Children are at the heart of Walsall local authority. They receive support, help and services that reduce risks for them and meet their needs. (Ofsted, 2025) Do you want to join our OUTSTANDING local authority and shape the future of child protection practice? If so, we have a current opportunity for an experienced social worker to work as a Lead Child Protection Practitioner within our Safeguarding and Review Service as a 12 month fixed term contract. - Ref: CH05225 Salary Scale £ 49282 to £54495 Children and families are at the heart of our practice in Walsall as identified within our recent Ofsted inspection: “When children need help or protection, they receive a timely and effective response. Workers engage parents sensitively, so they understand the concerns about their children and the role of children’s social care. There is robust management oversight of the work, ensuring that work is timely and thresholds are appropriate.” Walsall is implementing the Families First Programme, based on the National Children’s Social Care Review and Stable Homes Built on Love. To do this we are creating a combined, multi-agency locality Family Help Service, with locality social workers supported by you a Lead Child Protection Practitioner. About the job: The Lead Child Protection Practitioner role will lead alongside the multi-agency network around a family to ensure child protection practice is of the highest standard and supported by the right expertise, careful, rigorous thinking, care and respect. You will work alongside allocated social workers and other professionals to undertake Child Protection Enquiries and oversee Child Protection Plans. About you Your background will include extensive post qualifying social work experience within a local authority or equivalent. You will utilise your practice knowledge and experience to influence the direction of child protection right across Walsall. Our Offer: To provide the right conditions for you, we are committed to manageable workloads, high support from managers, essential paperwork only, enabling technologies. Within Walsall we offer a comprehensive training and development programme which contributed to our OUTSTANDING Ofsted grading in May 2025. There is a comprehensive training offer for workers in Walsall. There is an impressive offer to workers in gaining a social work qualification and for newly qualified social workers developing their knowledge of frontline practice. The general training offer is wide ranging and gives workers the opportunity to learn incrementally about their role. Wellbeing is at the heart of our work. We offer specialised clinical supervision, a 9-day fortnight to support work/life balance, flexible working and specialist employee assistance and therapeutic support when it is needed. We know we need to make social work a career people want to stay in. Salary Scale £ 49282 to 54495 Would you like to talk to a social worker about the realities of working in Walsall? If so, please contact Marissa Blunt Group Manager who will connect you with one of our practitioners Marissa.Blunt@walsall.gov.uk 01922 658300 View: Job Description and Employee Specification Closing Date: 19th September 2025 This post is covered by the Government’s Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English. Walsall Council takes seriously the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children, young people and vulnerable adults entrusted to our care and it is our expectation that all staff will share this commitment. We will ensure continuous development and improvement of robust recruitment processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for working with children and young people and vulnerable adults. Note: Applicants appointed to posts that require an enhanced DBS clearance must declare any periods of time that they have lived, studied or worked abroad and be prepared to provide an Overseas Criminal Records Certificate (OCRC) or a Statement of Good Conduct (SOGC) relating to anytime they were overseas For this role the successful candidates must undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check. BPSS is the minimum standard to ensure the identity and integrity of an employee who has access to official information using secure networks linking central government and local authorities. A BPSS check involves four main elements; Identity Check, National and Immigration Status, Employment History (last 3 years) and Verification of Criminal Record (unspent convictions only). Information for Applicants Important note: When completing your online application form, you will be asked to enter supporting information. You must enter a detailed supporting information statement describing how your skills, abilities and experience meet the specific criteria included in the employee specification. If you do not include a supporting information statement, you will not be shortlisted. Please also ensure that you complete the work history and qualifications sections of your application form. Please do not add a CV as we do not accept them.See our Information for Applicants leaflet for further information. We kindly request that recruitment agencies do not contact us regarding this job vacancy. We are not accepting Agency applications or referrals at this time