Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Join to apply for the Lead Child Protection Practitioner role at Milton Keynes City Council
. 4 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants.

This range is provided by Milton Keynes City Council. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

A rewarding opportunity for a Lead Child Protection Practitioner to join our new Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams starting in March 2026, part of our Child First, Family Led approach. The teams bring together professionals from different agencies to provide timely, coordinated support for families in need. As a Lead Child Protection Practitioner, you’ll be at the forefront of safeguarding practice — providing expert consultation on complex cases, chairing child protection conferences and strategic multi‑agency meetings, setting and driving high practice standards, and mentoring colleagues to deliver effective, timely interventions that make a real difference for children and families.

We are launching this new integrated approach, designed to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes for children. This will be a non‑case holding role. Candidates need a strong background in child protection and social work, and a DBS check is essential for this role.

It is a site‑based role. Interviews for this role will be held on 13 and 14 January. Milton Keynes City Council is a modern and friendly place to work. Find out more about working with us here:

• Provide expert advice and guidance on complex child protection cases and support colleagues across multi‑agency teams.
• Carry out assessments and develop and review Child Protection Plans, including Risk Outside of the Home (ROTH) plans, with families and professionals to keep children safe.
• Chair key safeguarding meetings, including strategy discussions and Child Protection Conferences.
• Oversee and quality‑assure Section 47 enquiries and Child Protection Plans, ensuring timely and effective responses to reduce the risk of drift and delay. Deliver child protection training and reflective sessions to support professional development within the team.
• Supervise and mentor social workers, ensuring high practice standards and compliance with regulations.
• Deputise for the Team Manager, where required.

• A qualified social worker, registered with Social Work England, with significant experience in child protection and statutory services.
• Dedicated to safeguarding children, can make sound decisions in high‑risk and complex situations.
• A social worker committed to trauma‑informed and systemic practice with a strong commitment to anti‑discriminatory and inclusive practice.
• An innovative and reflective practitioner who is committed to continuous learning and service improvement.
• A strong communicator who can build positive relationships with children, families, and professionals across multiple agencies.
• A collaborative team player who works well in a multi‑agency environment.
• Highly organised, able to manage competing priorities and maintain high practice standards under pressure.
• To be successful in this role, you’ll need a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle. If you’re offered the position, we’ll ask for proof of your licence and vehicle insurance, including business use cover.
• If you’re offered the role, we’ll arrange an Enhanced DBS check as part of our pre‑employment process (unless you’re already registered with the DBS Update Service).

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits — most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family‑friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.
• Access to an award‑winning employee benefits programme that…