Independent Chair

Peterborough First group; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Peterborough City Council is seeking an experienced Independent Chair for a 12-month fixed-term role in Peterborough. The post will focus on leading child protection conferences, ensuring decisions are clear, proportionate and focused on meaningful change.

You will provide oversight, challenge and facilitation to bring professionals and families together, keeping the child's voice central to planning and action. Interviews, held in person, will be scheduled in due course.

Qualifications

• Strong experience of statutory child protection practice and decision-making.
• Ability to chair complex meetings with authority, sensitivity and fairness.
• Offer respectful challenge and hold partners to account.
• Excellent analytical, communication and relationship-building skills.
• Commitment to hearing and reflecting the experiences of children and families.

Responsibilities

• Provide oversight and constructive challenge in child protection conferences.
• Ensure plans are ambitious, evidence-informed and focused on meaningful change.
• Bring professionals and families together to support clear decisions.
• Ensure children remain at the heart of decision-making.

Skills

Statutory child protection

Chair complex meetings

Challenge & accountability

Analytical & communication

Hearing children experiences

Job description

All about the Role

12-month fixed-term opportunity | Peterborough

Help make sure every child's voice is heard, every plan is purposeful and every professional is focused on making a difference.

We are looking for an experienced and confident Independent Chair to join us in Peterborough for a 12-month fixed-term role focused on child protection. This is an opportunity to bring skilled, purposeful leadership to child protection conferences and help strengthen the quality, impact and consistency of planning for children and families.

As an Independent Chair, you will provide effective oversight and constructive challenge, ensuring that children remain at the heart of decision-making. You will bring professionals and families together, support clear and proportionate decisions, and make sure plans are ambitious, evidence-informed and focused on achieving meaningful change.

All about our Team

You will join colleagues who are committed to strong partnership working, thoughtful professional challenge and better outcomes for children. The fixed-term nature of this post offers the chance to make a visible contribution, bring fresh perspective and help shape continuous improvement in child protection practice.

All about You

What you will bring

• Strong experience of statutory child protection practice and decision-making.
• The confidence to chair complex meetings with authority, sensitivity and fairness.
• An ability to offer respectful challenge and hold partners to account.
• Excellent analytical, communication and relationship-building skills.
• A clear commitment to hearing and reflecting the experiences of children and families.

Interviews will take place in person on Thursday 05th November at Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Peterborough, PE2 8TY

Our Commitments
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.
We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact [e-mail].
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment