Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Connect2Dorset; Dorchester; Hybrid; GBP 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

Connect2Dorset is seeking an experienced Lead Child Protection Practitioner to oversee multi-agency safeguarding activities, chair strategy meetings and conferences, and guide decisions on section 47 enquiries. You will lead MACPT work, coordinate with Family Help, and ensure quality child protection planning and outcomes.

Strong knowledge of Children Act 2004, Working Together 2023 and Families First guidance is essential, with extensive experience in chairing inter-agency meetings and risk

Qualifications

• QSW qualification required.
• Registered with Social Work England.
• Post-qualifying training in child care essential.

Responsibilities

• Be a key member of the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team.
• Chair all strategy meetings.
• Chair child protection conferences.
• Oversee and be the decision maker regarding section 47 enquiries.
• Lead the oversight of multi-agency and single agency investigations (as required).
• Attend as part of the MACPT the daily S47 outcome meeting.
• Chair MACE meetings for children at significant risk.
• Attend relevant Extra Familiar Risk and Harm Panels.
• Collaborate with Family Help Service for robust child protection responses.
• Gather information to determine if a child is suffering significant harm.
• Ensure families are offered a family group conference.
• Visit families to prepare for conferences and support draft plans.
• Oversee development, review and closure of child protection plans.
• Input into onward planning for children and families.
• Provide advice for practitioners on multi-agency child protection.
• Oversee all children allocated to LCPP regarding section 47 or protection plans.
• Attend weekly multi-agency line of sight meetings for discussion and decision making.
• Attend weekly leadership meetings for information sharing.

Skills

Leadership

Chairing meetings

Risk assessment

Communication

Time management

Interagency liaison

Education

QSW qualification

Registered with Social Work England

Post-qualifying training in child care

Job description

Lead Child Protection Practitioners

About Us

Connect2Dorset is a managed service agency owned by Dorset Council, providing temporary, contract and interim opportunities within Dorset Council. Our service is built on our values of being ethical, trustworthy and caring, with profits returned to our Local Authority shareholders.

Location: Hybrid (2 days in office per week)

Contract: 6 months - 37 hours a week

Pay Rate: £47.50 an hour

Start Date: Immediate * Subject to compliance and Enhanced DBS.

Ensure that children's voices are heard and are central to influencing any plans made to support them.

Embed Family-Led decision making, while enhancing multi-agency collaboration to support our children and families.

Safeguarding Children through strategic oversight and intervention to meet our statutory obligations under the Children Act 2004, Working Together 2023 and The Families First Partnership Guidance. Focusing on building relationships; ensuring effective participation and taking a restorative trauma informed strengths-based approach.

To support and challenge operational practice to ensure outcomes for children are being achieved.

Key responsibilities

1. Be a key member of the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team.
2. Chair all strategy meetings.
3. Chair child protection conferences.
4. Oversee and be the decision maker regarding section 47 enquiries.
5. Lead the oversight of multi-agency and single agency investigations (as required).
6. Attend as part of the MACPT the daily S47 outcome meeting.
7. Chair MACE meetings for children who are at significant risk of extra familiar risk and harm.
8. Attend relevant Extra Familiar Risk and Harm Panels.
9. Work in collaboration with the Family Help Service to ensure robust child protection responses.
10. Gather information about whether a child is suffering significant harm, to support decision making.
11. Ensure that families have been offered a family group conference for children subject to child protection plans.
12. Visit families to prepare them for child protection conferences and support them to prepare a draft plan for the conference.
13. Oversee and quality assure the development, review and closure of child protection plans, including formal mid-way reviews.
14. Input into onward planning for children and families (including continued support from Family Help and the voluntary sector).
15. Provide advice and consultation for practitioners who need multi-agency child protection expertise.
16. Oversight of all children allocated to LCPP who are the subject of section 47 enquiries or on a child protection plan. Providing support and challenge of operational practice to ensure that intended outcomes for children are being achieved in the child's timeframe.
17. Attend the weekly multi-agency child protection line of sight meetings to contribute to the multi-agency discussions and decision making. Decisions from line of sight will be the responsibility of the locality service manager.
18. Attend the weekly leadership meeting to contribute to information being shared and discussion about decisions being made. Decisions from the weekly leadership meetings will remain with the head of locality.
19. Write or contribute to high quality reports and briefings on practice improvement, policy developments and legislation changes as required.
20. Delivery of workforce development activities to support improvement.
21. Maintain an understanding of local patterns of significant harm and agency responses and support service improvement.

Essential

1. QSW
2. Registered with Social Work England
3. Relevant children social care post qualifying training

Experience

1. 4. Substantial post qualifying experience within children social care
2. 5. Substantial experience of child protection work
3. 6. Experience of chairing meetings
4. 7. Experience of chairing inter-agency meetings

Knowledge

1. 8. Working knowledge of relevant childcare legislation and guidance (including "Children's Act 2004," "Working Together" 2023, "Families First Partnership Program Guide 2025")
2. 9. Understanding of assessment of risk and professional judgements relating to risk
3. 10. Detailed knowledge of child development, trauma informed practice and behaviour including likely outcomes of interventions
4. 11. Good knowledge of child protection policies, procedures and practice
5. 12. Knowledge of best practice for children subject to protection plans

Skills and abilities

1. 13. Ability to maintain child focus and engage with children and families to understand their needs and safeguarding concerns
2. 14. Good organisational and time management skills
3. 15. High level of written and verbal communication
4. 16. Ability to receive, summarise and analyse information in a way that is accessible to others
5. 17. Problem solving and negotiating skills
6. 18. Ability to manage conflict and confrontation positively

Connect2Dorset is a trading style of Dorset & Kent Commercial Services LLP - A joint venture between Dorset Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Dorset is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates