Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Overview

In this Lead Child Protection Practitioner role you will act as an expert in child protection to support and empower families within Dudley. You will work within a restorative, family‑focused local authority that values cross‑agency collaboration and strong leadership. You will provide specialized guidance on safeguarding concerns, lead strategy discussions, and help families navigate safeguarding processes to achieve sustainable change. This is a mission‑driven position for a skilled social worker looking to impact children’s lives at scale.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and consultation on child protection to practitioners across the multi‑agency partnership
• Lead and contribute to strategy meetings, section 47 enquiries, and children on child protection plans
• Support families when significant harm is identified and promote family group decision making
• Engage with multi‑agency groups to challenge practices and foster restorative approaches
• Contribute to pre‑proceedings processes and ensure rigorous safeguarding practice

Key requirements

• Qualified social worker with significant child protection experience
• Excellent knowledge of child abuse, contributing factors and consequences
• Social Work England registration
• DBS check
• Right to work in the UK (no sponsorship)
• Ability to work across multi‑agency partnerships and build relationships with families

• Excellent communication and consultation skills
• Collaborative and relationship‑building abilities
• Decision‑making and professional judgement under pressure
• Advocacy for families and restorative practice mindset
• Ability to challenge practice constructively across teams

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