Senior Learning Review Author

Community Care Live; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 62,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Cafcass seeks a Senior Learning Review Author to join the National Improvement Service, driving national learning from serious safeguarding incidents to improve outcomes for children and families. You will lead reviews, build credibility with senior leaders, and translate complex findings into actionable recommendations with integrity.

The role requires robust analytical skills, safeguarding expertise, and the ability to work across partnerships, reporting to the Assistant Director.

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience with children and families in social work.
• Experience authoring or contributing to safeguarding reviews and learning reviews.
• Proven ability to produce high‑quality analytical and strategic reports for senior stakeholders.
• Strong leadership and ability to engage with safeguarding partnerships.
• Registered with Social Work England.

Responsibilities

• Lead and author national reviews into serious safeguarding incidents and matters of national importance.
• Translate findings into evidence-based recommendations for practice improvement.
• Present findings to senior leaders and management teams.
• Collaborate with safeguarding partners and multi‑agency review processes.
• Contribute to national improvement activities and represent Cafcass at senior‑level meetings.

Skills

Leadership

Safeguarding expertise

Analytical reporting

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Social Work England registration

Tools

Policy and practice reviews

Job description

Senior Learning Review Author (National Improvement and Support Service)

Location: Flexible base with regular travel to London and other Cafcass locations across England as required
Salary: £68,844
Contract: Permanent - Part-time or Full-time

Reporting to: Deputy Director, National Improvement Service and Support Service

At Cafcass, our work supports children and families at some of the most important and difficult moments in their lives, and the experience and support we provide for colleagues is central to how well we deliver that purpose.

We are looking for a Senior Learning Review Author to join our National Improvement Service team. This is a new senior manager role for someone who can build and maintain positive relationships, provide leadership, undertake national learning reviews to better safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

About the role

As our Senior Learning Review Author, you will play a pivotal role in strengthening safeguarding practice and support national learning across Cafcass. Reporting to the Assistant Director, you will lead reviews of serious child safeguarding incidents and matters of national significance, creating a learning not blaming culture to identify opportunities for organisational learning, service improvement and practice development.

You will work closely with senior leaders, practitioners and external safeguarding partners to understand, what has happened for children and families supporting how this is translated into meaningful improvements for children and families. This is a highly influential role requiring strong analytical skills, professional credibility and the ability to navigate complex and sensitive safeguarding issues with confidence and integrity.

What you will be doing

• Lead and author national reviews into serious safeguarding incidents, complex child protection matters and issues of national importance.
• Undertake both individual and thematic learning reviews to identify opportunities to strengthen practice and improve outcomes for children and families.
• Present review findings and recommendations to senior leaders, including the Corporate Management Team and Operational Management Team.
• Translate learning from reviews into clear, evidence-based recommendations that drive practice improvement across Cafcass.
• Contribute to national operational and practice improvement activities and represent Cafcass at senior-level partnership meetings and events.

About you

We are looking for an experienced and credible social work leader with a strong understanding of safeguarding, learning reviews and the family justice system and registered with Social Work England.

You will bring:

• Significant post-qualification experience working with children and families in a social work setting, including leadership and management responsibilities.
• Experience of authoring or contributing to safeguarding reviews and learning reviews for both internal and external audiences.
• Experience of achieving positive outcomes for children and families within the family justice system.
• Strong experience of writing high-quality analytical and strategic reports for senior leaders and external stakeholders.
• Experience of working with safeguarding partnerships and multi-agency review processes.
• Strong understanding of child safeguarding, significant incident reviews and organisational learning.
• Ability to analyse complex information and produce comprehensive, high-quality reports and recommendations.
• Excellent understanding of quality assurance, performance frameworks and evidence-based practice improvement.

Next steps/timelines

Below we have given you an indication of a timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.

Closing date:15thNovember 2026

Initial Interview:TBC

Final/Assessment Interview: 11th December 2026

Safeguarding and inclusion

Cafcass is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment.

We are also committed to creating an inclusive and diverse working environment where colleagues feel valued, respected and able to do their best work. We welcome applications from people with a range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.