Principal Officer Child Protection and Review

There has never been a more exciting time to join Birmingham Children’s Trust as we celebrate our GOOD Ofsted status which we are immensely proud of. Birmingham Children’s Trust is going from strength to strength. We are the largest provider of family support and social care services for children, young people, and families in the country. Our goal is to become a centre of excellence in both social care and family support. By choosing to work for us, you will be part of a supportive, dynamic service contributing to our service improvement journey to ‘Outstanding’.

As Principal Officer for Child Protection and Review, you’ll play a pivotal role in facilitating child protection conferences and providing expert advice around safeguarding, trauma informed and relational practice, for some of the City’s most vulnerable children and young people.

Our safety planning is underpinned by the Strengthening Families approach, whereby you will ensure that parents and children are enabled to actively engage, participate and co-produce, and the child’s voice and lived experience is at the heart of safety planning.

About you-:

• You will be a qualified social worker and will be registered with Social Work England. You will have extensive post qualifying experience in respect to safeguarding; preferably including some managerial experience.
• You will have experience of chairing complex meetings in respect to child safeguarding.
• Be able to work collaboratively with families and professionals to develop a plan to reduce the risk of harm to the children.
• You will have a sound knowledge of child protection practice, legislation, and policy.
• You will also have experience in working with key partner agencies to support children and their families.
• You will be able to maintain positive relationships, be an effective communicator, and be good at assessment, analytical thinking, and able to develop SMART child focused plans.
• You will demonstrate a willingness to be a practice lead for a specific area of expertise or project, further developing the quality of the child protection conference service for children and their families.
• You are a team player and self-motivated, able to work in a supportive and proactive manner with your colleagues and managers within a small team.
• And be confident to escalating concerns about safeguarding practice, drift and delay, with other managers, senior managers and partners.

About Us:

The sole purpose of Birmingham Children’s Trust is to make a positive difference for children, young people, and families in the city, by driving up the quality of practice and partnerships across the city and its services.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit.

If you would like to be part of our passionate and dedicated Children’s Trust and are committed to continuous and innovative practice improvement, then don’t hesitate and apply today. 

Please call us at any time, if you need more information about the role or about working for us, please contact Claudia Richter, or Helena Kirk, Assistant Heads of Service Child Protection & Review.

[email protected] / 07774337278 or [email protected] / 07912793617

We appreciate past interest; however, previous applicants will not be considered for this post.

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.