Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Walsall Council; Walsall; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training & development programme

Flexible working

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Walsall Council’s Children’s Services seeks a Lead Child Protection Practitioner to lead multi‑agency child protection work, supervise staff, and oversee child protection enquiries and plans. You will work with allocated social workers and other professionals to ensure the highest standards, while maintaining manageable workloads and strong managerial support.

The role reflects Walsall’s outstanding Ofsted grade, with a comprehensive training programme, flexible working, and wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Extensive post qualifying social work experience within a local authority or equivalent.
• Supervisory or managerial experience is desirable.
• Experience in child protection practice.

Responsibilities

• Lead Child Protection Enquiries and oversee Child Protection Plans.
• Work alongside allocated social workers and other professionals to ensure high standards.
• Maintain manageable workloads with strong managerial support and focused paperwork.

Skills

Child protection practice

Multi-agency collaboration

Supervisory experience

Job description

Children and families are at the heart of our practice in Walsall as identified within our recent Ofsted inspection:
When children need help or protection, they receive a timely and effective response. Workers engage parents sensitively, so they understand the concerns about their children and the role of children's social care. There is robust management oversight of the work, ensuring that work is timely and thresholds are appropriate.
Walsall began implementing the Families First Programme in 2024, based on the National Children's Social Care Review and Stable Homes Built on Love. To do this we have created a combined, multi-agency locality Family Help Service, with locality social workers supported by you a Lead Child Protection Practitioner and as our Multi Agency Child Protection Team has developed we are expanding our team of Lead Child Protection Practitioners
About the job:
The Lead Child Protection Practitioner role will lead alongside the multi-agency network around a family to ensure child protection practice is of the highest standard and supported by the right expertise, careful, rigorous thinking, care and respect. You will work alongside allocated social workers and other professionals to undertake Child Protection Enquiries and oversee Child Protection Plans., To provide the right conditions for you, we are committed to manageable workloads, high support from managers, essential paperwork only, enabling technologies.
Within Walsall we offer a comprehensive training and development programme which contributed to our OUTSTANDING Ofsted grading in May 2025.
There is a comprehensive training offer for workers in Walsall. There is an impressive offer to workers in gaining a social work qualification and for newly qualified social workers developing their knowledge of frontline practice. The general training offer is wide ranging and gives workers the opportunity to learn incrementally about their role.
Wellbeing is at the heart of our work. We offer specialised clinical supervision, a 9-day fortnight to support work/life balance, flexible working and specialist employee assistance and therapeutic support when it is needed. We know we need to make social work a career people want to stay in.
Salary Scale £ 53,051 to £56,293 plus retention bonus once you have reached 2 years service., Note: Applicants appointed to posts that require an enhanced DBS clearance must declare any periods of time that they have lived, studied or worked abroad and be prepared to provide an Overseas Criminal Records Certificate (OCRC) or a Statement of Good Conduct (SOGC) relating to anytime they were overseas.
Your background will include extensive post qualifying social work experience within a local authority or equivalent, this experience should include child protection practice. Supervisory or managerial experience is also desirable. You will utilise your practice knowledge and experience to influence the direction of child protection right across Walsall., This post is covered by the Government's Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.
At Walsall Council, we appreciate that AI can be a useful tool for ideas or guidance. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. Over-reliance on AI can make responses feel less personal, and we really want to understand what makes you unique. Your experiences, skills, and perspective are what set you apart, so please ensure your application as a whole - particularly your 'Supporting Information' - reflects your own voice.
Walsall Council's Children's Services are the only Ofsted 'Outstanding' local authority in the Black Country. During a visit in May 2025, Inspectors described Walsall Council as a place where children were at the heart of. The council's journey of continuous improvement started in 2017 and has since transformed into a service with a clear vision, clear priorities and a clear plan, all informed by the views of our staff and children. Staff are at the core of delivering great outcomes for children and young people in Walsall, which is underpinned by our Walsall Right 4 Children vision. The latest Ofsted inspection demonstrated that staff in children's services are proud to work for Walsall Council and feel supported to do great work.