Social Work Manager - Practice Lead

Introduction

The National House Project (NHP) supports Local Authorities to work with young people to give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to live connected and fulfilling lives. By developing a community of support, completing the House Project Programme and being able to make their house a home young people can look forward to a positive future.

This is an exciting time to join NHP and we are seeking a skilled and experienced professional who can support our vision to ensure that young people leaving care live connected and fulfilling lives.

About the role

Whilst the House Project approach sets out a clear pathway for young people to move into a house that becomes their home, being in the House Project is so much more than an offer of accommodation.

Staff working in the projects are trained in relational and trauma informed approaches. They use a psychologically informed practice framework to work with young people in both groupwork and individual settings and this work is supported by social pedagogical approaches. Working with young people in a groupwork setting and offering individual direct support enables the development of relationships and shared experiences which allows young people to be involved in the running of their LHP and central to the decisions that are made about them.

NHP provides a framework and not a model and whilst LHPs must keep to the fidelity of the approach, local environments and the young people themselves will determine how projects proceed. This is where you will come in as a practice lead. With knowledge of child development, attachment styles, trauma informed care, the care system and the House Project approach you will support staff in LHPs to work in ways to develop practice that puts young people at the heart of the decision-making process and supports the local system to improve how young people leave care.

As a Practice Lead you will have responsibility for a number of LHPs and will:

• Ensure that LHPs have young people at the heart of the decision-making process and that practice is evidence based and trauma informed
• Ensure that LHPs adhere to the fidelity of the approach whilst flexing to accommodate local arrangements
• Manage risk and deal with trauma at an individual, organisational and systemic level, turning these challenges into opportunities for change with improved outcomes for the young people.
• Work with the Care Leavers National Movement as well as the core team to ensure that young people continue to drive their own LHP and develop practice at both a local and national level

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for someone with a commitment to making a difference to the lives of young people through imaginative new models of social care and therapy and the scaling of the approach to make a difference to policy, practice and outcomes for young people at a national level.

You will have primary responsibility for supporting LHPs in The North.

For detailed information see full Job Description and Person Specification attached.

You will be responsible to the Deputy Director NHP and will deputise for them when required.

You will be based at the NHP office in Crewe for a minimum of 2 days per week, but you will be expected to travel to LHP and attend meetings across the country on a regular basis.

Benefits include:

• 31 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• 10% pension contribution
• Salary sacrifice options
• Hybrid working
• Professional development opportunities

Safeguarding Statement: NHP is committed to protecting the well-being of young people. All staff must adhere to our safeguarding policies.

Recruitment Agencies: We do not accept unsolicited CVs from agencies.

General Requirements: Right to work in the UK, two professional references, and a DBS check.

Find out more:

If you re excited by the opportunity to build something transformative, we d love to hear from you -

You are invited to join the online briefing on Friday 16 May 2025 2pm

Please register in advance for this meeting:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

How to Apply

• Submit your CV and cover letter via Charity Job detailing what skills, knowledge and experiences make you the best candidate for the role by 23 May 2025. Apply Now.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds. If you require adjustments during the process, let us know.

Interviews are due to take place on Friday 6 June.