Stephen Kitchman, Director of Children's Services
Highlights
Our Children’s Social Care Teams
We offer a wide range of roles across our Children’s Social Care service - each one vital to improving the lives of children, young people and their families. Whether you’re an experienced practitioner or starting out in social work, there’s a place for you in Bexley.
See our range of roles
Frontline and assessment
- Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
Our first point of contact for safeguarding concerns, working closely with partners to ensure timely responses. - Referral and assessment
Teams carry out child and family assessments and work collaboratively to decide next steps for support and safety. - Staying together
A specialist short-term intervention team supporting families in crisis and helping young people remain safely at home.
Family support and protection
- Family Support and Child Protection (FSCP)
Providing ongoing support for children in need or subject to child protection plans, working within geographic localities. - Children with disabilities
Specialist social workers and therapists supporting children with significant learning or physical disabilities. - Nil Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)
A unique team supporting families with no access to public benefits due to immigration status. - Family wellbeing service
Early help keyworkers supporting families with school exclusion risks, parental challenges, or early signs of neglect.
Looked after children and permanence
- Children looked after teams
Ensuring children in care have safe, stable placements and access to education, health and family contact. - Leaving care teams
Helping care-experienced young people transition into independence with dedicated Personal Advisors. - Fostering and placements
Includes foster carer recruitment, support, and placement coordination — focused on creating stable homes. - Adoption
Delivered through Adoption Partnership South East, supporting adopters, birth families and children through every step.
Youth justice and participation
- Youth justice service
Working with young people involved in the justice system to reduce offending and promote positive futures. - Virtual school and participation
Education specialists and participation leads ensuring children in care are heard, engaged, and supported in school.
Quality and practice support
- Professional standards and quality assurance
Led by Consultant Social Workers to champion high-quality practice, coaching and professional development. - Safeguarding and reviewing officers
Independent roles ensuring children’s plans are appropriate, timely, and focused on achieving the best outcomes.
Signs of Safety
At the heart of Bexley’s approach is the Signs of Safety model – a strengths-based, relational way of working that puts children, families and their networks at the centre of everything we do.
This model supports social workers to build honest, respectful and solution-focused relationships with families. It helps create clear plans that prioritise safety, empower families, and promote long-term change.
We use Signs of Safety across all areas of Children’s Social Care and with our partner agencies. It’s embedded not only in direct practice, but also in how we supervise, audit and support staff, ensuring a consistent, reflective and collaborative approach across the service.
Whether you're an experienced practitioner or just beginning your journey, you will receive dedicated support and training to grow your confidence in using Signs of Safety in real-world practice.
Ready to make a difference?
Join a team where your work truly matters. Discover current opportunities and become part of Bexley’s dedicated Children’s Social Care team.