This is an exciting opportunity to join the Quality Assurance Service in Lambeth as a Child Protection Chair as part of our improvement journey. Lambeth are seeking a highly talented and ambitious Reviewing Officer to join us on our journey to excellence.
This will be an opportunity for you to influence and develop our conference offer to ensure it aligns with the One Lambeth Approach. We have the highest ambitions for our children every single day and a child first approach. We are focusing on putting children and families at the heart of everything and this could be your opportunity to influence and advocate for positive safe outcomes for children, young people and families.
Our Child Protection Chairs provide ‘support and challenge’ within the role and fulfil the duties to ensure children are safeguarded. It is ideal that you have experience as a social work manager in Child Protection or experience in managing thresholds and are now looking to develop your skills and experience in quality assurance.
If you have a strong interest in child protection and are committed to ensuring children and young people’s wishes and feelings are given full consideration as part of their child protection conference, this could be the perfect role for you!
About the role
The post holder will also be responsible for chairing initial and review child protection conferences, connecting with families before conferences, and undertaking midway reviews.
We are looking for a candidate who is excited by the challenge to change and will proactively get involved in ensuring the right decisions are made at the right time for children on child protection plans and supporting how we ensure to include families and children as part of this process.
As part of joining our team you will be able to further develop your leadership skills and use your experience and knowledge to provide the right challenge to ensure that the right decisions are being made for children and best practice is being followed. Your communication and written skills will be exemplary. You will be able to work independently, and consideration can be given to flexible/part-time working arrangements.
About the Borough
Located in the heart of South London, Lambeth Borough is a vibrant community. Stretching from the dynamic neighbourhood of Streatham in the South to the iconic landmarks of Waterloo in the North, we are proud to be the 9th largest borough in London. Our diversity is our strength, with more than 130 languages spoken, making Lambeth the home of the Windrush generation, London’s largest LGBTQ+ community, and a thriving Portuguese-speaking community.
With exceptional schools, lush green spaces including Brockwell Park, cultural gems like the Black Cultural Archives, and world-renowned institutions such as St Thomas’s Hospital, Lambeth offers an enriching and dynamic environment. The Civic Centre is just a short walk from the main underground and train station.
Our Offer to you:
- Fantastic, modern working environment in the award-winning Lambeth Town Hall and Civic Centre buildings
- Competitive Salaries
- Up to 35 days annual leave, dependent upon continuous service
- 5 Minutes from London Underground and excellent transport links into the centre of London
- Hybrid/Flexible working
- Cycle to Work Scheme (including City Bike Hire scheme)
- Attractive Local Government Pension Scheme
- A permanent Senior Leadership team in QA
- Manageable caseloads that enable connections with families
We are a Stonewall diversity champion; a Living Wage Employer and we guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the role. Please click here for a full list of our accreditations.
If you have any questions or queries around the child protection chair role, please contact Michelle Knott, Service Manager Safeguarding, Quality Assurance – Mknott1@lambeth.gov.uk
Successful candidates will be asked to apply for an Enhanced Certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Further information about the DBS can be found at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/agencies-public-bodies/dbs
You will also be required to undertake a Cifas check. Further information about Cifas can be found here Cifas
Please note we operate an anonymised application process. If you are uploading your CV or a personal statement, please remove your personal details and replace these with your unique candidate application number.
Interested, click on the apply button and complete an on-line application, explicitly evidencing in the supporting statement field how you meet the shortlist criteria marked with an ‘A’, along with uploading your CV.
