Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Stockport Council; Stockport; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

Stockport Council invites applications for a Lead Child Protection Practitioner (MB4) in Stopford House. The role is part of the new multi-agency MACPT and requires substantial frontline child protection experience plus strong knowledge of statutory frameworks.

You must be registered with Social Work England and thrive in a multi‑agency team, with excellent verbal and written communication. Hybrid working is available with some homeworking; office presence is required part of the week.

Qualifications

• Must be registered with Social Work England.
• Excellent verbal and written communication with professionals, families and children.
• Ability to work independently within a multi‑agency environment.
• Passionate about improving outcomes for children and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Support the embedding of MACPTs and the LCPP role as outlined in FFPP.
• Identify and respond to all forms of significant harm.
• Collaborate with families, parents and professionals in child protection.
• Contribute to shaping practice and governance within the MACPT.

Skills

Substantial frontline child protection

Statutory framework knowledge

Responding to all types of harm

Work with families in child protection

Independent and multi-agency teamwork

Practice knowledge sharing with peers

Education

Social Work England registration

Job description

Lead Child Protection Practitioner
MB4 (£46,579 - £53,051)
37 Hours, Full Time
Permanent
Stopford House with some homeworking/remote working permitted

Application Deadline: 24th September 2026 11:59pm
Shortlisting Date: 30th September 2026
Interview Date: 5th October 2026
Interview Type: In person

Join us at Stockport Council Best for Inclusion winner at the Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards 2026

Your Role

We’re really excited to start creating our multi-agency child protection teams (MACPTs) and the lead child protection practitioner (LCPP) role is integral to the functioning of this.

The Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP) guide outlines the new LCPP role. The guide states that this social work role should be embedded in the MACPT and that LCPPs should:

• have substantial frontline child protection experience within children’s social care and an in-depth knowledge of the statutory and legislative framework
• be skilled at identifying and responding to all types of significant harm, including extra-familial harm
• 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
• this role requires you to be passionate about improving outcomes for children, and possess a strong competency in child protection knowledge

About You

If you’re an experienced, skilled, qualified social worker looking for your next career step, then this may be just the role for you! We’re looking for people who are:

• Dedicated to wanting to keep children safe and give them the best opportunities
• Tenacious and passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children
• Strong in their verbal and written communication skills, to professionals, families, and children
• Able to work independently and who thrives in being a part of a multi-agency team
• Sees the benefit in sharing their practice knowledge and wisdom with others, whilst also offering respectful challenge when things aren’t right
• You must be registered with Social Work England.

About Us

The role will be a part of the newly established multi agency child protection team (MACPT), as outlined in the national social care reforms.

As this is a brand-new role, you will need to be creative and responsive, helping us to shape the LCPP role and the MACPT, in line with the guidance under the FFPP. We will work together and you’ll be supported to embed this role into the MACPT.

You will be a part of a friendly and ambitious local authority with an approachable and inclusive leadership team.

As a new starter, you’ll have a welcoming induction specific to the service and will receive a Stockport Council corporate induction. You will also have access to a wide range of training and learning opportunities to support your development.

We offer a hybrid way of working with some home working and some flexibility around working hours. There will be an expectation to be office based for part of the week.

Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We’re keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions.

If you would like to find out more about the role please contact Mathew Finegan ([e-mail]) or Eleanor Hirst ([e-mail]) for an informal discussion about the role.

The successful applicant’s appointment will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment clearances including a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not currently qualify.

Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex-military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed to be shortlisted for Assessment if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria.

Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://www.greater.jobs/our-guaranteed-assessment-scheme

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application. Please also email [e-mail].

Privacy Notice

Eligible at-risk employees are entitled to have their applications considered ahead of internal employees in line with the Council’s Recruitment and Selection Policy. At risk employees are either employees in the last three months of their fixed term contract, or those who have been notified in writing that they are at risk by Human Resources following an employee consultation meeting. Employees wishing to be considered as an at-risk applicant are requested to email [e-mail] to inform Human Resources. At risk applications are only permitted for opportunities at the employees’ current grade or grades below.

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Stockport Council is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce culture - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to join our workforce.

We want our employees to have a good work life balance and in many job roles we can offer a range of flexible/hybrid working arrangements. We also have inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support our diverse workforce. We will listen to, learn from, and develop our workforce.

Supporting Documents

Job Profile