Peer Group Practitioner

What we do

Safer London provides consistent, trauma-informed support to children, young people and parents/carers who've already experienced harm. Through specialist one-to-one support we support them move from crisis to stability, and from harm to hope. 

We support young Londoners affected by a range of harms, including criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation and sexual violence, violence in the community and peer-to-peer harm. Our work happens in the community - wherever the young Londoner feels safe and comfortable. This could be a school, park, cafe, or another safe place.

Each child or young person is matched with a caseworker based on their unique needs and circumstances. They meet with them weekly and support typically lasts between 6 months and 18 months, but support can last for as long as needed.

Each intervention is tailored to the young Londoner's identity, experiences and needs, and may focus on safety planning, emotional wellbeing, healthy peer relationships and family dynamics. We also help young Londoners access education, training, employment opportunities, and safe, stable housing.

Through our work, we are helping young Londoners heal, rebuild and move forward - so they can live safer lives and have the positive futures they deserve.

About the role

In this role, you will be responsible for delivering peer group interventions to young Londoners and their peers who have been impacted by violence, exploitation and harm. The role combines direct delivery of peer-group interventions and some group work, alongside development activity to design, test, refine and embed safe, effective groupbased models aligned with Safer London's values, contextual safeguarding framework and strategic priorities. You will develop, plan and facilitate trauma-responsive peer interventions and group work sessions as well as adapt group content, informed by individual needs, strengths and identities of the young Londoners you are working with. You will also support with monitoring and evaluating the service, using these findings and feedback to inform service development. 

Who you will be working with

At Safer London we work as one team across the entire organisation. This cohesive working allows us to realise our vision of helping to create a safer city for everyone who lives here. We choose to invest heavily in our direct practice work, with practitioner Caseworkers making up the majority of Safer London's workforce. Safer London's Caseworkers are supported by a team of practice managers and safeguarding professionals.

We have Caseworkers who are Specialists and Experts in the following areas:

Violence and exploitation

Sexual violence

Neurodiversity and SEND

Harmful Sexual Behaviours

Families (parents and carers)

Education, training and employment

At Safer London we encourage a culture of shared learning and collaborative working. We work together to support the presenting needs of the young Londoners and families we work with. Our work is grounded in the AMBIT approach of working, with the team working to the AMBIT principle of mentalisation.

Collaborative working with multiple different external organisations and agencies is critical in this role. In order to effectively safeguard and address the complex challenges faced by young Londoners, you will be required to work alongside a variety of professionals, each with their unique expertise. By fostering effective communication and information sharing, multi-agency working allows for:

Enhancing the effectiveness of safeguarding for young Londoners and their families.

Early intervention and prevention of potential risks.

Providing a holistic understanding of a young Londoner's situation.

Creating a coordinated effort that prevents duplication of work and ensures resources are used efficiently.

If the practice team is the beating heart of Safer London, then the central resources team are the brain. Encompassing finance, HR, data, governance, fundraising, communications, learning and development and data management, these individuals work hard to make sure Safer London is operating to the highest standard possible.

Main purpose of the role

In this role within the advanced Peer Group Practitioner Service, you will be responsible for the development, piloting and delivery of traumaresponsive peer group interventions for young Londoners affected by exploitation, violence and harm.

The role combines direct delivery of peer-group interventions and some group work, alongside development activity to design, test, refine and embed safe, effective groupbased models aligned with Safer London's values, contextual safeguarding framework and strategic priorities.

The postholder will work closely with colleagues, managers, young Londoners, families and partner organisations to ensure peer group interventions are purposeful, responsive, wellsafeguarded and evidenceinformed, whilst ensuring that learning from delivery informs wider service development.

Key responsibilities

Direct Practice 

1. Plan, facilitate and cofacilitate structured, traumaresponsive peer group interventions with young Londoners affected by exploitation and violence

2. Deliver group work in line with Safer London's developing models of practice, ensuring relational safety, inclusion and participation are actively embedded.

3. Establish and maintain clear groupwork foundations, including risk assessment and safeguarding planning, group agreements and boundaries.

4. Monitor group dynamics and safety throughout delivery, responding appropriately to emerging needs and risks.

5. Adapt group content and approach responsively, informed by the needs, strengths and identities of participating young Londoners.

6. Where appropriate, codeliver group work with colleagues to ensure balance, shared reflection and safe practice.

Development and Piloting of Peer Group Models

7. Contribute to the development, testing and refinement of peer group work models, drawing on existing organisational frameworks and emerging learning.

8. Support the review and adaptation of group work materials, session structures and resources.

9. Participate in pilot activity, reflection and evaluation to identify what is effective and what requires improvement.

10. Ensure that the voices and experiences of young people inform the ongoing development of peer group approaches.

Safeguarding and Partnership Working

11. Act at all times in line with safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, Safer London policies and panLondon arrangements.

12. Identify, assess and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns within group contexts, using professional judgement and supervision.

13. Undertake pregroup assessments to inform suitability, safety planning and delivery approach.

14. Maintain clear, reflective recording that evidences analysis, decisionmaking and learning.

15. Work collaboratively with schools, community settings and partner agencies to support safe, coordinated and contextinformed group delivery.

Practice Leadership, Development and Contribution 

1. Practice in ways that reflect Safer London's values and models, contributing positively to team culture and shared learning. 

2. Share learning, reflections and practice insights through supervision, team meetings and reflective spaces. 

3. Engage openly with feedback and support colleagues through collaborative and respectful working. 

4. Take responsibility for their own learning and development, including building confidence and skills that may support future progression.

5. Modelling reflective, traumaresponsive and relational practice, and supporting others to embed this in their work.

6. Providing informal mentoring, coaching or practice support to colleagues, including earlycareer practitioners.

7. Contributing specialist knowledge and insight to team discussions, resources and multiagency forums.

8. Supporting learning activities such as training sessions, presentations or consultation, both internally and externally.

9. Contributing to service development, quality improvement, innovation or systemchange work in line with organisational priorities.

10. Model high quality group facilitation and trauma responsive practice.

11. Share learning from group work delivery and pilots through team meetings and reflective spaces.

12. Offer informal guidance to colleagues involved in group delivery or development.

13. Contribute specialist insight to service discussions related to group work, peer safety and contextual safeguarding.

14. Contribute to service reporting, monitoring and evaluation as required.

15. Work creatively with colleagues to develop resources, tools and materials.

16. Uphold Safer London's values, contributing to an inclusive, reflective and learning-oriented organisational culture.

17. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the level of the post.

Person Specification

Qualification and Experience

1. Relevant qualification in social care, health, youth/community work, criminal justice or demonstrable equivalent experience - e.g. Registered and Qualified Social Worker (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

2. Experience of managing complex safeguarding concerns, including effective multi-agency working (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

3. Experience of undertaking in-depth, relationship-based direct work, including groupwork over sustained periods (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

Skills and abilities

4. Strong practice skills grounded in trauma-informed and contextual safeguarding approaches (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

5. Ability to manage direct support of young Londoners and/or families, while contributing to wider service responsibilities (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

6. Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, with the ability to influence and engage a wide range of audiences (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

7. Ability to work autonomously, prioritise workload and exercise professional judgement (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

8. Ability to manage group dynamics with complex needs, respond to emerging needs and risk and effectively risk assess (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

9. Ability to develop and adapt peer group content, whilst applying feedback and learning to inform service development (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

10. IT literacy, including use of case management systems and standard office software (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

11. Ability to work flexibly across locations (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

Knowledge 

12. Strong understanding of harm, trauma, and identity and how this impacts children, young people and families (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

13. Knowledge of contextual safeguarding and the role of environment, relationships and systems (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

14. Understanding of best practice in high-quality case recording and information sharing (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

Values and attributes 

15. Clear commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

16. Alignment with Safer London's values and relational ways of working (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

17. Recognition of the emotional demands of the role and commitment to self-care and resilience (Essential, assessed at Application / Interview).

Desirable Criteria

18. Experience of contributing to training, learning or practice development activities (Desirable, assessed at Application / Interview).

19. Experience of working within or alongside criminal justice processes (Desirable, assessed at Application / Interview).

Additional Considerations

We're committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect anyone who works and volunteers with us to share this commitment. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for this role.

The successful candidate will be required to travel to different locations around London.

Safer London Caseworkers sometimes work extended hours to meet the needs of young Londoners/ parents/carers. Therefore, the successful candidate may occasionally be required to work evenings.

Safer London is an agile working organisation. This means employees are able to work from different locations, e.g. from home, our office premises and community locations such as libraries/co-working spaces, where the work allows. Agile working arrangements will be agreed with the line-manager.

Safer London understands that resilience is a skill that can be learnt over time and recognises and supports the role of self-care in developing resilience.