University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustChild and Family Practitioner / ChISVAClosing date: 08 December 2025Transforming the national response to child sexual abuseThe 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 jobIn 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.About usUniversity 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 NeurosurgeryRoyal National ENT and Eastman Dental HospitalsUniversity College Hospital Grafton Way BuildingRoyal London Hospital for Integrated MedicineUniversity College Hospital Macmillan Cancer CentreThe Hospital for Tropical DiseasesUniversity College Hospital at Westmoreland StreetWe 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 responsibilitiesYour 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.You will contribute to integrated MDT assessments, support the creation and review of personalised safety plans and promote strong interagency communication throughout the child's 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 Lighthouse's 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 child's case.You 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.Our commitment to inclusionWe are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace whose teams reflect the diversity of the children and families we support. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnicities, and from men, who are underrepresented in our service in order for us to provide a service that reflects our children and families experiences and uniqueness.Main duties of the role with a ChISVA focusProvide 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 child's justice or recovery journey, problem‑solving issues and acting as the family's 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 Lighthouse's wider mission to strengthen national practice through the Barnahus model, supporting service innovation, research and the development of integrated CSA pathways.For an informal discussion, please contact Clementine Anderson or Eimear Timmons at thelighthouse.ask@nhs.net.Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.Person SpecificationKnowledgeProfessional social work qualification and current Social Work registrationAn 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.ExperienceSignificant experience of post qualifying/training professional background in a children's service organisation.Experience of undertaking assessments, care planning and direct work interventions with children and families.Experience of direct work with children and carers affected by child sexual abuse.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.Experience reviewing referrals and undertaking triage tasks as part of duty systems.Experience providing safeguarding advice to professionals.CommunicationExcellent written and verbal communication skillsAbility to handle complex or sensitive information during discussion with individual or groupsAble 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.SkillsAble to manage time effectivelyAble to prioritise objectives and workloadCommitted to supporting and adding to a reflective learning culture within the lighthouse.QualityAbility 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.Health and SafetyMonitor and maintains health, safety and security of self and others.Safeguarding risk management techniques and skills.Information ProcessingAble to utilise ICT to full potential.Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust£46,419 to £55,046 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS #J-18808-Ljbffr