Careers in adult social care
Our staff are our greatest asset and deliver consistent and excellent services for residents. Whether you’re an experienced adult social care worker or are interested in building a career, if you’re passionate about making a difference – Lewisham could be the place for you.
Welcome message from Tom Brown, Executive Director for Community Services
Thank you for your interest in joining our team. At Lewisham Council we’re ambitious for our residents and our workforce.
Supporting our staff
We know that adult social care is challenging and that our staff must be supported, nurtured and proud of their work to achieve excellent outcomes for residents.
In return for your hard work and commitment, we will support your career aspirations and enable you to be the best that you can be. That means supporting your learning and development, encouraging innovation and creative thinking, and ensuring that you have a work-life balance with flexible working options wherever possible.
Recognition
Don’t just take our word for it. We’ve been recognised by The Municipal Journal for transforming the delivery of Adult Social Care, receiving a ‘Highly Commended’ accolade for workforce optimisation in their 2023 awards.
Join us and you’ll have supportive management and supervision, manageable caseloads and will benefit from a sector-leading development and education partnership as a part of the Southeast London Teaching Partnership (SELTP).
You’ll also work in a vibrant and culturally diverse borough that is bursting with fantastic things to see and do.
Lewisham is truly an international borough with over 170 languages spoken in our homes and businesses, a thriving cultural scene, and a treasure trove of indie shops, bustling markets and more. It is a great place to start and build a career.
Thank you for your interest in joining Lewisham Council and good luck with your application.
- Tom Brown
Our teams
Adult social care in Lewisham is made up of different teams, with a wide variety of experience and all sharing a commitment to supporting our residents.
In Lewisham our entry to adult social care consists of a multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) and an intake team called the Gateway. We also work to a neighbourhood model aligned to four GP clusters and have an established team supporting adults with learning disabilities, and we're also developing our transitions pathway.
We also work to a neighbourhood model aligned to four GP clusters and have an established team supporting adults with learning disabilities. We are also developing our transitions pathway.
Partnerships
We have strong local partnerships. Working-age mental health services are integrated with the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and our hospital social work teams, re-enablement services and placement services work closely together to ensure we are meeting the needs of vulnerable residents.
Occupational therapy, social work, business support and specialist social care roles are well-embedded and help us to achieve good outcomes for service users, their carers and families.
Whichever team you’re in, you’ll have supportive colleagues and managers who encourage and enable you to be the best that you can be.
What we offer
We’re working hard to make Lewisham one of the best places in the country to start and build a career in adult social care. Our offer to you includes:
Manageable workloads
We give you the opportunity to work in small teams with manageable caseloads.
Supportive management
Managers will support you to deliver the best outcomes for residents and achieve your career aspirations through learning and development.
Sector-leading development and training
We have a generous training and development offer. This includes a well-established and resourced Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) for newly qualified social workers. It also includes excellent post-qualifying and professional development opportunities including partnerships with Goldsmiths, University of London, and London Southbank University.
We are very keen to develop our staff and have supported their aspirations to undertake self-directed learning as well as apprenticeships.
Competitive salaries
Our pay ranges are competitive and allow for salary progression in line with your performance. The ranges are:
- newly qualified social workers £37,026
- experienced social workers £40,503 to £42,510
- senior social workers £44,691 to £46,719
- advanced practitioners £50,757 to £52,80
Generous annual leave
This ranges from 27 to 35 days (based on service length), plus public holidays and special leave where needed.
Local government pension
We are part of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The LGPS is a contributory scheme that requires contributions from both employer and employee, with the employer contributing two thirds of the cost.
Hybrid working
For most of our roles, you can divide your working time between home and the office.
Strong local partnerships
We know that achieving excellent outcomes for residents depends on strong local partnerships. That’s why we work closely with our local NHS and social care providers, sharing a willingness to explore innovative ways of working and a commitment to achieving the best for our residents.
…and more
Other benefits include smartphones for frontline practitioners, season ticket and bicycle loans, a range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships, and supportive staff networks.
Contact us
If you’re keen to get going and want to have an informal discussion about opportunities, email ASC workforce and practice development.