Locum Child Protection Advanced Practitioner
Matlock, Derbyshire
Advanced Social Worker – Children’s Services (Derbyshire County Council)
Job Overview
We are recruiting an experienced **Advanced Social Worker (Qualified Social Worker)** to join **Derbyshire County Council’s Children’s Services team**. This senior-level role focuses on complex casework and practice leadership, supporting colleagues while ensuring children and families receive high-quality, effective, and timely interventions.
As an Advanced Social Worker, you will manage high-risk safeguarding cases, act as a source of expertise for colleagues, and contribute to the development and improvement of Children’s Services across the authority.
Key Responsibilities
Lead on complex safeguarding and child protection cases in line with statutory frameworks.
Provide professional guidance, mentoring, and reflective support to social workers and support staff.
Undertake comprehensive assessments of children and families to inform care planning and decision-making.
Develop, implement, and review tailored care and protection plans.
Prepare and present high-quality, evidence-based reports for court, child protection conferences, and statutory reviews.
Chair and actively contribute to multi-agency meetings to ensure effective partnership working.
Build strong and trusting relationships with children, families, and carers to promote positive and sustainable outcomes.
Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential records in line with legislation and council policy.
Contribute to audits, quality assurance activity, and continuous service improvement within Children’s Services.
About You
You are a confident and resilient social worker with significant post-qualification experience in children’s services. You are skilled in managing complex safeguarding cases, supporting colleagues, and promoting reflective, high-quality practice across the service.
Requirements
Qualified Social Worker (QSW) with registration to **Social Work England**.
Extensive post-qualification experience within statutory Children’s Services, including safeguarding and child protection.
Strong knowledge of child protection legislation, statutory guidance, and best practice.
Proven experience of mentoring, supervising, or supporting colleagues.
Excellent communication, assessment, and report-writing skills.
Ability to balance leadership responsibilities with complex casework.
Contract & Salary
Employer: **Derbyshire County Council**
Service: Children’s Services
Contract type: Full-time, locum/temporary contract via Tripod Partners
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
How to Apply
If you are an experienced Qualified Social Worker looking to take on an advanced practice role within Derbyshire County Council’s Children’s Services team, we would like to hear from you. Please **apply using the form on the page**.