Tom Hatton

'Space For Change' is Lewisham's new parenting assessment and intervention service - offering an independent voice on parenting to the Courts and Children's Services alongside a package of support and intervention to empower parents to make the changes necessary that will keep their children safe under their care.

Supervising a Team of 6 Social Workers and 2 Family Practitioners to offer support and protection for vulnerable children and their families underneath the relevant statutory frameworks. I have a focus on developing permanent staff, by identifying opportunities for people to develop. As a result, 3 of my Practitioners have moved on into management roles within Lewisham and all of my Senior Practioners were appointed from within my team. I aim to maintain a connection with practice whilst in a management role and as a result have taken on the following extra responsibilities: 1) The Children Coming Into Our Care (CCIOC) Project – I formed and led a multi-agency group including special guardians from CAFCASS, clinical psychologists from CAMHS, researchers from Goldsmiths University and practitioners from all areas of Lewisham Children’s Services to develop a practice framework and training programme aimed at reducing trauma for children at the point of entry into the care system. 2) Panel member for "Thinking Space" , a reflective session within the Local Authority which supports Practioners to think through cases involving Child Sexual Abuse and/or Sexually Harmful Behaviour 3) Co-facilitator for Caring Dads, a 17 week parenting course for fathers alleged to have perpetrated domestic violence 4) Supported the development of Temple Athletic, a collaboration with a local training facility, which offers gym and martial arts training to young people as a part of their Child In Need or Child Protection plan.

Involved in the design and provision of modules for Social Work students on the topics of CSA, Direct Work With Children, Compassion and Trauma.

The Erwood Children's Home opened in the Royal Borough of Greenwich to offer residential childcare to vulnerable children affected by the Covid 19 pandemic. I redeployed voluntarily from SafeCORE to Deputy Manager at the Erwood Children's Home with a focus on developing practice within the home. My responsibilities included leading shifts, assessing referrals, outreach work in the community with potential residents, designing the anti-bullying policy for the home and developing the training we provided to Practitioners.

Practice Lead to a Unit compromising of a Social Worker, Adults Practitioner, Family Support Worker and Team Co-ordinator, with support from a Clinical Psychologist. We implemented the second stage expansion of the SafeCORE project, offering compassion focused therapy (CFT) and systemic interventions to families affected by domestic violence. I was also responsible for developing the 'Compassionate You' groupwork course offering CFT to disadvantaged teenagers at a local comprehensive school and the 'Compassion for Families' group work course offering CFT to whole families at a local primary school.

Working as a Social Worker for the new Safecore Project. Funding by the Department of Education, Safecore seeks to reduce violence and improve outcomes in families, utilizing compassion based and systemic therapeutic techniques.

Level 4 Social Worker in a Children and Families in Need Team. Key responsibilities: 1) Case Management of Child in Need and Child Protection cases 2) Conducting specialist AIM assessments and interventions with young people 3) Preparing cases for Initial Hearing at the Family Proceedings Court 4) Practice Teaching with Student Social Workers 5) Teaching Consultancy at Goldsmiths University 6) Workforce development : engaged in Task and Finish groups aiming to improve Supervision and Direct Work within the workforce.

Mixed caseload of CP, LAC and Court Work.

Worked in Child in Need Team completing Initial and Core Assessments, as well as working on Child in Need plans.

Residential Care Worker in a variety of different environments, but mainly children's homes and homeless hostels.

Supporting people with learning disabilities into employment.

The Specialist Award is the first level of the General Social Care Council's new post qualifying framework.

MA Social Work BA Sociology and Development Studies