Lead Child Protection Practitioner - 37 Hours

Lead Child Protection Practitioner - 37 Hours

Final date to receive applications: 23 August 2026

Department: Childrens Services

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Torbay Council

Reporting To: Team Manager

Compensation: £54,307 - £57,631 / year

The full time equivalent salary of £54,307 to £57,631 includes an amount for a market supplement ranging from £7,126 to £7,362 per year. This market supplement is reviewed annually.

Job Description & Person Specification >

Are you an experienced social work professional with strong child protection expertise and the confidence to lead complex multi-agency decision making? Torbay Children's Services is looking for a skilled and committed Lead Child Protection Practitioner to join our Multi Agency Child Protection Team. In this pivotal role, you will help ensure that children and young people are safeguarded through effective strategy discussions, section 47 enquiries, child protection conferences and robust protection planning.

This is an opportunity to join a service on an ambitious improvement journey, where restorative and relational practice underpins our work with children, young people and families. You will work closely with internal colleagues and partner agencies to make timely, evidence-based decisions, provide expert consultation, and maintain a clear focus on the voice of the child in all protection processes.

What you'll do:

• Lead child protection statutory processes and decision making on behalf of the Local Authority.
• Chair strategy discussions, child protection conferences and related multi-agency meetings.
• Oversee section 47 enquiries and child protection planning in line with legislation, guidance and statutory timescales.
• Provide expert advice, consultation and constructive challenge to practitioners and partner agencies.
• Analyse complex information and produce high-quality reports that support sound safeguarding decisions.
• Contribute to service development, quality assurance and the continued strengthening of multi-agency safeguarding practice.

What we’re looking for

You will be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England, with substantial post-qualifying experience in statutory children's social care and significant expertise in child protection practice. You will bring strong analytical skills, sound professional judgement, and the ability to lead confidently in complex, high-risk situations.

We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate experience of multi-agency working, chairing or contributing to high-level safeguarding meetings, supporting colleagues through consultation and challenge, and keeping children's lived experience at the centre of planning and decision making.

Why join us

Torbay Children's Services is focused on protecting children and giving them the best start in life. We are on an ambitious improvement journey following a recent Good Ofsted outcome, and we are proud of our restorative approach to working with families. We offer a supportive environment, investment in professional development, and the opportunity to make a visible difference in a small authority where positive change can happen quickly.

• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements, where the role allows.
• Learning and development opportunities and professional support.
• A broader package of employee benefits, wellbeing support and staff discounts.
• For eligible children's social work posts, additional recruitment and retention benefits may apply.

Safeguarding and application information

Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. This post is subject to the appropriate pre-employment checks, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

This post will be carrying out Regulated Activity. As such the post will require an Enhanced Criminal Record Check plus an additional Barred List Check. The check will reveal any spent and unspent convictions and adult cautions (which have not been filtered), any local Police information and a check…