Parental Substance Misuse Specialist Social Worker

Parental Substance Misuse Specialist Social Worker
Up to £51,127 per annum
Permanent
Full Time (36 Hours)
Wandsworth, London
Ofsted Rating: 'Good'

Are you passionate about supporting families and looking to make a genuine difference in children's lives by tackling the complexities of parental substance misuse?

At Wandsworth Children's Services, we are committed to ensuring children remain safe and have the best possible outcomes as a result of the provision of high-quality social work. As part of our multi-disciplinary team, you will play a vital role in providing guidance, training and direct support to families affected by substance misuse. Your expertise will help shape strategies that empower parents to create a safer and more stable environment for their children.

About the role

As a Specialist Social Worker, you will be at the heart of safeguarding children while supporting families struggling with substance misuse. You will contribute to the delivery of our vision and strategic priorities, by providing a high quality of information / advice, training, guidance and consultation service relating to parental substance misuse and its effects on children. This is a unique and rewarding opportunity to use your expertise in substance misuse, helping families move toward recovery and stability.

It is pivotal that you stay informed about the latest research, policies and legislation on substance misuse, ensuring best practices guide your work. You will deliver impactful training to social care professionals and partner agencies, equipping them with essential knowledge and strategies.

Your role will involve active participation in multi-disciplinary meetings focused on child protection planning and collaborating with a range of services (including mental health, domestic violence and child exploitation teams) to deliver comprehensive and effective interventions that promote safety and stability for vulnerable children and families.

Essential Qualifications, Skills & Experience

• A recognised qualification in Social Work and active registration with Social Work England.
• Good understanding of the Children Act 1989 with significant experience working in a substance misuse-focused role, supporting professionals involved in child protection.
• Comprehensive knowledge of alcohol and drug misuse patterns, impact on families and proven intervention strategies.
• Strong assessment skills to gauge severity, insight, parenting capacity and motivation for change.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities, ensuring effective engagement with families, colleagues and partner agencies.
• A proactive and organised approach, balancing high-quality case management with strategic child safeguarding responsibilities.

If you meet the above criteria and would like to make a real difference to children and families in Wandsworth, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Leila Farah by emailing

Closing Date: 21st May 2025
Shortlisting Date: 23rd May 2025
Interview Date: 30th May 2025

We may close this vacancy early once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone.We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know.

We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.