Lead Child Protection Practitioner (Gr 8)*

Job Family:
Delivery –
Children’s Services Transformation Programme
Grade:
8
Job Title:
Lead Child Protection Practitioner
Directorate:
People
Date:

Version:
1:1

Brief Description of job role and department
The ‘Lead Child Protection Practitioner’ (LCPP) are social worker roles that are embedded in the local Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPT) which comprise of Social Workers, Police Officers, health colleagues, Lead Education Officers.
Specific LCPP functions within the MACPT include: chairing strategy meetings and child protection conferences; leading section 47 enquiries; leading or overseeing multi-agency and single investigations (as required) and gathering information about whether a child is suffering significant harm, to support decision making; Providing advice and consultation for practitioners who need multi-agency child protection expertise;
The LCPP will also seek to build in family group decision making and family network engagement into child protection processes; Working in partnership with Parents and the Family help service the LCPP will lead on ensuring the development, review and closure of child protection plans and input into onward planning for children and families, including continued support from Family Help.
LCPPs are qualified social workers with 3 years frontline child protection practice experience within children’s social care and an in-depth knowledge of the statutory and legislative framework. They will be skilled at identifying and responding to all types of significant harm, including extra-familial harm, recognising children can experience harm both within and outside the home; and know how to work skilfully and confidently with families and parents in child protection and find ways of including those who have demonstrated resistant, hostile and/or deceptive behaviour;
LCPP’s will work effectively with the multi-agency network, and support partners to consider the influence of different contexts in child protection, including extra-familial harm ensuring a focus is held on building safety around children within public, peer and family contexts where they have or may come to harm.
Representative accountabilities
? Deliver service activities and manage caseloads to ensure intended outcomes for customers and the Council are delivered within agreed service standards.
? Identify and implement improvements in own work area in order to deliver continuous service improvement and improved outcomes to customers.
? Liaise with customers to review service requirements and resolve problems.
? Keep up to date with changes in policy/legislation/contractual requirements in order to ensure service delivery is effective and complies with appropriate regulations.
Budgetary accountabilities
None, but make decisions that reflect value for money and effective use of Local Authority funds.
Specific accountabilities
Role Responsibilities of The Lead Child Protection Practitioner (LCPP)
? To make decisions, convene, and chair Child Protection Meetings, including Strategy
Meetings and Child Protection Conferences
? LCPP will lead on section 47 investigations, working with the allocated worker and multi-agency partners to ensure actions are followed up accordingly.
? The LCPP will develop and review child protection plans, and support the FHLP by contributing to court reports, as necessary.
? To support the Family Help Service by providing consultation, and oversight on cases requiring safeguarding. This will include specific practice support to ensure that Safeguarding practice is developed, and embedded.
? To work with the Family Help Lead Practitioner and MACPT to be able to make safe evidence-based decisions relating to improving outcomes for children and families through
the effective use of supervision.
? Ensuring there is a “think family” approach at all times with consideration being given to Family Network Meetings as an alternative route to always supporting families.
? Ensure assessments are high quality and services within the legislative and policy framework. Manage risks within caseloads and support staff in risk management, ensuring all interventions are supported by clear plans to protect and develop the child or young person.
? Support others to reflect on their approach to risk and safety issues for children in complex situations.
? Support Family Help Lead Practitioners with complex and challenging assessments and work with children and families, making timely and effective decisions.
? Co-work on complex cases and undertake joint assessments under the direction of the Team Manager.
? Report significant issues around risks, needs, and barriers to service delivery promptly to the Team Manager.
? In urgent situations such as applying for EPO's the LCPP will support the family help service with evidence and the completion of tasks in order to safeguard a child promptly.
? The LCPP will contribute to case discussions led by the family help service when deciding whether to escalate cases into a legal framework, providing relevant evidence to the PLO letters or court proceedings
? Provide leadership, advice, and support to professional staff on complex cases and drive restorative, relational and trauma-informed practice.
? Maintain multi-disciplinary partnerships with colleagues in other service areas and agencies to ensure coordinated high-quality service delivery to vulnerable children and
their families.
? Assist Team Managers in the strategic development and implementation of Children and Families Services policies and procedures, leading specific projects as required. Respond flexibly to service needs and assist in wider team priorities.
