Practice Lead (Keeping Children Safe in Education)

Practice Lead – Keeping Children Safe in Education (MACPT)

Children’s Services | Family Help and Children’s Social Care

Are you an experienced safeguarding professional with a passion for strengthening practice across education settings? Do you thrive in a collaborative multi‑agency environment, driving high‑quality, child‑centred safeguarding approaches? If so, this is an exciting opportunity to take a strategic leadership role within our Multi‑Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT).

About the Role

We are seeking a skilled and dynamic Practice Lead for Keeping Children Safe in Education, who will champion excellence in safeguarding practice across Derbyshire’s schools, academies, and independent education settings.

Working within the MACPT, you will:

• Lead the development and delivery of an overarching safeguarding response for schools.
• Provide expert advice, professional challenge and high‑quality support to Head Teachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads, senior leaders and governing bodies.
• Coordinate multi‑agency safeguarding activity, strengthening collaboration across education, social care, health, police, and wider partners.
• Drive improvements through quality assurance, casework audits, data analysis, and performance oversight.
• Promote and model best practice, ensuring the voice of the child remains central to all safeguarding work.
• Contribute to wider multi-agency workforce development.

This strategic role is pivotal in ensuring that every child and young person in Derbyshire is safe, supported, and able to thrive in their educational setting.

About You

You will be:

• A highly experienced safeguarding or child protection practitioner with strong analytical, reflective and decision‑making skills.
• Confident in navigating sensitive, high‑risk situations.
• Skilled in interpreting legislation, guidance and research, including Keeping Children Safe in Education.
• Experienced in working collaboratively across agencies, influencing practice and supporting cultural change.
• Able to provide authoritative professional challenge while maintaining positive working relationships.
• An excellent communicator, able to adapt your style to a wide range of audiences.
• Motivated, organised, and able to work flexibly across a multidisciplinary environment.

You will hold a degree or equivalent professional qualification in a relevant field (e.g., Social Work, Youth Work, Health & Social Care, Early Years, Education), with post‑qualifying or specialist safeguarding training desirable.

Why Join Us?

• A highly supportive and collaborative leadership environment.
• Opportunities to influence safeguarding practice county‑wide.
• Involvement in shaping multi‑agency policy, training and practice development.
• A chance to make a significant difference to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

Working within the MACPT

Joining the MACPT means being part of a committed, skilled and values‑driven service. You will work closely with social care, education partners, police, health and the Derby & Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership to deliver a cohesive, effective safeguarding response.

This is a role for someone who is motivated by impact — someone who wants to raise standards, strengthen professional practice, and ensure that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Provisional Interview Date: 27 April 2026

Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Click here to see our policy on criminal background checks.

Apply now and take the first step towards a fulfilling career with us! By joining Derbyshire County Council you will have access to a range of amazing rewards and employee benefits, including our generous annual leave scheme, excellent local government pension and fantastic employee discounts. To discover more detail about the rewards and benefits available to you, click here

CS1

We welcome applications from individuals who share our values — being Collaborative, Innovative, Empowered and Accountable. These values describe who we are and what we stand for as a council. They help shape our culture, encourage consistent behaviour and guide how we work together to make a positive difference for both our employees and the residents we serve.