Working for Southwark Council

Staff Benefits

There are many benefits of working for Southwark Council. We’ve highlighted a few here:
  • Flexible working

    As part of the Council’s ongoing digital strategy, we are currently investing in our IT infrastructure. What this translates to is up-to-date equipment that will allow you to work flexibly from home or on-site. This working ethos is creating an agile workforce who can fit their work around their lifestyles. Other flexible work options can include annualised hours, compressed hours, flexitime, home working, job-sharing and flexi break scheme.

  • Travel planning

    With a passion for environmentally friendly forms of transport – not forgetting the benefit to your health – we want to help you get from A to B with minimal fuss. That’s why we offer a cycle to work and cycle loan scheme, plus an interest-free season ticket loan. Some roles also attract essential car user status.

  • Annual Leave

    Starting at a generous 26 days holiday (plus bank holidays) and rising to 33 days depending on what grade your career is at and how long you’ve been with us, your holiday entitlement will go up and up.

  • Pension Scheme

    We want to ensure that our staff are taken care of in retirement, which is why Southwark offers membership in a number of pension schemes which all provide security and benefits to members and their loved ones. 
    The Southwark Pension Fund is the largest pension fund in London with assets of £1.53 billion, and is part of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

  • Personal Development

    We’re keen for you to reach your full potential, so we’ll support your individual needs with training and development programmes, uniquely tailored to your interests.It’s for this very reason that we’ve been named as one of the top 100 companies in the UK and the best London Council for the past five years for apprenticeships, so whether you need managerial, technical or professional support, we can provide the education opportunities you’d like to experience.

  • Salary

    We support the principles of equal pay and offer competitive salaries. You may also receive an annual increment until you reach the maximum point of the grade.

  • Flexible working hours and arrangements

    Our jobs are based upon a 36-hour week, and most are open to "job-sharing".

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    Premature Baby Leave and Pay

    In September 2018 Southwark Council has taken the proactive step to support employees who are parents of babies born prematurely by signing up to the Employer with a Heart charter from charity The Smallest Things.
    Working with the Unite, Unison and GMB unions to develop this progressive policy, it means parents of babies born at or before 37 weeks will be entitled to receive an extra week’s Premature Baby Leave and Premature Baby Pay for every week their premature baby spends in hospital before their due date.

  • Apprenticeships

    Our apprenticeship scheme has been operating successfully for more than ten years. Investing in our future workforce to ensure we have the right people with the right skills who can fully develop their potential, is one of our key priorities. Our apprenticeship programme is highly regarded as one of the key employment pathways to working in Southwark, with tremendous successes for our apprentices securing employment.

  • Social Care

    We’re committed to supporting your continuing professional development from the outset of your career. As part of our Social Care Teams, newly qualified social workers benefit from a one-year ASYE programme and a dedicated practice development manager, in addition to structured training and learning during the year. All social work staff benefit from a wide variety of training and learning events, as well as coaching sets and other developmental activities, including post-qualifying awards though our sponsorship scheme and specialist training on local priorities and initiatives. You can find out more on the “mylearningsource” portal.

  • Planning Your Career

    It can be difficult to know where to start when looking for your next job or planning your career. The National Careers Service website offers advice and information, which we hope you’ll find useful in choosing to make an application with us. Click here to find out more.

  • HSF health plan and eyecare scheme

    Need to see a doctor or optician urgently? No problem, because with HSF (a not for profit organisation), you can have a medical cash plan and seek help as soon as you need it, and without waiting for an NHS appointment.

  • Modern offices

    We’re working to make Southwark a cleaner, greener and safer place to live and work. As part of our modernisation programme, most staff are now located at new buildings in Tooley Street, near to London Bridge, and Queens Road in Peckham.

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    Investors In People

    We have been awarded “Gold” status award in 2018 and 2015 from the Investors in People organisation. IIP looks at how well an organisation is performing, and whether it is meeting its own objectives, with a particular focus on how it supports its staff to do the very best for customers.
    Southwark Council has maintained its Gold status against the harder test – already an achievement in itself – with glimmers of the newly-introduced Platinum rank shining through in some elements of the assessment.
    The report noted that Southwark has a culture that incorporates openness, truly supports diversity, trust and willingness to communicate, and involves all people at every level in the work of the council as much as is feasibly possible.
    Personal development is embedded as a key part of our organisational culture. When you join us you’ll have access to a wide range of training opportunities, including sponsorship for qualifications, through a self-managed portal; www.mylearningsource.co.uk; in addition to developmental work in local settings.