Social Worker - Permanency, Assessment & Support Team (PAST)

About Us

We believe that the best place for children is to be raised within their own families, immediate or wider, wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so. In Tower Hamlets, we are committed to building relationships and strengthening families by working with people in a compassionate and understanding way.

We are ambitious for Tower Hamlets children and families and endeavour for every child and young person to be healthy, safe and successful.

Tower Hamlets is a progressive, ambitious and diverse place to work. We place children and families at the heart of everything that we do and are relentless in our pursuit of positive outcomes for all.

Our Better Together Practice Framework is based on the ideas and concepts which underpin Restorative Practice and draws from other strength-based approaches, such as Systemic and Trauma Informed Practice

Our C-Change approach: Connect, Curious, Community, Co-Produce, Collaborate, Check sets out “6 Cs ” for our work with children, young people, their parents and carers, and each other.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced, qualified social worker to join our very enthusiastic and dedicated kinship team on a permanent basis. The main duties of the team is to undertake Viability Assessments, full Special Guardianship/Kinship Assessments and Support Plans to court. The role will also require ongoing support of special guardians/kinship carers pre and post final order as well as present prospective kinship foster carers and the assessment to a permanency panel. This will include supporting children and families through transitions and providing post special guardianship order support.

This vital work enables children to remain safely in the family network free from significant harm to sustain their family and friends links and relationships. The service is committed to ‘child first’ principles, an approach for which collaboration with children, families and multi-agency partners is at the heart of everything we do. This is an exciting time for Kinship Care on both a local and national level.

About you

• Have working knowledge of the framework within which social care operates, inclusive of legislation and national guidance and procedures specific to this post
• A nationally recognised or other social work England recognised social work qualification
• Have at least 1 year of post-qualifying experience in a statutory Children’s Social Care setting
• Experience undertaking kinship assessments and providing support

You will have a strong vision, be self-motivated with the ability to work individually and as part of a team of assessing social workers. Suitable candidates will also be skilled interpersonally while delivering high quality, analytical assessments. You will have knowledge of:

Children Act 1989 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/14A

Special Guardianship Regulation https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1109/contents/made

Care Planning Regulations 2010 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/959/contents/made

Championing Kinship Care Strategy https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/championing-kinship-care-national-kinship-care-strategy

Kinship Care Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities October 2024

Kinship care: statutory guidance for local authorities

Our offer

We've been working hard to make Tower Hamlets a great place to practice social work. We will help you to develop excellent social work practice, leading to career advancement at your own pace. We are committed to developing excellent practitioners and making Tower Hamlets an employer of choice.

We offer a competitive salary - £42,855- £ 54,135 plus zone 2&3 travel card, season ticket loan. We are committed to developing excellent Social Work practitioners and if you choose to work with us you will benefit from:

• Up to 31 days annual leave rising to 32 days with 5 years continual service and 8 bank holidays
• A manageable and diverse caseload and good quality reflective supervision
• Coaching and support from our well-established Learning Academy, and the opportunity to practice within our bespoke practice model Better Together, which encompasses restorative, systemic and trauma informed practice principles Core, elective, flexible and specialist learning pathways, as well as clear development pathways for every stage of your social work career
• Opportunities to develop your practice, with a clear framework for career development/leadership programme
• Opportunities for agile/flexible working
• Discounted gym/Costco membership, access to free eye test, Cycle to work scheme, Rent deposit scheme and & You at Work discounts and many other benefits

In Tower Hamlets we are keen to use Language that Cares in how we talk and write about children and their families. Applicants are encouraged to make use of the Tower Hamlets Safeguarding Partnership Practice Guidance around Language updated Nov 2025

How to Apply

Please complete application via our recruitment portal

Closing date: 3rd May 2026

Shortlisting: 5th May 2026

Interview: 12th and 15th May 2026

Please ensure to hold these dates in your diary.

Should you wish to have an informal discussion regarding this opportunity you are welcome to contact Team Managers, Silvius Brasville and/or Lucinda Ansah at silvius.brasivlle@towerhamlets.gov.uk or lucinda.ansah@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Benefits

Tower Hamlets is a truly unique borough at the heart of London – a place where history and innovation sit side by side. From the docks and markets that shaped the East End to the global business hub of Canary Wharf, we are proud to be one of the most dynamic, diverse, and ambitious communities in the UK. We are also one of the fastest growing and youngest boroughs in the country, offering unrivalled opportunities to make a real difference to people’s lives. Our residents are energetic, creative, and resilient, and our council is committed to delivering the best possible services and opportunities for them.

Our award-winning new Town Hall in Whitechapel provides a modern, flexible workplace for our staff, right at the heart of the borough and directly opposite Whitechapel Tube and Elizabeth line station. It is more than just a workplace – it’s a hub for collaboration, innovation and community, designed to bring out the best in our people.

As an employer, we put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of everything we do. Our active Employee Network Groups celebrate and champion our workforce, helping to ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging. Guided by our TOWER values – Together, Open, Willing, Excellent and Respect – we are building a positive, inclusive culture where colleagues can thrive.

At Tower Hamlets Council, you’ll find exciting challenges, supportive colleagues, and the chance to shape one of London’s most important and vibrant places. If you’re looking for a role where you can see the impact of your work every day, then Tower Hamlets is the place for you.