Why Southwark?
Are you an experienced social work professional passionate about making a real difference in the lives of adults with mental health needs?
We’re looking for an Advanced Practitioner to join Southwark Council’s Care and Support Team (CAST) – a specialist mental health service providing assessment, intervention and support for adults with complex needs.
This is an exciting opportunity to combine direct work with adults experiencing complex mental health needs and strategic leadership in improving support for informal carers.
Southwark Council is deeply committed to supporting vulnerable adults to live independently and with dignity. As part of our Adult Social Care division, you’ll benefit from:
- A supportive and inclusive work culture.
- Ongoing professional development and leadership opportunities.
- Family friendly policies including access to flexible working options.
- Local Government Pension Scheme and comprehensive staff benefits.
- Generous annual leave entitlement
Southwark is a diverse borough, rich in culture, arts, green spaces and history.
What You'll Be Doing
As an Advanced Practitioner you will have a dual role in the team:
Lead for Carer Support – You’ll drive the development of our offer for informal carers, ensuring compliance with statutory duties under the Care Act 2014, coordinating assessments, and enhancing carer pathways across services. You will also provide line management support for the Assistant Practitioner (Carers)
Senior Practitioner within CAST – You’ll hold a caseload of complex and high-profile cases, guide and mentor colleagues, and participate in the duty senior rota, ensuring quality and consistency in service delivery.
This is a key leadership role in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team dedicated to supporting adults with mental health needs.
What We're Looking For
We’re looking for someone who brings both creativity and expertise to the role:
- A qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
- In-depth knowledge of Adult Social Care legislation, mental health practice and safeguarding
- Solid understanding of the issues faced by informal carers and the barriers to accessing support
- Strong experience working with adults with complex mental health needs.
- Skilled in partnership working and building collaborative relationships in inter-professional contexts.
Additional Information
Additional Information:
- Full time, 36 hours per week Monday-Friday
- Enhanced DBS required
Benefits and more information:
- Working for Southwark Council – Southwark
- Adult social care jobs | Southwark Council
Recruitment Timetable:
Advert closing date: 23:59 on the 13th September 2026
Interviews: 21st September 2026
The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has 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
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Job Reference: SC08358
