Lead Child Protection Practitioner - Multi-Agency Child Protection Team

London Social Work for Children; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Unrivalled pension scheme

Flexible working options

Health and wellbeing benefits

Cycle Scheme

Job summary

Hackney Council’s Children and Families Service seeks a Lead Child Protection Practitioner to join the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team within the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service. The role is 18-month fixed-term or secondment, with competency-based questions in the online application process.

The successful candidate will hold a professional Social Work degree, be registered with Social Work England and have substantial post-qualifying experience in children’s social work.

Qualifications

• Social workers must hold a professional Social Work degree and be registered with Social Work England.
• Significant post-qualifying experience in children's social work.
• Experience in managing and developing staff and promoting best practice.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Knowledge from the front door through to long-term work, looked-after children and care leavers.

Responsibilities

• Bringing comprehensive knowledge and skills to working with vulnerable children and families.
• Demonstrating sound knowledge of services from the front door through to long-term work, looked-after children, and care leavers.
• Contributing to quality assurance and practice development across the Children and Families Service.
• Managing and developing staff, promoting best practice and service improvement.
• Supporting the service's commitment to positive outcomes and stability for children and families borough-wide.

Skills

Leadership

Staff management

Children & families knowledge

Education

Social Work degree

Job description

Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK — a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values. Hackney's Children and Families Service is looking for a Lead Child Protection Practitioner to undertake a new role within its Multi-Agency Child Protection Team, sitting within the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service.

This is an exciting opportunity to further shape the quality of practice across Children and Family services for children in need of protection. The service actively contributes to organisational learning through recognising, promoting, and supporting best practice and service development, with a clear focus on positive outcomes and stability for children and families across the borough. Hackney is proud of its organisational learning culture and strives to find innovative ways of engaging and facilitating change with children and their families.

Key responsibilities include:

• Bringing comprehensive knowledge and skills to working with vulnerable children and families
• Demonstrating sound knowledge of services from the front door through to long-term work, looked-after children, and care leavers
• Contributing to quality assurance and practice development across the Children and Families Service
• Managing and developing staff, promoting best practice and service improvement
• Supporting the service's commitment to positive outcomes and stability for children and families borough-wide

This is an 18-month fixed-term contract or secondment opportunity. To apply, please visit the Hackney Council website and submit your application online. Hackney operates a fair and open anonymous selection process — supporting statements and CVs are not accepted. As part of the application, candidates will be asked to complete a number of competency-based questions to demonstrate their suitability for the role. Candidates are encouraged to use their own voice when completing these questions. The closing date for applications is 15 November 2026 (22:59), with interviews expected in the week commencing 30 November 2026. Hackney residents seeking support with their application can contact the Hackney Works employment support service at [e-mail] .

About you

Hackney is looking for a dynamic, innovative, committed, and passionate worker who will bring a comprehensive knowledge and skill base to this challenging and rewarding role. The successful candidate will share Hackney's values — Purpose and Respect, Ownership, and Unity and Diversity — and will be committed to the council's vision of being a place for everyone.

The ideal candidate will:

• Hold a relevant professional Social Work degree or equivalent qualification
• Be currently registered with Social Work England
• Have substantial post-qualifying experience in children's social work
• Have experience of managing and developing staff and promoting best practice
• Demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development
• Have sound knowledge of services from the front door through to long-term work, looked-after children, and care leavers

Hackney Council is committed to eradicating discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. The council also recognises that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances and works to eliminate discrimination caused by social class. Applications are particularly welcomed from disabled people, as this group is currently under-represented in the workforce. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

About Hackney

Our vision is to make Hackney a place for everyone. Where all our residents, whatever their background, have a chance to lead healthy and successful lives; a place of which everyone can be proud, with excellent services and public spaces, thriving businesses, and strong communities; a place that celebrates diversity, and where everyone can feel valued, included, and involved.

It is an exciting time to be working in Hackney as we are embedding our practice model of Systemic, Trauma informed and Anti-Racist practice. We are an innovative borough where we collaborate to support change for the children and families we work for and for each other. You will change and develop while working in Hackney and we will be behind you every step of the way. So, why don't you find yourself in Hackney?

Our Offer To You

• Retention bonus for social workers (post ASYE) of £1500 every 6 months and senior social workers in the Family Help Services
• Wellbeing Day for staff within the Family Help Services - a fortnightly day off in lieu, recognising the hard work and time that practitioners put into their practice
• Ad hoc parking permits available for social workers when required to use a vehicle for their role.
• We prioritise the development and growth of staff and have reviewed and updated our ASYE programme of support, to ensure a structured learning programme that understands the journey of the child and utilises protected time.
• Celebration and appreciation opportunities including a World Social Work Week thank you event.
• Dedicated support from Practice Lead’s across the services including a Anti-Racist Practice Strategic Leadworking to embed active anti-racist practice and support staff’s anti-racism journey.
• Monthly case level supervision and monthly group supervision for collaboration and support when things feel stuck.
• A comprehensive training and development offer including a 4 day training in our Systemic, Trauma-informed and Anti-Racist Practice Model plus opportunities to apply for Practice Educator training and the Systemic Year 1 Certificate as well as a multitude of other practice related trainings.
• Access to Research in Practice.
• Opportunity to apply for our internally commissioned bespoke Realising Potential training - a leadership and development programme specifically for Black and Global Majority staff.
• Opportunities to shadow and observe senior leaders throughout the service.
• Access to MagicNotes to support case recording.
• As well as our Council-wide benefits:
• Generous holiday allowance – 28 days a year, rising to 33 after five years
• Unrivalled pension scheme
• Flexible working options
• Family friendly policies
• A range of discounts, including subsidised gym membership and local eating
• Access to financial and season ticket loans
• Health and wellbeing benefits, such as lunchtime fitness classes
• A comprehensive training and development offer
• We are a member of Cycle Scheme and offer free pool bikes

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