Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Hoople Ltd; Hereford; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary range

Market rate supplement

Welcome payment

Relocation up to £10k

LGPS

Career progression

Annual leave 31 days

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Professional membership fees

Perks (retail, leisure, discounts)

Job summary

Herefordshire Council is seeking an experienced Lead Practitioner to join the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team. You will provide leadership in safeguarding, ensure timely, child-centred responses to risk, and support high-quality practice across partner agencies.

The role offers HC10 spine salary (£47,665-£51,928) plus a £5,000 market forces supplement (£52,665-£56,928), plus relocation up to £10,000. 37 hours per week, permanent contract, Hereford base, with generous benefits including LGPS,

Qualifications

• Registered with Social Work England and holding a recognised Social Work qualification (Degree in Social Work, DipSW, or CQSW).
• Substantial experience in frontline child protection and safeguarding.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in frontline child protection and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Provide practice leadership and oversight on complex child protection cases.
• Support the decision‑making and quality assurance of Section 47 enquiries.
• Work closely with partners including police, health, and education to ensure robust multi‑agency safeguarding responses.
• Offer coaching, mentoring, and reflective supervision support to social workers.
• Be a part of strategy discussions and meetings, ensuring clear risk analysis and planning.
• Drive continuous improvement and contribute to service development.

Skills

Frontline child protection

Risk assessment

Multi-agency working

Analytical skills

Coaching and mentoring

Decision making

Education

Social Work degree

DipSW or CQSW

Job description

About The Role

Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Job Title: Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Salary: HC10 £47,665 - £51,928 plus £5,000 market forces supplement (£52,665 - £56,928)

Welcome payment: £10,000 (see attached guidance)

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37

Location: Hereford

Relocation package: up to £10,000 available

Closing date: 27/09/2026

Introduction

Make a Difference Where It Matters Most

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Lead Practitioner to join our Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT). This is a key role at the heart of safeguarding, working with partners to ensure timely, effective, and child-centred responses to risk.

You will play a critical role in supporting high-quality practice, driving performance, and ensuring that children at risk of harm receive the right support at the right time.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic and evolving service that places children at the centre of everything we do. You will have the opportunity to influence practice, shape service delivery, and make a real impact on the lives of vulnerable children and families.

We are proud of our restorative approach to social work - a way of working that is firmly embedded in our team culture and management style. Collaboration and reflection are at the heart of how we practice: senior managers are always available for guidance and support, especially when navigating complex cases.

Curious about what it’s really like to be a Social Worker with us?

Want to know what it really feels like to work with our passionate and dedicated Social Work teams? This short video gives you a glimpse into the heart of our service and shows why Herefordshire Council could be the perfect place for your next career move.

https://youtu.be/FSjU-FV5uic

The Role

As a Lead Practitioner within the MACPT, you will:

• Provide practice leadership and oversight on complex child protection cases
• Support the decision‑making and quality assurance of Section 47 enquiries
• Work closely with partners including police, health, and education to ensure robust multi‑agency safeguarding responses
• Offer coaching, mentoring, and reflective supervision support to social workers
• Be a part of strategy discussions and meetings, ensuring clear risk analysis and planning
• Drive continuous improvement and contribute to service development

Herefordshire is on a journey, and we would like you to be part of our next chapter. This is an exciting opportunity to have a genuine impact on the local authority and help improve the lives of children and young people across our communities.

About You

We are looking for a confident and skilled practitioner who:

• Registered with Social Work England and holding a recognised Social Work qualification (Degree in Social Work, DipSW, or CQSW).
• Has substantial experience in frontline child protection and safeguarding
• Has a minimum of 3 years’ experience in frontline child protection and safeguarding
• Demonstrates strong analytical, risk assessment, and decision‑making skills
• Has experience of multi‑agency working at a strategic and operational level
• Can support and challenge practice to ensure excellent outcomes for children
• Is passionate about developing others and embedding high standards of practice

We Offer

A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:

• Salary range of £47,665 - £51,928 per annum
• Market rate supplement: £5,000 per annum
• Welcome Payment: £10,000 (see attached guidance)
• Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
• Professional development: protected time and budget to develop yourself and your career
• Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress
• Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
• Flexible working: including the potential for job‑sharing, part‑time hours and agile working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
• Pick your perks - our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.

Why Choose Us?

We're proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. Set in the heart of England and filled with pride, compassion and possibility, the video brings to life what it means to work somewhere you truly belong.

At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together.

Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community.

Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life. We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference.

It’s an exciting time to join us. We’re investing in our people and our relational practice approach, working alongside our improvement partner, Leeds City Council. You’ll be supported by experienced managers, continuous professional development, and a genuine team ethos that values collaboration and care.

If you’re committed to helping children and young people thrive, come and join the journey in Herefordshire - where your work truly matters.

Herefordshire Council Plan

The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:

Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-2028

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [e-mail].

If you’re shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments, our Children & Young People Recruitment Team will be happy to support you.

Creating an inclusive workplace

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.

For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.

Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre‑employment checks.

We are also committed to protecting local authority staff and interested parties from Occupational Health & Safety hazards and maintaining a safe systematic approach across the highest levels of risk management.

Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme.

Those that indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.

Those that indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.