Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
Job description
Are you looking for a role where your decisions directly shape safer practice for every child?
Could your safeguarding expertise help drive real improvement to the outcomes for children and families?
We are seeking a part-time Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to join our team on a part time (18.hours) basis.
Please note * You will need to be a registered, qualified and experienced Social Worker.
What will your day look like?
As a Designated Officer within our Children’s Safeguarding, Reviewing and LADO Service, you will play a key role in strengthening safeguarding practice across North East Lincolnshire.
Your day will involve managing and responding to LADO referrals, making threshold decisions, and initiating the Allegations Management Process where appropriate.
You will chair multi‑agency Allegations Management Meetings, maintain accurate and up‑to‑date records on the LADO database, and ensure that organisations have effective arrangements in place to safeguard children and support staff during investigations. You will also provide regular reporting, performance analysis, and insight into trends and challenges to senior leaders.
Who are we looking for?
We are seeking a dynamic, motivated, and experienced professional who is:
• A qualified social worker registered with Social Work England
• Able to demonstrate at least 5 years’ post‑qualifying experience in statutory children’s social care
• Experienced as an Independent Reviewing Officer, Child Protection Chair, or Local Authority Designated Officer
• Skilled in working closely with safeguarding, reviewing, and LADO services
• Confident in chairing complex meetings, managing conflict, and producing clear, proportionate action plans
You will bring strong professional judgement, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to improving outcomes for children.
Why join us?
This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact at a pivotal time in North East Lincolnshire’s improvement journey.
You will join a service committed to strengthening safeguarding practice, improving outcomes for children, and ensuring robust, transparent allegations management.
You will work alongside dedicated colleagues, contribute to system‑wide improvement, and play a central role in shaping safer, more effective practice across the borough.
Key Dates
We aim to interview candidates w/c 26th January
For more information, please refer to the attached guidance and role profile. If you would like an informal discussion, please contact
We reserve the right to close our adverts early if we have received a significant volume of suitable applications.
We love AI and think it plays a great role in the world of work. However, for your application, we want to hear from YOU! As such, we will be testing applications to determine the use of AI, and applications that have heavily utilised the function will be scrutinised for suitability.
As part of your RewardNEL package, you will have a generous leave entitlement (including bank holidays) and enrolment into a local government pension.
You will also have access to our exclusive RewardNEL platform.