Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Schools’ Choice; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Schools’ Choice in Coventry is seeking a Lead Child Protection Practitioner to provide expert leadership and oversight of child protection across partner agencies. This senior safeguarding role is based in Coventry with hybrid working and a salary of £41.42 umbrella, 37 hours per week, starting 2 October 2026.

You will chair strategy discussions, oversee Section 47 inquiries, and drive multi‑agency collaboration while ensuring legally compliant safeguarding practice and evidence‑informed

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker required and registered with Social Work England.
• Significant experience in Children's Social Care and Child Protection.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, and processes.
• Experience of complex safeguarding decision-making and multi‑agency working.
• Excellent communication, influencing and partnership-building skills.
• Ability to provide professional leadership and challenge across agencies.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist leadership and oversight of child protection across the partnership.
• Chair strategy discussions and contribute to complex safeguarding decision-making.
• Oversee Section 47 enquiries and ensure statutory requirements are met.
• Promote high-quality, consistent, legally compliant safeguarding practice.
• Provide professional advice and guidance on complex child protection matters.
• Strengthen multi-agency collaboration and partnership working.
• Support timely, proportionate and defensible decision-making.
• Apply professional curiosity and constructive challenge to improve outcomes for children.
• Ensure assessments and interventions are informed by children's lived experiences, strengths and risks.
• Build workforce capability through coaching, support and professional leadership.
• Contribute to service development, evaluation and continuous improvement of MACPT.
• Support Families First Partnership Programme reforms.

Skills

Professional leadership

Communication skills

Multi‑agency collaboration

Safeguarding expertise

Education

Qualified Social Worker status

Job description

About The Role

Coventry (Hybrid Working) £41.42 (Umbrella) 37 Hours per Week Start Date: 2 October 2026

The Lead Child Protection Practitioner is a senior specialist safeguarding role, providing expert leadership and oversight of child protection practice across partner agencies.

Working at the heart of Coventry's Multi-Agency Child Protection Team, you will promote high-quality, consistent and legally compliant safeguarding practice while driving robust, evidence-informed decision-making for children at risk of significant harm.

You will act as a recognised safeguarding expert, offering authoritative advice, challenge and support to practitioners and partners across social care, health, police and wider agencies.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist leadership and oversight of child protection practice across the partnership.
• Chair strategy discussions and contribute to complex safeguarding decision-making.
• Oversee Section 47 enquiries and ensure statutory requirements are met.
• Promote high-quality, consistent and legally compliant safeguarding practice.
• Provide professional advice and guidance on complex child protection matters.
• Strengthen multi-agency collaboration and partnership working.
• Support timely, proportionate and defensible decision-making.
• Apply professional curiosity and constructive challenge to improve outcomes for children.
• Ensure assessments and interventions are informed by children's lived experiences, strengths and risks.
• Build workforce capability through coaching, support and professional leadership.
• Contribute to service development, evaluation and continuous improvement of the MACPT model.
• Support the implementation of the Families First Partnership Programme reforms.

About You

We are looking for an experienced safeguarding professional who combines strong technical expertise with the ability to influence and collaborate across organisational boundaries.

Essential Requirements

• Qualified Social Worker.
• Registered with Social Work England.
• Significant experience within Children's Social Care and Child Protection.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and child protection processes.
• Experience of complex safeguarding decision-making and multi-agency working.
• Excellent communication, influencing and partnership-building skills.
• Ability to provide professional leadership and challenge across agencies.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

As this role is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check, applicants are required to declare any cautions and convictions that are not protected under current filtering rules.