Lead Child Protection Practitioner - Multi-Agency Safety Teams

London Social Work for Children; Chipping Barnet; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

31 days annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Lifestyle discounts

Training and development opportunities

Wellbeing programme

Relocation package up to £8,000

Cycle to Work

Job summary

Barnet Council is recruiting a Lead Child Protection Practitioner to head the Multi-Agency Safety Teams in Barnet. This blended, full-time role focuses on safeguarding children, leading on section 47 enquiries and family-led planning, with a strong emphasis on reflective practice and continuous improvement.

The post supports a collaborative approach with partners, providing high-quality, equitable services and a pathway for professional growth within a supportive team in Barnet.

Qualifications

• Hold a recognised social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England.
• Demonstrate strong knowledge of legislation, policy, and safeguarding practice, with the ability to apply this confidently in complex situations.
• Possess excellent communication skills, leading clear, analytical, and impactful multi‑agency meetings, investigations, assessments and plans.

Responsibilities

• Leading on section 47 enquiries, investigations, and child protection conferences
• Delivering child-centred, strengths-based and relationship-focused safeguarding practice
• Championing family-led planning and practice, ensuring children and families are meaningfully involved
• Working collaboratively with multi-agency partners to keep children safe from harm and build family resilience
• Contributing to a reflective, inclusive team culture focused on continuous improvement

Skills

Communication skills

Multi-agency meetings

Relationship-focused practice

Analytical thinking

Education

Social work qualification

Registered with Social Work England

Job description

Lead Child Protection Practitioner - Multi-Agency Safety Teams

Location

Barnet

Working pattern

Full-time – 36 hours per week

Working arrangements

Blended

30th Sep, 2026

Incentives

This role includes a Recruitment and Retention supplement of 10% (included within the advertised salary range).

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for Lead Child Protection Practitioners to join Barnet Council's Multi-Agency Safety Teams, leading high-quality practice for children and families who need us most.

In Barnet, the commitment is to creating a culture where practice excellence, strong relationships, and continuous learning underpin everything. A supportive environment is provided in which practitioners can thrive, delivering meaningful, lasting change for children and families. The successful candidate will be part of a specialist team culture that is inclusive, reflective, and focused on continuous improvement, where high support is matched with high challenge.

About the Role

As a Lead Child Protection Practitioner (LCPP), the postholder will deliver a consistently high standard of child-centred, strengths-based and relationship-focused safeguarding practice to children, young people and families. Working in partnership with children, families and professionals internal and external to the council, the role leads on section 47 enquiries, investigations, child protection (CP) conferences, and family-led planning and practice, ensuring that all work is timely, analytical, and grounded in the lived experience of the child.

Working collaboratively with partners, the LCPP will champion approaches which keep children safe from harm, build resilience and support families to make sustainable change. The postholder will be supported by a strong workforce development programme, enabling growth as a practitioner while embedding Barnet's values and practice standards. Key responsibilities include:

• Leading on section 47 enquiries, investigations, and child protection conferences


• Delivering child-centred, strengths-based and relationship-focused safeguarding practice


• Championing family-led planning and practice, ensuring children and families are meaningfully involved


• Working collaboratively with multi-agency partners to keep children safe from harm and build family resilience


• Contributing to a reflective, inclusive team culture focused on continuous improvement

What Barnet Council Offers

• 31 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays


• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme


• A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more


• Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership


• Excellent training and development opportunities


• Employee wellbeing training programmes including confidential employee assistance

About you

Barnet Council is looking for a passionate and experienced social work professional who is committed to delivering high-quality, equitable services that recognise and respond to diversity within the community. The successful candidate will lead with integrity, curiosity and compassion, in an environment where staff feel valued, supported and appropriately challenged.

The ideal candidate will:

• Hold a recognised social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England


• Demonstrate strong knowledge of legislation, policy, and safeguarding practice, with the ability to apply this confidently in complex situations


• Possess excellent communication skills, leading clear, analytical, and impactful multi‑agency meetings, investigations, assessments and plans


• Have a strong track record of improving outcomes for children and families and influencing multi‑agency partnerships


• Show commitment to relational, strengths-based and restorative practice, ensuring children and families are meaningfully involved


• Demonstrate a passion for delivering high-quality, equitable services that recognise and respond to diversity within the community

Barnet Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check and stringent safer recruitment procedures.

Barnet Council values diversity and welcomes applications from all backgrounds. The council is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and will make reasonable adjustments to support disabled applicants and those with health conditions throughout the recruitment process.

About Barnet

Barnet - in the north-west of London - is the second largest borough by population and home to over 389,000 people.

With 30 flourishing town centres and over 200 family‑friendly parks, nature reserves and greenspaces, Barnet is a brilliant place to live, study, work, and raise a family.

If you think working in Barnet might be for you, then we would love to hear from you. You can arrange to come for a pre-interview visit or call us for an informal chat. You can also find out more about working in Barnet by watching the video below.

We provide members of our children’s services workforce with:

Free Parking

Competitive renumeration packages (including Barnet Flex – talk to us about this)

Access to Pool Cars/Parking Permits

30 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays

Work-life balance options may include flexi-time, job-share, homeworking, part-time

Excellent training and development opportunities

Interest-free season travel ticket loan

Cycle to Work Scheme

Relocation package of up to £8,000

Enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity pay

Childcare voucher scheme, salary sacrifice scheme

Occupational Health advice/Health and Wellbeing Programme

Employee Assistance Programme

Modern purpose built offices based in the heart of our Community at Colindale, 5 minutes walk from the underground station.

If you have any questions about applying for roles within children's social care at Barnet please contact our recruitment team [e-mail]

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