Lead Child Protection Practitioner

Contract Type
:
Permanent

Salary: Grade J. Scale 40 - £51,356 to Scale 43 - £54,495 with a professional bar at Scale 41 - £52,413**

Hours Per Week
: 36

Base Location
:
Tameside One, Market Place, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6BH

Assessment Date: 24th September 2026

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and families? Do you bring compassion, curiosity, collaboration, conversation, and courage to your practice? If so, Tameside is looking for you.

This is an exciting time to join Tameside Children's Services as we continue our improvement journey and shape our services around the ambitions of the Families First reforms. We are seeking skilled and motivated Lead Child Protection Practitioners to join our developing service and play a pivotal role in the implementation of our new Multi-Agency Child Protection Team.

At Tameside, our Heart
of Support Practice Approach is at the centre of everything we do. Underpinned by our 5 Cs:
Compassion, Curiosity, Collaboration, Conversation and Courage
, we are committed to building meaningful relationships with children, families and partners that create lasting change.

As we respond to the Families First reforms, we are establishing a Multi-Agency Child Protection Team that brings professionals together around children and families to strengthen collaboration, improve decision-making and deliver more effective support. This is a unique opportunity to be part of designing and embedding a new way of working that places families, networks and relationships at the heart of child protection.

Alongside this, we are launching an exciting programme of systemic practice training across our workforce. This investment will support you to think differently, work relationally, and understand children within the context of their family and community networks. The systemic model aligns strongly with the reforms, helping us build on strengths, harness family support, and achieve sustainable change for children.

As a Lead Child Protection Practitioner, you will play a key role in driving high-quality practice, supporting colleagues, leading on complex child protection work, and helping to embed systemic and multi-agency approaches across the service.

You will be an experienced and skilled practitioner with:

• A recognised social work qualification and substantial experience within statutory children's services.
• Strong knowledge of child protection processes, legislation and safeguarding frameworks.
• Experience of working with children at risk of significant harm and managing complex risks.
• A commitment to relationship-based, strengths-based and systemic practice.
• The ability to work effectively with children, families and multi-agency partners to achieve positive outcomes.
• The confidence to provide practice leadership, challenge and support within a multi-agency environment.
• A passion for anti-discriminatory practice and promoting inclusive services that reflect the diverse needs of families.
• A strong focus on ensuring children's voices, lived experiences and best interests remain central to decision-making.

At Tameside, we are ambitious for our children, families and workforce. We are creating an environment where social workers can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference.

• A comprehensive induction and tailored support from the Service Lead for the MACPT.
• Access to high-quality systemic practice training and ongoing professional development.
• Regular reflective supervision and opportunities to influence practice.
• The chance to help shape and embed our new Multi-Agency Child Protection Team.
• A collaborative culture where learning, innovation and continuous improvement is encouraged.
• The opportunity to play a leading role in delivering the Families First reforms and improving outcomes for children and families.

If you are ready to champion systemic practice, strengthen multi-agency working, and be part of transforming child protection services in Tameside, we'd love you to join us.

Message from Jill Colbert, Director of Children’s Services

“I joined the council at the…