Location
Romford, London Borough of Havering

Hours
Full Time (hours not specified)

Salary
Grade 10 - £59,511 to £63,966 per annum

About the Role
The London Borough of Havering is seeking a Family Therapist to join their children’s social care service within a social work team. This role aims to introduce systemic thinking and casework into the social work service for children and families in Havering. The Family Therapist will be embedded within a team of social workers and practitioners to provide advice, guidance, and therapeutic interventions alongside social work support.

Key responsibilities include providing systemic therapeutic services for complex cases through direct work, therapeutic assessments, and consultation to colleagues. The role involves helping to prevent family or placement breakdown by delivering evidence-based early interventions, including direct work with families in their homes or community settings.

The Family Therapist will ensure the service reflects the needs of children from black and minority ethnic groups and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. High standards of record keeping aligned with systemic expectations are required. The role also involves contributing to risk assessments, leading clinical assessments in high-risk cases, and responding to child protection concerns in line with procedures, taking responsibility for decision-making within a supervisory framework.

Havering offers an excellent Local Government Pension Scheme, flexible working options including hybrid and remote arrangements, generous annual leave with options to buy additional days, professional development with a minimum of 10 days learning annually, health and wellbeing support including mental health resources, and an inclusive culture guided by ICARE values: Integrity, Creativity, Ambition, Respect, Everyone.

The council embraces change, encourages fresh ideas, and supports career progression, providing an opportunity to make a lasting impact in a borough that values initiative, collaboration, and civic pride.

Experience
Experience working within children’s social care or therapeutic services is desirable, particularly in systemic family therapy or related fields.

About you
- Committed to delivering high-quality therapeutic interventions and systemic approaches within social work teams.
- Sensitive to the needs of diverse communities including black and minority ethnic groups and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
- Able to maintain high standards of record keeping and clinical assessment.
- Confident in responding to child protection concerns and making decisions within a supervisory framework.
- Enthusiastic about professional development and contributing to a collaborative team environment.

Qualifications
Qualified with a Masters in Systemic and Family Therapy or about to qualify.