Lead Child Protection Practitioner

North Somerset Council; England; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

North Somerset Council seeks an experienced Lead Child Protection Practitioner to lead the Multi Agency Child Protection Team and drive safeguarding practice improvements within North Somerset. This role combines direct practice leadership with strategic influence, shaping Family Help reforms while remaining closely connected to frontline work.

The post requires leading decision making, chairing strategy discussions, coaching social workers and ensuring high-quality assessments and planning

Responsibilities

• Lead on decision making and chair safeguarding Strategy discussions for North Somerset.
• Provide oversight of Section 47 enquires and decision-making regarding child protection planning.
• Lead and champion family-led planning approaches, ensuring children and families are actively involved in assessment, decision-making and support planning, with interventions that build on strengths, utilise family networks and deliver sustainable improvements in children's safety and wellbeing.
• Provide expert advice, consultation and challenge on complex child protection.
• Chair Child Protection conferences and drive the quality and effectiveness of child protection planning and review processes.
• Promote high-quality assessments, analysis and planning that reflect children's lived experiences.
• Strengthen multi-agency collaboration across safeguarding partnerships.
• Lead learning from audits, reviews, complaints and safeguarding practice findings.
• Coach and mentor social workers to develop practice excellence.
• Support consistency and quality across conferences, strategy discussions and child protection pathways.
• Contribute to service development, performance improvement and implementation of Family First reforms.
• Champion relational, restorative and trauma-informed practice.

Job description

We are seeking dedicated Lead Child Protection Practitioners to join our Multi Agency Child Protection Team. Be at the forefront of safeguarding innovation and shape the future of child protection practice in North Somerset through our newly established Lead Child Protection Practitioner roles.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly skilled social work practitioner to take a leading role in strengthening child protection practice and knowledge across North Somerset.

The Lead Child Protection Practitioner will provide expert oversight, challenge and support across child protection processes, ensuring that children experiencing harm or at risk of significant harm, receive timely, effective and coordinated interventions. Working alongside Team Managers and multi-agency partners, you will drive and deliver excellent practice, be responsible for decision making and drive quality improvement in Family Support and social work practice.

You will play a key role in embedding Family Help reforms, strengthening multi-agency working and ensuring plans are focused on creating meaningful and lasting change for children and their families.

This role combines direct practice leadership with strategic influence and offers an excellent opportunity for experienced practitioners looking to develop specialist expertise while remaining closely connected to frontline practice.

Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Company: North Somerset Council
Salary: £57,679 to £63,637 a year
Hours: Full-time
Location: North Somerset
Working pattern: Hybrid - 2 days remote
Job type: Permanent
Posting date: 3 Nov 2026
Closing date: 16 Nov 2026

Key Responsibilities

Lead on decision making and chair safeguarding Strategy discussions for North Somerset.

Provide oversight of Section 47 enquires in North Somerset and decision-making regarding child protection planning

Lead and champion family-led planning approaches, ensuring children and families are actively involved in assessment, decision-making and support planning, with interventions that build on strengths, utilise family networks and deliver sustainable improvements in children's safety and wellbeing.

Provide expert advice, consultation and challenge on complex child protection.

Chair Child Protection conferences and drive the quality and effectiveness of child protection planning and review processes.

Promote high-quality assessments, analysis and planning that reflect children's lived experiences.

Strengthen multi-agency collaboration across safeguarding partnerships.

Lead learning from audits, reviews, complaints and safeguarding practice findings.

Coach and mentor social workers to develop practice excellence.

Support consistency and quality across conferences, strategy discussions and child protection pathways.

Contribute to service development, performance improvement and implementation of Family First reforms.

Champion relational, restorative and trauma-informed practice.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact Shelley Caldwell, Head of Front Door – [e-mail] (07824 085762).

Essential requirements

About YouWe are looking for a passionate and experienced social worker who is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and families.Essential CriteriaHold a recognised social work qualification.Be registered with Social Work England.Have significant experience of working with children and families within safeguarding services.Demonstrate expertise in child protection practice, assessment and planning.Have experience of complex decision making and working within multi-agency safeguarding environments.Be able to provide constructive challenge and professional leadership in a supervisory capacity.Have excellent written and verbal communication skills.Demonstrate experience and competence at working as part of a multi agency groupDemonstrate a strong understanding of trauma-informed and relationship-based practice.Be committed to delivering family-led interventions that build on strengths and improve outcomes and drive creative planning to keep children with their families where safe.Desirable CriteriaPractice Educator qualification or equivalent.Experience of quality assurance, audit activity or practice development work.Knowledge of national child protection reforms and Family Help developments.Knowledge of Safeguarding children partnership functionExperience of coaching and mentoring practitioners.

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