Senior Practitioner – Contextual Safeguarding Lead

Milton-Keynes-Council; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

Pension scheme

Family friendly policies

Health benefits

Bike purchase scheme

Blue Light Card

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Job summary

Milton Keynes City Council is recruiting a Senior Practitioner to drive positive outcomes for children and young people. You will join the Contextual Safeguarding Team, assessing risk, developing clear care plans and guiding colleagues to build consistent social work practice across the service.

You’ll lead complex cases, collaborate with partner agencies, and influence practice standards while remaining closely connected to children and families. Interviews will be held on 5 November 2026.

Qualifications

• Qualified social worker with a Diploma, CQSW or degree and registered with Social Work England.
• Strong knowledge of childcare legislation, policy and practice.
• Clear and confident communication; ability to work within deadlines.
• Experience in assessing complex situations and developing robust care plans.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex and sensitive cases, addressing risks to improve outcomes for children.
• Complete social work assessments, care plans and interventions in partnership with other teams.
• Supervise and support social workers, assistants, students and other professionals.
• Resolve complex case management issues with senior leadership when needed.
• Lead an area of service development and contribute to joint working across Children’s Services.
• Support caseload allocation, quality audits and respond to emergencies when required.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Risk assessment

Case management

Team supervision

Flexibility

Education

Diploma in Social Work

CQSW / equivalent

Degree in Social Work

SWE registration

Job description

Milton Keynes City Council is recruiting a Senior Practitioner to drive positive outcomes for children and young people. You will join the Contextual Safeguarding Team, assessing risk, developing clear care plans and guiding colleagues to build consistent social work practice across the service.

You’ll lead complex cases, collaborate with partner agencies, and influence practice standards while remaining closely connected to children and families. Interviews will be held on 5 November 2026.