Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Hillingdon Council; Uxbridge; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary up to £62,766

Retention payment £4,250

SWE registration fee

Free parking

Hybrid/flexible working

TOIL provided

Outstanding Ofsted/CIT

Job summary

Hillingdon Council is recruiting a Lead Child Protection Practitioner to operate at the highest level of safeguarding, shaping responses across the borough within the MACPT. You will chair strategy discussions, oversee Section 47 enquiries and ensure children’s voices stay central to planning and decisions.

Join a pattern of outstanding practice with supportive leadership, opportunities for professional development, and flexible hybrid working.

Qualifications

• Social Work qualification required and Social Worker England registration.
• Significant recent frontline child protection experience.
• Expertise in safeguarding, risk assessment and Section 47 investigations.
• Experience chairing complex multi‑agency meetings and influencing decisions.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to evaluate complex information.
• Ability to make autonomous decisions in challenging situations.
• Excellent communication, report writing and partnership working skills.

Responsibilities

• Convene and chair multi‑agency strategy discussions.
• Lead and undertake Section 47 child protection enquiries.
• Chair Initial Child Protection Conferences and assess risk and harm evidence.
• Provide expert analysis of safeguarding information from multiple agencies.
• Support legal planning and court processes when required.
• Collaborate with Family Help practitioners to achieve sustainable change.
• Keep children’s voices central to assessment, planning and decisions.
• Act autonomously on behalf of the LA to fulfil statutory duties.

Skills

Social Work qualification

Social Work England registration

Frontline child protection experience

Safeguarding expertise

Risk assessment

Section 47 investigations

Multi‑agency meetings

Analytical skills

Autonomous decision making

Communication & report writing

Partnership working

Child-focused outcomes

Job description

About the role

Why Experienced Child Protection Practitioners Choose Hillingdon

Following our Outstanding Ofsted judgement, Hillingdon continues to invest in innovative services that improve outcomes for children. Our new Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) brings together social care, police, health and education professionals to deliver robust, timely and effective child protection responses.

As a Lead Child Protection Practitioner, you will operate at the highest level of child protection practice, influencing key safeguarding decisions across the borough while remaining focused on direct practice leadership rather than traditional line management.

What we offer:

• Ambitious, dynamic and welcoming teams where you will be supported in your practice and your professional growth
• Salary up to £62,766
• additional annual £4,250 Retention Payment
• SWE registration fee
• accessible office location minutes from Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines and M40
• Free PARKING
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• TOIL provided
• Rated Outstanding by Ofsted and CIT
• Manageable workload
• 100% permanent and experienced Senior Leadership Team
• Visible, accessible and supportive managers and senior leaders
• Regular reflective supervision and clinical consultation
• Excellent learning, development and career progression opportunities
• A relationship-based and trauma-informed practice model
• Modern, locality-based teams and working environments
• Opportunity to shape an innovative borough-wide multi-agency child protection model
• Up to 34 days annual leave rising to 37 days after long service, in addition to bank holidays.

About the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team

The MACPT is a specialist, highly skilled service responsible for overseeing child protection concerns across Hillingdon. Working alongside partners from the Metropolitan Police, health and education, the team undertakes child protection investigations, leads strategy discussions and manages the child protection conference process to ensure children at risk receive the support and intervention needed to continue their growth and development.

The service provides expert analysis of complex safeguarding information and acts on behalf of the local authority in fulfilling statutory child protection responsibilities under the Children Act 1989 and Working Together 2023.

The Role

• Convene and chair multi-agency strategy discussions with partners.
• Lead and undertake Section 47 child protection enquiries.
• Chair Initial Child Protection Conferences and make evidence-based decisions regarding risk and significant harm.
• Provide expert analysis of complex safeguarding information from multiple agencies.
• Support legal planning and court processes where required.
• Work closely with Family Help practitioners and family networks to achieve sustainable change.
• Ensure children’s voices remain central to assessment, planning, and decision making.
• Act autonomously on behalf of the local authority in fulfilling statutory child protection duties.

What We’re Looking For

• Social Work qualification and Social Work England registration.
• Significant recent frontline child protection experience.
• Expertise in safeguarding, risk assessment and section 47 investigations.
• Experience chairing complex multi-agency meetings and influencing professional decision making.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to evaluate complex information.
• Confidence in making autonomous decisions in challenging situations.
• Excellent communication, report writing and partnership-working skills.
• A commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

Why This Role Is Different

This is a rare opportunity to join a pioneering service and become one of Hillingdon's recognised child protection specialists. You will have genuine influence over safeguarding practice across the borough while working alongside skilled multi-agency colleagues in an environment that values expertise, professional curiosity.

Why Hillingdon?

At Hillingdon, we are proud of what we've achieved:

• Outstanding Ofsted judgement
• Stable and experienced permanent leadership team
• Strong culture of support and collaboration
• Commitment to workforce wellbeing
• Investment in professional development
• Clear career progression pathways
• Focus on keeping caseloads manageable
• An ambitious vision for children and families

Our social workers tell us that what makes Hillingdon different is the combination of strong leadership, supportive colleagues and the opportunity to spend meaningful time helping families create lasting change.

Make Your Next Career Move Count

If you want to focus on high-quality child protection practice, lead critical safeguarding decisions and help shape the future of multi-agency child protection in an Outstanding local authority, we would love to hear from you.

About us

We value our employees and are committed to ensuring that they enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career with us. We understand that a happy and motivated workforce is essential for the success of our organisation. That is why we offer a wide range of employee benefits to enhance your work-life balance, financial wellbeing, health, and professional development.

Here’s a comprehensive overview of the fantastic benefits we provide:

• Flexible Working Hours – We recognise the importance of flexibility in managing your work and personal life.
• 36 Hour Week – Enjoy a standard 36-hour workweek for all full time staff.
• Generous Holiday Entitlement – increasing with length of service (for non-casual roles).
• Hillingdon Sports & Leisure – Stay active and healthy with discounts at council owned leisure centres and swimming pools across the borough.
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – option to join schemes for cycle purchase, electric vehicle leasing and additional voluntary pension contributions (subject to scheme rules).
• Cycle to Work – Eco-friendly commuting with our cycle purchase scheme. We also provide bicycle parking, lockers, and showers at the Civic Centre.
• Local Government Pension Scheme – access to Local Government Pension Scheme and membership to the Credit Union.
• Vivup Benefits – Access a variety of offers and discounts through our Vivup Benefits.
• Mental Health Support and Counselling Services – Our mental health first aiders are trained to identify, understand, and help employees experiencing mental health issues. Access free 24-hour confidential advice and counselling as well as a legal advice service for you and your immediate family.
• Travel Support – Make your daily commute easier with our season ticket loans and free car parking.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This commitment means that all employees, job applicants and others who work for us will be treated fairly.

The aim is for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society and Hillingdon residents so we welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is free from discrimination and bias, and we are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants with disabilities.

Join us in building a workplace where everyone feels respected, able to give their best and be themselves at work, whilst contributing meaningfully to our organisation's success.

Recruitment Information

Hillingdon Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities that meet the essential criteria for the role and wish to be considered under this scheme. We believe in the option to choose, so candidates declaring a disability have the choice to opt in for consideration under this scheme, on a ‘per application’ basis.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Some posts are subject to The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2019 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

In addition to verifying Right to Work in the UK and a new starter health questionnaire, the post is subject to the following pre-employment screening:

• Enhanced DBS Check
• Qualifications Check
• Professional Registration Check
• 5 years of Referencing

Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Hillingdon Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.

It may be necessary due to a high volume of applications to close this role early. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.