Practice Development Social Worker

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Job Description

Directorate:
Children & Young People Service Area:
Social Care Academy

Grade: PO6 plus £5k recruitment and retention payment

£54,267 - £57,402

Location:

Newham | Hybrid Working

Contract type:
Permanent

Closing Date:
Monday 12 January 2026 at 11:59pm

Interviews:
The week of the 26 January 2026

This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check and Social Work England registration.

We are looking for experienced and committed Practice Development Social Workers to join our social care academy as part of an exciting and progressive transformation journey. This is a unique opportunity to directly influence social work development, support newly qualified social workers (NQSWs), and strengthen our approach to workforce retention and practice excellence.

• Coach and support NQSWs and Social Workers, helping shape them into confident and reflective practitioners informed by the Newham circles of support practice model.
• Lead on the delivery of a local coaching model, using your own high-quality practice to influence and embed systemic, relational and restorative practice across the workforce.
• Drive innovation in learning and development, playing a key role in our wider training offer, retention strategy, and service improvement agenda.
• Role model excellent practice in your direct work with children and families—demonstrating relationship-based practice, timely risk assessment, and evidence-informed intervention.

You will work closely with the Social Care Academy Service Manager and senior leaders across the service to support culture change and service improvement, contributing to our bold ambition of developing and retaining outstanding practitioners who can make a difference for our children.

We are seeking a skilled and confident practitioner who:

• Has substantial experience in statutory children’s social care, particularly in child protection, children in need, and early intervention.
• Demonstrates a sound understanding of systemic approaches and their application in social work practice.
• Is passionate about coaching, reflective supervision, and developing others through relationship-based learning.
• Possesses excellent communication skills and the ability to influence and inspire across teams and services.
• Is reflective, resilient, and committed to personal and professional growth.

If you’re ready to make a real impact, apply now via our recruitment portal. For an informal conversation about the role, please contact

Please view the Job Description here

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 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 two 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 which will be used 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 at