Safeguarding Practice Lead (Redeployment 23095))

• Suffolk County Council
• Address:
  • Role 1:Riverside 4 Canning Road Lowestoft NR33 OEQ- Hybrid
  • Role 2: West Suffolk House Western Way Bury St Edmunds IP33 3YU - Hybrid
• Salary: 48163 per annum
• Hours: 37 hours flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

At Suffolk County Council every role is a chance to create positive change. As a Safeguarding Practice Lead youll see the direct impact of your work on the people of Suffolk. This is a key practice leadership role where you will influence safeguarding culture strengthen professional confidence and ensure highquality personcentred safeguarding practice that truly makes a difference.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

Imagine starting your day knowing that the work you do will shape safer stronger practice for people across your locality.

In this role you will provide trusted advice and professional leadership on complex safeguarding concerns supporting practitioners to think clearly about risk while keeping people at the centre of decisionmaking and ensuring the best possible outcomes for adults their families and carers.

You will review practice through quality assurance activity turning learning into clear improvements that strengthen consistency and impact. Working closely with colleagues partners and providers you help build shared ownership of safeguarding and a culture of openness and continuous improvement.

You will lead learning sessions and workshops supporting professional curiosity confidence and strengthsbased practice. Throughout your work whether advising on selfneglect supporting defensible risk decisions or contributing to CQC assurance you stay focused on what matters most which is improving peoples experiences and outcomes through high quality safeguarding practice.

You will need

• Professional qualification in Social Work (registered with Social Work England) or Occupational Therapy (registered with HCPC) with evidence of ongoing continuous professional development.
• Significant postqualification experience including direct experience of adult safeguarding and working with complex cases involving risk and vulnerability.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation statutory guidance and safeguarding best practice with the ability to make sound defensible decisions.
• Proven experience of providing expert advice professional leadership and supervision to support and improve practice.
• Experience of quality assurance practice development or service improvement using learning data or audit activity to drive change.
• Demonstrated leadership skills including influencing and supporting others leading learning or training and embedding good safeguarding practice.
• Ability to work collaboratively with partners including health commissioned and independent sector providers.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex information clearly and confidently.
• Strong commitment to personcentred practice Equality Diversity and Inclusion and Suffolk County Councils values.

You can view a full list of requirements in theJob and Person Profile (Word).If you believe you can succeed in this role apply. Even if you dont meet all requirements still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

This post is based within one of the localities within Suffolk Adult Social Care:

• The West locality supports five diverse locality areas across West Suffolk delivering statutory duties under The Care Act 2014 and providing responsive person centred support to adults with a wide range of needs. The locality spans a mix of market towns rural villages and more isolated communities creating a broad and complex pattern of need. Adult Social Care in the West is delivered through strong integration with health colleagues community partners hospital-based teams and specialist teams such as our Optimising Care and Support Team and Flexible Care and Support Team. Practice is grounded in a strengths based person centred approach ensuring individuals receive timely and proportionate support. Teams benefit from a collaborative culture that values professional development and celebrates best practice.

• The North locality operates within Suffolks localitybased Adult Social Care model. It combines the large coastal town of Lowestoft with areas of rural isolation creating a varied demand and complexity across the locality including pockets of deprivation and health inequality. Delivering Statutory Care Act duties through strong integration with health providers and community partners underpinned by a strengthsbased and personcentred practice approach with a culture that supports professional development and actively recognises and celebrates best practice.

Empowering Everyone

Were big believers in potential possibility and the power of different ideas. Were always searching for ways to encourage respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

For a casual conversation please contact

Kim Elvin by calling or emailing

Beverly Chambers by calling or emailing

How to apply

Step 1 -Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 -Click Apply Now to start your online application.

Step 3 -Upload asupporting statementanswering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use theSupporting Statement template.

1. Describe a situation where you provided professional leadership during a challenging situation. What was your approach and what impact did it have on practice or outcomes

2. Give an example of how you have influenced practitioners or managers to improve practice in a pressured environment.

3. Can you give an example of how you support others to reflect on risk professional curiosity or decision-making in safeguarding work

Step 4 -Upload a CV (without name and personal details).For guidance on completing your application please see our How to Apply page.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences so we encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the process. You can also read our Using AI in Your Application and Interview guidanceto understand acceptable and unacceptable use of AI. If AI is used inappropriately your application may not be progressed.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team ator. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages. If youre invited to the next stage youll have another chance to request adjustments.

Closing date:11.30pm 30 April 2026

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.