Independent Chair

Job Introduction

Job Title: Independent Child Protection Chair and Local Authority Designated Officer
Salary: £28,691 to £33,315 per annum (includes 2 market force increments)
22.5 Hours per Week
Location: Worcestershire 
Team: SQA Child Protection and LADO
Fixed Term Contract of 12 months

The Role
We are looking to recruit 1 part-time Independent Chair covering Child Protection Conferences and the role of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). You will be joining an experienced and permanent team; this role is well supported by a dedicated Practice Manager and Business Support function – ensuring you have the time to focus on your role.

You will work as part of the Team, with dual allocation of children on Child Protection Plans – you will be responsible for chairing Initial & Review Conferences, ensuring SMART Plans, effective information sharing to manage risk and create positive outcomes for children, young people, and their families. The other element of the allocated work will be covering the role of LADO on a duty system, you will make decisions on initial referrals into the service and chair Initial POT Meetings and where appropriate continue to review case work to conclusion. 

Ofsted said “multi-agency meetings are regular and well attended and contribute to shared decision-making that prioritises children” and “decision-making and meetings are timely”.

In this role you need to have the ability to securitise, challenge and support both Social Care Teams and partners, this is crucial, alongside strong quality assurance experience and skills. 

You will be an experienced and qualified Social Worker with Management Experience, registered with Social Work England, who has a solid knowledge of policy, legislation, and good practice experience, and can demonstrate a strong commitment to strong multi-agency working and child focussed practice.  You will have extensive experience of chairing complex and challenging meetings with the ability to manage difficult conversations.

For further information please contact: Karen Green (SQA Practice Manager) on 01905 844006.

Benefits:

You’ll find an overview of the benefits Worcestershire County Council have to offer on our webpage 

• Worcestershire County Council - Why work for us? 

Some of these offers include: 

• Great Holiday Entitlement: As well as bank holidays, you'll get 26 days paid holiday (pro rata for part-time staff). This goes up to 31 days when you have been with us for 5 years. If you get more than 26 days where you work now, don't worry because if you join us without a break, we'll match your holiday up to 31 days. If you’re successful and want to take advantage of this do let us know!
• Brilliant Pension Scheme: The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is a nationwide, career average pension scheme and is a valuable part of the pay and reward package for employees working in local government.
• Professional Learning & Development: We actively encourage learning and development for all our staff should they want to progress further or explore other areas within the organisation.
• Flexible Working: We are proud to offer hybrid working to provide a better work/life balance where possible. 

Disclosure Barring Service (DBS)
This post is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of criminal records via the Disclosure and Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of cautions, reprimands, or final warnings, as well as convictions. The County Council has a commitment to safeguarding service users in our care.

Equality & Diversity: The County Council is committed to equality of opportunity for all citizens and celebrates the diversity of all its residents.

Application Closing Date: 11th February 2026
Anticipated Interview Date: 16th February 2026