Description Social Worker G7/8 - Salary - £43,680 - £48,003pa Service Area: Assessment The vision for our People directorate is ‘Supporting our residents to stay safe and well’. At the London Borough of Havering, this means delivering high‑quality, relationship‑based social work that makes a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people and families. Havering Children’s Services is on a clear and positive improvement journey, with strengthened leadership, improving practice and a strong focus on consistency and quality. Within our Assessment service, we are building a confident, skilled workforce that undertakes timely, purposeful assessments and supports families to achieve sustainable change. As a Social Worker in the Assessment Team, you will play a critical role at the front door of Children’s Services, undertaking statutory assessments under the Children Act 1989 to identify children’s needs, risks and strengths. You will work directly with children and families to understand their lived experiences, ensuring that their voices, wishes and feelings are central to all assessment and decision‑making. You will complete high‑quality, analytical and evidence‑based assessments, making clear recommendations that inform next steps, including early help support, targeted interventions or statutory involvement where required. Your work will be grounded in professional curiosity, proportionate risk management and timely decision‑making to ensure children receive the right support at the right time. In this role, you will work closely with a wide range of multi‑agency partners, including health, education, police, housing and voluntary sector services, to build a full picture of children’s circumstances and ensure coordinated responses to safeguarding concerns. You will contribute to strategy discussions, legal planning where appropriate, and effective handovers to longer‑term teams when ongoing intervention is required. Havering offers a supportive and learning‑focused environment, with regular supervision, strong management oversight and access to continuous professional development through our Social Care Academy. We are committed to manageable caseloads, reflective practice and supporting social workers to develop confidence and expertise in assessment practice. This is an opportunity to join a service that is ambitious for its workforce, values good social work and is committed to improving outcomes for children and families through timely, high‑quality assessment and intervention. About You You will be a motivated, reflective and resilient Social Worker with a strong commitment to safeguarding children and improving outcomes for families through timely, high‑quality assessment practice. You will be child‑focused, values‑driven and confident working in a fast‑paced statutory environment where early decision‑making and proportionate intervention are critical. You will be a qualified Social Worker, holding a CQSW, Diploma in Social Work or equivalent qualification, and be registered with Social Work England. You will have relevant experience within children’s social care, with a sound understanding of the Children Act 1989, Working Together guidance and local safeguarding procedures, and the ability to apply this confidently within assessment work. You will have experience of undertaking statutory assessments, gathering and analysing information from children, families and partner agencies to develop a clear understanding of risk, need and protective factors. You will be able to produce analytical, evidence‑based assessments that support defensible decision‑making and timely next steps for children. Strong communication and relationship‑building skills are essential. You will be able to engage effectively with children and families, ensuring that their voices, wishes and lived experiences are central to your assessments, while also working collaboratively with multi‑agency partners including health, education, police and housing services. You will demonstrate professional curiosity, confidence in managing complexity and uncertainty, and the ability to balance empathy with clear professional judgement. You will be comfortable escalating concerns, contributing to strategy discussions and legal planning where required, and ensuring effective handovers when cases progress to longer‑term teams. As part of Havering’s improvement journey, you will be open to learning and reflective in your practice, valuing supervision, feedback and quality assurance as tools to strengthen outcomes for children. You will be organised, accountable and committed to contributing positively to a supportive team culture. Non‑negotiable qualities for this role include: A strong commitment to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare The ability to undertake timely, proportionate and analytical assessments A child‑centred, strengths‑based and inclusive approach to practice Professional curiosity, resilience and accountability A willingness to learn, reflect and contribute to continuous service improvement Please view Job Profile here For an informal discussion about the post, please contact sarah.osei.atiemo@havering.gov.uk 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 Closing date: 5 April 2026 Shortlisting date: w/c 6 April 2026 Interview date: w/c 20 April 2026 Additional Information We want everyone to choose Havering. When you apply for a job with us, your application is considered on its merits regardless of your age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender identity or sexual orientation. Our residents and service users come from all walks of life, and so do our employees. Find out what it means to Choose Havering. The London Borough of Havering 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.