Lead Child Protection Practitioner — Safeguarding Leader

Harrow Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Harrow Council’s Children’s Services seeks a Lead Child Protection Practitioner to strengthen statutory safeguarding. You will join a co-located Multi-Agency Child Protection Team, lead Section 47 enquiries, chair strategy meetings and conferences, and provide expert guidance to social workers and partners.

The role promotes families-facing, trauma-informed practice within a rights-based framework. You’ll work across police, health, education and wider services, ensuring timely, proportionate

Qualifications

• A recognised social work qualification and current Social Work England registration.
• Significant recent experience in front-line statutory child protection practice.
• Detailed knowledge of child protection legislation, guidance, London Child Protection Procedures and multi-agency safeguarding processes.
• Experience of chairing or leading complex child protection meetings, strategy discussions or conferences.
• Strong risk analysis, professional curiosity and the ability to hold complexity and uncertainty.

Responsibilities

• Leading and coordinating Section 47 child protection enquiries across Children’s Services.
• Chairing strategy meetings, child protection conferences and other multi-agency safeguarding discussions.
• Providing expert consultation, guidance and professional challenge to social workers, managers and partner agencies.
• Supporting timely, evidence-informed and defensible decision-making where children may be harmed.
• Contributing to protection and safety planning that is clear and outcomes-focused.
• Promoting high standards of recording, information-sharing and quality assurance.
• Modelling relational, trauma-informed and culturally competent practice with families and professionals.

Skills

Social work leadership

Stakeholder collaboration

Risk analysis

Chairing meetings

Professional curiosity

Education

Social work qualification

Job description

Harrow Council’s Children’s Services seeks a Lead Child Protection Practitioner to strengthen statutory safeguarding. You will join a co-located Multi-Agency Child Protection Team, lead Section 47 enquiries, chair strategy meetings and conferences, and provide expert guidance to social workers and partners.

The role promotes families-facing, trauma-informed practice within a rights-based framework. You’ll work across police, health, education and wider services, ensuring timely, proportionate