Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Thurrock Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave entitlement

Local Government Pension Scheme

Hybrid working opportunities

Job summary

Thurrock Council invites applications for a Lead Child Protection Practitioner within the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team. You will provide expert safeguarding leadership, oversee complex interventions and drive high-quality multi-agency practice to protect children at risk of significant harm.

You will chair conferences and coordinate responses with police, health and education partners, ensuring decisions are robust and centered on children’s wishes and experiences.

Qualifications

• Social Work qualification and Social Work England registration are essential.
• Minimum five years’ post-qualification experience within Children's Services required.
• Significant experience of child protection and safeguarding practice.
• Strong knowledge of Working Together to Safeguard Children and related legislation.
• Experience chairing complex multi-agency meetings and conferences.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Commitment to achieving the best outcomes for children and families.

Responsibilities

• Consult with multi-agency practitioners on child protection concerns.
• Oversee multi-agency decision-making and child protection plans.
• Work with families, including challenging behaviours, to safeguard children.
• Chair Child Protection Conferences, Strategy Meetings and other safeguarding forums.
• Coordinate multi-agency responses to risk and harm.
• Ensure children’s wishes and lived experiences are central to assessment and planning.
• Develop relationships with safeguarding partners and undertake quality assurance.

Skills

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Leadership

Multi-agency collaboration

Education

Social Work qualification

Social Work England registration

Job description

Lead Child Protection Practitioner - Children's Social Care

Grade: G | Salary: £55,227 - £63,675 per annum

Fixed-Term Contract 12 months | Full-time 37 hours per week

Small enough to care. Big enough to make a difference.

This is an exciting 12-month fixed-term opportunity to join Thurrock Council's Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) and play a key role in safeguarding children and improving outcomes for families across the borough.

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Lead Child Protection Practitioner to provide specialist safeguarding expertise, over see complex child protection interventions, and drive high-quality multi-agency practice that delivers meaningful and lasting change for children at risk of significant harm.

A key feature of this role is working within our recently established Multi-Agency Child Protection Team, bringing together professionals from children's social care, police, health, education and other safeguarding partners. By working side by side, sharing expertise and providing constructive challenge, we ensure that risks are identified early, decisions are robust, and children receive the coordinated protection and support they need.

About the Role

As a Lead Child Protection Practitioner, you will:

• Consult with, guide and advise multi-agency practitioners on child protection concerns;
• Oversee multi-agency decision-making and activity relating to child protection plans, drawing on evidence-based insights and consultations with the MACPT, family help lead practitioners and other practitioners, agencies and organisations
• know how to work skilfully and confidently with families and parents in child protection, including those who have demonstrated resistant, hostile and/or deceptive behaviour
• Chair Child Protection Conferences, Strategy Meetings and other multi-agency safeguarding forums.
• Coordinate effective multi-agency responses to risk and harm.
• Ensure children's wishes, feelings and lived experiences are central to assessment and planning.
• Develop strong working relationships with children, families by undertaking home visits where necessary.
• Build professional relationships with safeguarding partners, involving them in the Child Protection process.
• Undertake quality assurance activities, audits and practice reviews to drive continuous improvement.
• Support workforce development through training, coaching and the sharing of best practice.

About You

You will be a qualified and experienced social work professional who can demonstrate:

• Social Work qualification and Social Work England registration.
• A minimum of five years' post-qualification experience within Children's Services.
• Significant experience of child protection and safeguarding practice.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation and statutory guidance, including Working Together to Safeguard Children.
• Experience of chairing complex multi-agency meetings and conferences.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• The confidence to provide constructive challenge and make sound professional decisions in complex situations.
• A commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and families.

Why Thurrock?

At Thurrock, we are ambitious for our children and young people. We are committed to creating a culture where children are at the heart of everything we do, where practitioners are supported to develop, and where innovation and collaboration are valued.

As a Lead Child Protection Practitioner, you will be part of a highly collaborative multi-agency safeguarding environment, working alongside police, health, education and other key partners to protect children and strengthen outcomes for families. This integrated approach gives practitioners the opportunity to influence decision-making, share expertise across agencies and be part of a team that is collectively committed to keeping children safe in a way that makes a real difference to the lives of Children and Families.

If you are passionate about safeguarding children and believe that the best outcomes are achieved through strong partnership working, we would love to hear from you.

Benefits of Working with Us

At Thurrock Council, we value our employees and offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities (where applicable)
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support
• Staff discounts and local offers
• A supportive and inclusive working environment

Important Dates

Closing Date (Redeployment Only): 24th September 2026

Closing Date (Internal & External): 4th October 2026

Interview Date: To Be Confirmed

Our location

Thurrock is located on the north bank of the river Thames. Our urban centres are a vibrant mix of established towns and new young communities, with a diverse and growing population of around 160,000 residents.

We are an emerging cultural and arts centre, home to the production centre for the Royal Opera House and the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills. We have excellent retail and leisure opportunities, including Lakeside Shopping Centre, country parks, forests, and marshes.

Thurrock is just half an hour journey away from the centre of London by train and well connected by road.

Staff benefits

We offer lots of staff benefits, including a generous annual leave entitlement and hybrid working. We champion flexible working and job share applications are welcome.

Further information can be found here Employment benefits | Working for the council | Thurrock Council

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Thurrock Council is committed to equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident Employer, disabled people will be offered an interview where they meet all essential criteria on the person specification.

We serve a diverse community where people are different yet equal. Diversity underpins everything we do.

For further information about Thurrock Council please visit our website: Thurrock Council