Job summary
Transforming the national response to child sexual abuse
The Lighthouse is the first UK Child's House, a national leader in trauma-informed, multidisciplinary support for children and young people who have experienced child sexual abuse. Based in Camden and serving North Central London, we provide integrated health assessments, therapeutic interventions, advocacy through the criminal justice process, and video recorded interviews led by clinical psychologists. Our model has influenced policy and practice across the UK, improving well-being for children and carers, and increasing convictions.
We are seeking an experienced, professionally registered Social Worker to join our team of social workers and ChISVAs. If you want to shape how social workers respond to children as victims of crime, and you are ready to deepen your expertise in complex safeguarding, this is an exceptional opportunity to work within a unique and nationally influential service.
Main duties of the job
In this role, you will provide specialist child-centred advocacy and coordinated support for children and young people as they navigate the criminal justice process following sexual abuse. Acting as a dedicated ChISVA-informed practitioner, you will ensure that each child understands their rights, feels heard and supported, and is prepared for every stage of their justice journey, from early decision making to court outcomes. You will offer clear, accessible information about police processes, ABE interviews, CPS decisions and court expectations, and you will work closely with police, social care and legal partners to ensure the child's best interests remain central.
Your work will span early safeguarding oversight, holistic needs assessments and collaborative care planning with our multidisciplinary team, including CAMHS clinicians, social workers, paediatricians and NSPCC therapeutic practitioners. You will be a consistent point of contact for children, young people and their safe family members, helping them manage trauma-related needs, address practical barriers and access the support and interventions recommended by the Lighthouse. The role includes guiding families through complex and often distressing processes, ensuring they have continuous access to information, emotional support and safety planning.
... continued below.
About us
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.
We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.
We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more informationregardingthe main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
... continued from above.
You will contribute to integrated MDT assessments, support the creation and review of personalised safety plans and promote strong interagency communication throughout the childs involvement with the Lighthouse. You will help families engage with longer-term community services when appropriate, ensuring smooth transitions and continuity of care. Using your expertise in the impact of child sexual abuse and trauma, you will offer direct interventions that promote recovery, resilience and psychological safety.
This post also supports the Lighthouses wider mission to influence national best practice through the Barnahus model. You may contribute to training, community education and professional development, and if required, provide evidence in court to support a childs case.
About youYou will bring substantial experience in safeguarding and direct work with children and families, sound knowledge of trauma-informed practice, and confidence working in a busy, emotionally demanding environment. You will value reflective supervision, psychological safety and effective partnership working, and you will be comfortable engaging in both formal processes and collaborative, relationship-based approaches to practice.
Main duties of the role
Provide consistent, trauma-informed support throughout their recovery and ensuring that their voice and lived experience guide every stage of the criminal justice and care pathway. Support the Lighthouse duty system, providing early safeguarding advice and ensuring that any risks or concerns are appropriately escalated to the Consultant Social Worker. Serve as the central point of coordination for the child, young person and their family, promoting clear communication, strengthening family engagement and enabling effective partnership working with police, social care, therapy providers and wider agencies. Manage a busy, varied caseload, balancing competing priorities and maintaining high standards of organisation, documentation and professional practice. Take a proactive approach to identifying barriers in the childs justice or recovery journey, problem solving issues and acting as the familys main point of contact for advocacy, emotional support and information. Ensure that children, young people and carers receive clear, timely and accessible information about what to expect from the criminal justice process, including police procedures, ABE interviews etc. Provide advice that supports informed decision making, ensuring that children and their families understand their rights, options and available support at all stages of their involvement with the Lighthouse. Participate in multidisciplinary Lighthouse assessments and contribute to integrated care planning, ensuring that clinical, legal and emotional needs are considered holistically. Develop, review and implement safety plans for children and their families that are aligned with safeguarding legislation, pan-London child protection procedures and established best practice in CSA response. Support families to overcome practical and emotional barriers to accessing recommended services, ensuring smooth transitions into therapy, community provision or advocacy support as required. Use specialist knowledge of child sexual abuse and trauma to deliver direct interventions that build resilience, support emotional stabilisation and promote recovery for children and safe carers. Provide ChISVA-informed expertise on the impact of CSA and the criminal justice process, working collaboratively with police, social workers, prosecutors and therapeutic partners on joint planning, reviews and coordinated interventions. Contribute to the Lighthouses wider mission to strengthen national practice through the Barnahus model, supporting service innovation, research and the development of integrated CSA pathways.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
*UCLH top trust to work at in England- In the most recentNHS staff surveyUCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit:Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLHa great placeto work, visit:Why Choose UCLH?
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more informationregardingthe main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
... continued from above.
You will contribute to integrated MDT assessments, support the creation and review of personalised safety plans and promote strong interagency communication throughout the childs involvement with the Lighthouse. You will help families engage with longer-term community services when appropriate, ensuring smooth transitions and continuity of care. Using your expertise in the impact of child sexual abuse and trauma, you will offer direct interventions that promote recovery, resilience and psychological safety.
This post also supports the Lighthouses wider mission to influence national best practice through the Barnahus model. You may contribute to training, community education and professional development, and if required, provide evidence in court to support a childs case.
About youYou will bring substantial experience in safeguarding and direct work with children and families, sound knowledge of trauma-informed practice, and confidence working in a busy, emotionally demanding environment. You will value reflective supervision, psychological safety and effective partnership working, and you will be comfortable engaging in both formal processes and collaborative, relationship-based approaches to practice.
Main duties of the role
Provide consistent, trauma-informed support throughout their recovery and ensuring that their voice and lived experience guide every stage of the criminal justice and care pathway. Support the Lighthouse duty system, providing early safeguarding advice and ensuring that any risks or concerns are appropriately escalated to the Consultant Social Worker. Serve as the central point of coordination for the child, young person and their family, promoting clear communication, strengthening family engagement and enabling effective partnership working with police, social care, therapy providers and wider agencies. Manage a busy, varied caseload, balancing competing priorities and maintaining high standards of organisation, documentation and professional practice. Take a proactive approach to identifying barriers in the childs justice or recovery journey, problem solving issues and acting as the familys main point of contact for advocacy, emotional support and information. Ensure that children, young people and carers receive clear, timely and accessible information about what to expect from the criminal justice process, including police procedures, ABE interviews etc. Provide advice that supports informed decision making, ensuring that children and their families understand their rights, options and available support at all stages of their involvement with the Lighthouse. Participate in multidisciplinary Lighthouse assessments and contribute to integrated care planning, ensuring that clinical, legal and emotional needs are considered holistically. Develop, review and implement safety plans for children and their families that are aligned with safeguarding legislation, pan-London child protection procedures and established best practice in CSA response. Support families to overcome practical and emotional barriers to accessing recommended services, ensuring smooth transitions into therapy, community provision or advocacy support as required. Use specialist knowledge of child sexual abuse and trauma to deliver direct interventions that build resilience, support emotional stabilisation and promote recovery for children and safe carers. Provide ChISVA-informed expertise on the impact of CSA and the criminal justice process, working collaboratively with police, social workers, prosecutors and therapeutic partners on joint planning, reviews and coordinated interventions. Contribute to the Lighthouses wider mission to strengthen national practice through the Barnahus model, supporting service innovation, research and the development of integrated CSA pathways.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
*UCLH top trust to work at in England- In the most recentNHS staff surveyUCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit:Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLHa great placeto work, visit:Why Choose UCLH?
Person Specification
Knowledge & Qualifications
Essential
- Professional social work qualification and current Social Work registration
- An understanding of sexual and domestic violence, trauma and the long-term mental health effects of sexual violence especially on children.
- Knowledge of up to date Pan London child protection procedures and statutory guidance relating to multidisciplinary safeguarding.
- An understanding of systems and barriers faced by vulnerable children in accessing services to support their experience of recovery from child sexual abuse particularly for black, Asian and minority ethnic groups
Experience
Essential
- a.Significant experience of post qualifying/training professional background in a children's service organisation.
- b.Experience of undertaking assessments, care planning and direct work interventions with children and families.
- c.Experience of direct work with children and carers affected by Child sexual abuse.
- d.Experience of anti-racist practice or practice that is focused on addressing barriers for vulnerable children particularly those from minoritised groups in accessing support services.
Desirable
- e.Experience reviewing referrals and undertaking triage tasks as part of duty systems.
- a.Experience providing safeguarding advice to professionals.
Communication
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to handle complex or sensitive information during discussion with individual or groups
- Able to communicate effectively to all disciplines and modeling systemic appreciation approaches that encourage reflection and allow for different perspectives to be heard.
- Excellent oral, written and presentation skills including willingness to speak at public events and conferences
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Decision-making skills
- Able to manage time effectively
- Able to prioritise objectives and workload
- Committed to supporting and adding to a reflective learning culture within the lighthouse
Quality
Essential
- Ability to prioritise work in the face of competing demands in a busy service.
- Ability to manage workloads and deliver to deadlines within resources
- Ability to review work in accordance with Lighthouse and Barnahus quality standards.
- To support data analysis and collation when requested.
Person Specification
Knowledge & Qualifications
Essential
- Professional social work qualification and current Social Work registration
- An understanding of sexual and domestic violence, trauma and the long-term mental health effects of sexual violence especially on children.
- Knowledge of up to date Pan London child protection procedures and statutory guidance relating to multidisciplinary safeguarding.
- An understanding of systems and barriers faced by vulnerable children in accessing services to support their experience of recovery from child sexual abuse particularly for black, Asian and minority ethnic groups
Experience
Essential
- a.Significant experience of post qualifying/training professional background in a children's service organisation.
- b.Experience of undertaking assessments, care planning and direct work interventions with children and families.
- c.Experience of direct work with children and carers affected by Child sexual abuse.
- d.Experience of anti-racist practice or practice that is focused on addressing barriers for vulnerable children particularly those from minoritised groups in accessing support services.
Desirable
- e.Experience reviewing referrals and undertaking triage tasks as part of duty systems.
- a.Experience providing safeguarding advice to professionals.
Communication
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to handle complex or sensitive information during discussion with individual or groups
- Able to communicate effectively to all disciplines and modeling systemic appreciation approaches that encourage reflection and allow for different perspectives to be heard.
- Excellent oral, written and presentation skills including willingness to speak at public events and conferences
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Decision-making skills
- Able to manage time effectively
- Able to prioritise objectives and workload
- Committed to supporting and adding to a reflective learning culture within the lighthouse
Quality
Essential
- Ability to prioritise work in the face of competing demands in a busy service.
- Ability to manage workloads and deliver to deadlines within resources
- Ability to review work in accordance with Lighthouse and Barnahus quality standards.
- To support data analysis and collation when requested.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
