• Build trusting, meaningful relationships with care leavers aged 18–25.
• Co‑produce Pathway Plans that are realistic, progressive and tailored to each young person.
• Create and maintain risk assessments and safety plans to safeguard young people.
• Provide guidance and advocacy across health, housing, finance, education, employment, and training.
• Support young people to develop safe family and kinship connections.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external partners to ensure holistic support.

About You

To be shortlisted, you must be an experienced Personal Advisor with:

• A strong background working with care leavers or children in care.
• Proven experience managing a caseload and co‑producing high‑quality Pathway Plans.
• Confidence in assessing and managing risk and developing effective safety plans.
• A strong understanding of the challenges faced by care‑experienced young people.
• Insight into the barriers care leavers face in accessing EET opportunities.
• Experience working in a diverse and vibrant urban community.
• High professional standards and a commitment to reflective practice and continuous learning.

Please view JD here

closing date: 4th February 2026

Additional Information

We are committed to creating an inclusive, anti-racist environment for all. When you apply for a job at Newham, your application is considered on its merits regardless of your age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender identity or sexual orientation. If you share our vision and values, and you bring the experience and skills we need, that’s all that matters to us.

The London Borough of Newham has important responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. If you are appointed to a job that involves working with these groups, you may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Please attach your supporting statement, explaining in no more than x2 A4 sides why and how you meet the criteria for this role.

We practice anonymised recruitment. Please ensure that you remove all personal information from any documents that you upload.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn.