Lead Child Protection Practitioner

As a Lead Child Protection Practitioner, you will provide expert leadership and oversight for children at risk of significant harm. You will chair Strategy Meetings and Child Protection Conferences, oversee and quality assure safeguarding practice, support robust risk analysis and decision-making, and ensure that children and families remain at the center of all planning and intervention.

Working closely with colleagues across Children’s Services and partner agencies, you will promote high-quality practice, provide professional challenge where required and contribute to continuous improvement across safeguarding services.

This role provides a unique opportunity to influence safeguarding practice across the borough and work alongside a committed multi-agency workforce dedicated to improving outcomes for children.

Are you a qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration and extensive experience of working with children and families where safeguarding concerns are present?

Do you have management experience at Team Manager level, or equivalent, and are you confident in chairing complex multi-agency meetings? Can you demonstrate excellent analytical and decision-making skills?

If you are passionate about safeguarding children, confident in leading complex child protection work and committed to achieving the very best outcomes for children and families, we would welcome your application. Help us ensure that children in Wirral are protected, heard and supported to thrive.

Wirral Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults  expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of our safer recruitment process, all successful applicants will be subject to thorough pre-employment checks, including enhanced DBS clearance, verified reference checks, verification of qualifications and identity, and checks of the right to work in the UK.

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check, including a check of the relevant Barred List(s). The Safer Recruitment & Employment Policy and the Disclosures for Recruitment Procedure can be found at :

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. For this vacancy, candidates must have an existing right to work in the UK before commencing employment. Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is not available for this post. Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process.

If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, and as part of our Talent Strategy, we’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience. Please get in touch if you want to know more about some of the ways in which we could support you by emailing

You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start:

Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave.

We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people.

We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, enrolment into the local government pension scheme (an excellent defined benefit scheme), immediate life cover…