? Take responsibility for personal professional development in line with Social Work England Standards.
? Be able to demonstrate reflective practice and identify own limitations, bias or tensions and seek supervision, advice or guidance where necessary
? To Practice in accordance with the professional code of ethics and uphold social work and council values at all times, including be responsible for acting on identified continuing professional development needs.
Role Profile - Details Specific to Job Family
These roles would be regarded as “front line” service delivery roles. Here, role holders are directly accountable for performance, often through the direct control of significant resources or through managed contracts. These roles may also deliver some of their results through collaborative working with co-producers or other third party agencies.
At the lower levels, operational managers may oversee a department or team and at the lowest levels, direct contact with service users will be a common feature of roles in this job family. At the higher levels, they may be in charge of a department, large operational area or the management of significant contracts and may be ultimately accountable for ensuring compliance with statutory obligations.
Role Profile - Details Specific to Grade
? Roles requiring a level of professional expertise to deliver a front line service.
? Deliver service activities and manage caseloads to ensure intended outcomes for customers and the Council are delivered within agreed service standards. Identify and implement improvements in own work area in order to deliver continuous service improvement and improved outcomes to customers. Liaise with customers to review service requirements and resolve problems.
? Keep up to date with changes in policy/legislation/contractual requirements in order to ensure service delivery is effective and complies with appropriate regulations.
? Will have accountability for achieving clearly specified and measurable results either personally or through the leadership of a team. Will be dealing with complex problems and issues within the boundaries of technical or professional skill and knowledge. Will make recommendations on procedural improvements and other initiatives to enhance team performance.
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Person specification (knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours required in the role)
Qualifications/Professional Requirements and Training
? Social work qualification and at least three year's post qualifying experience in a safeguarding Social Work role
? Be able to meet the requirements of the social work regulator. Evidence of continued professional development.
? Be familiar with and demonstrate practice which meets the required level within social work frameworks. The PCF and KSS underpin the role and expectations of a Social Worker in the People Directorate. Links https://www.basw.co.uk/pcf/ KSS Adults / KSS Child and Family SW
? DBS Clearance
Experience
? Experience within children’s social care (enquiries, assessments, reviews, professional meetings, decision-making and supervision)
? Experience of effectively chairing statutory meetings within children’s services.
? Experience of promoting partnership with parents and children, to ensure their participation in meetings and incorporating their views into care and child protection planning.
? Experience of making decisions independently, and ability to work as an autonomous professional
? Experience of writing comprehensive plans for families that address risk and safety planning and that are SMART.
? Experience of ensuring that the child’s voice is heard and that the welfare and wishes of the child is paramount in planning, including for those children who may be causing harm to others.
? Demonstrate an effective and active use of supervision for accountability, professional reflection and development
Skills
? Ability to work collaboratively with others to understand harms and identify child focussed solutions
? Ability to use electronic Children’s Services Databases and be competent in IT.
? Proven ability to work with professional agency partners and establish effective working relationships.
? Excellent written and oral communication skills including complex report writing.
? Demonstrate anti-discriminatory, inclusive practice and be responsive to the needs
and experiences of children and families of different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds;
? Have excellent organisational skills and be able to prioritise workload according to risk and need.

? Demonstrate the ability to produce succinct and clear professional documentation which is of an excellent standard and in line with statutory and local timescales and local protocol.
? Demonstrate skills in sharing information appropriately and respectfully and recognise lines of accountability and the boundaries of professional autonomy and discretion.
Knowledge
? Up to date working knowledge and understanding of child care law, statutory regulations, guidance and local procedures.
? Knowledge of research and how this informs social work practice.
? Understanding of how trauma informed approaches and the Restorative mode relate to safeguarding
? Knowledge about services, interventions, and/or support offered by the
wider safeguarding partnership and local community, including voluntary sector Organisations;
mandatory accountabilities/requirements for all LBS staff
? Ensure all health and safety standards are adhered to for the relevant work area.
? Apply diversity and equal opportunities policies in the workplace.
? Safeguarding vulnerable Adults and Children

please see role profile attached