Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Durham County Council; Birtley; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Attractive salaries

27 days leave rising to 32

Local Government Pension Scheme

Hybrid working where applicable

Job summary

Durham County Council is recruiting a permanent Lead Child Protection Practitioner based in the East of the County. You will lead on safeguarding practice, oversee guidance for social workers and professionals, and work within the Children's Social Care framework to drive high standards.

This is a non-case-holding role focusing on supervision, strategy meetings, and chairing child protection conferences to promote safety, permanence and healing for children and families.

Qualifications

• Substantial recent post-qualifying experience working with children, young people, families or carers.
• Experience using policies, legislation and statutory guidance to inform practice decisions.
• Ability to plan and respond to risk and need within set timescales.
• Experience supporting practitioners and/or students to improve practice.
• Brave and kind conversations, challenging others constructively.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and guidance to our social workers, managers, policy makers and multi-agency partners.
• Support learning around best practice, helping our practitioners grow in confidence and skill.
• Facilitate group supervision and contribute to quality assurance.
• Be part of a Multi-Agency Child Protection Team.
• Attend strategy meetings and chair child protection conferences, co-coordinate Section 47 processes, chair and co-coordinate core groups as required.

Job description

>>Are you an experienced social worker ready to influence our child protection practice and inspire change for the children and families we support? We are excited to be recruiting to our permanent Lead Child Protection Practitioner role based in the East of the County.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

As a Lead Child Protection Practitioner, you'll be at the heart of transforming the way we support and protect children across Children's Social Care. This is your chance to champion exceptional practice, inspire others, and directly shape safer, brighter futures. This is a non-case-holding role, giving you the space and focus to do what you do best – guide and empower others to deliver outstanding child-centred child protection practice.

You will:

• Provide expert advice and guidance to our social workers, alternatively qualified practitioners, managers, policy makers and multi-agency partners.
• Support learning around best practice, helping our practitioners grow in confidence and skill.
• Facilitate group supervision and contribute to quality assurance.
• Be part of a Multi-Agency Child Protection Team.
• You will attend strategy meetings and chair child protection conferences, co-coordinate Section 47 processes, chair and co-coordinate core groups as required to ensure timely progress and positive outcomes which promote safety, permanence and healing.

Every conversation you lead, every piece of guidance you give, and every decision you shape will help build a stronger, safer system around children, young people, families and carers.

HOW WILL WE SUPPORT YOU?

We are passionate about social work in County Durham. We are committed to providing a culture where good practice can flourish. We will ensure you are highly supported. You will benefit from high quality professional supervision, a great induction, and access to our strong learning and development offer alongside the fantastic offer from Frontline. You can find out more about social work in Durham.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

To apply for this fantastic role you will need to be a social worker with substantial recent post qualifying experience of work with children, young people, families or carers, with a focus on identifying and responding to need and risk and have experience of:

• Using policies and procedures, the law, regulatory and statutory guidance to inform practice decisions.
• Gathering and analysing information to create plans with children, young people, families or carers.
• Working proactively within timescales to achieve positive outcomes and avoid drift and delay for children, young people, families and carers.
• Supporting practitioners and/or students to improve practice and build confidence.
• Having brave and kind conversations, challenging others constructively when needed.

You will find the full criteria in the attached Person Specification.

TO FIND OUT MORE

We encourage you to contact Kate Proctor to discuss the role in more detail. You can contact Kate by e‑mail at . If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING Durham County Council

Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Children's Barred List and Adults Barred List, due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children, adults, or both.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held on 30 October 2026 at our council offices at Green Lane, Spennymoor. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

REWARDS AND BENEFITS

• attractive salaries
• a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years' continuous local government service)
• membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme
• a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable

Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on