Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

An exciting permanent opportunity has arisen in the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service (SQA) for the role of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). The SQA service has a specific remit to provide scrutiny and challenge to the plans for children who are subject to children protection plans or are looked after and includes the LADO.

Brent is a tremendously vibrant London borough where the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium dominates the skyline. Spanning both inner and outer London, it is a borough of huge contrasts in terms of its economic, environmental, ethnic and social make up. Brent’s diversity is evident to all who visit our borough and our long history of ethnic and cultural diversity has created a place that is truly unique and valued by those who live and work here.

The council is pursuing a far-reaching transformation agenda that better meets the needs of our community so it is an exciting time to join us.

The Role

The LADO ensures that allegations against people who work with children, in positions of trust, are co-ordinated and that corresponding welfare concerns, in relation to children involved, are being dealt with without delay. The LADO role also includes providing guidance and consultation to employers/voluntary organisations, liaising with partner agencies and monitoring the swift and fair progression of cases according to statutory requirements.

The role further involves:

• The Local Authority’s statutory compliance with managing allegations
• To provide guidance, advice and training to professionals to manage allegations
• To produce an annual activity report for the Executive Group of the Local Safeguarding Partnerships
• To contribute to the development of local safeguarding procedures
• To undertake other duties within the Safeguarding and Quality Service, such as chairing Child Protection conferences as and when the need arises

The Person

You will have:

• A Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England
• Extensive post-qualifying experience including statutory work with children and their families as either Practice Consultant or Team Manager
• A working knowledge of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 and all other relevant legislation, policies, procedures and guidance relevant to safeguarding and the role of the LADO
• Experience of dealing with complex and challenging allocations, including those with Child Protection plans, LAC status or court allocations
• Experience of multi-agency working and driving good practice
• An ability to produce reports to a high standard
• Working in a range of roles across Children and Young People
• Confidence in escalating issues of concerns as appropriate
• Experience of quality assurance including completing high quality audits

Why join us?

We know people achieve their best when they feel valued. At Brent, you’ll benefit from:

• Up to 33 days annual leave (depending on length of service) plus bank holidays
• Excellent pension with generous employer contributions (LGPS)
• Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
• Supportive family-friendly policies for parent, guardians, and carers
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Financial support such as education sessions, childcare deposit loans, and season ticket loans
• Travel perks including affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme, and great onsite facilities
• Learning and development opportunities to help you grow your career
• Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure, and entertainment

To learn more about our benefits, visit Our offer to you.
Closing date: 4 June 2026 (23:59)
Additional Information
Location: Civic centre and other locations from time to time

If you are interested in applying for this job, please start by clicking the "Apply Now" button below. You must provide a supporting statement as part of your application that clearly shows how you meet the essential requirements on the Job description. We will accept a CV in support of your application, however, you should still provide a supporting statement.

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this and therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community. We positively encourage all applicants to self-identify their characteristics in the diversity survey section in the application.

We are committed to safer recruitment and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that posts working with children, young people and vulnerable adults are subject to an Enhanced DBS check as well as other employment clearances. The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas and your data protection rights, can be found here. Brent has a positive approach to flexible working. As a disability confident employer Brent welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including “non-visible” disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us on recruitment@brent.gov.uk.