Principal Officer in Birmingham

To work with families, area colleagues and other professionals to reduce the likelihood of significant harm to children and young people in Birmingham for whom child protection conferences are held.

To ensure that the conference system actively engages parents and children in the child protection planning and review process so there is the greatest likelihood of improvement.

To chair child protection conferences, adopting a strengths-based, relational, trauma informed approach, and to contribute to the ongoing development of and improvements to our own service area.

To commit to the Departments overall strategy to respect and support families and to actively contribute to assessing and improving the quality of overall service provision to children and families, using Connections Count as a framework.

To contribute to the quality assurance, including participating in regular Practice Evaluation process and auditing activity.

To represent the safeguarding service as required.

• To consistently deliver a child specific, skilled conference service resulting in clear and agreed Child Protection Plans where indicated.
• To work closely with colleagues, internally and externally, towards the goal of ensuring children receive parenting and care which enables them to meet their potential at whatever level of service is right for the child.
• To ensure that legal, statutory and good practice demands are met.
• To work collaboratively with other agencies and partners in an enabling and professional manner.
• To manage your workload and prioritise tasks to ensure statutory and departmental timescales are met and children and their families receive a prompt, quality service.

• To chair child protection conferences and other meetings as required within set timescales and employing the Strengthening Families Framework.
• To ensure that children, deemed to be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, promptly have a Child Protection Plan including a contingency plan. The plan will address the areas of serious concern raised. All such work will give proper weight to issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• To work within the administrative processes to ensure that plans and minutes are distributed within timescales. To ensure that families are promptly notified of child protection planning as well as review conferences.
• To make regular case recordings on the child's file as needed, including midpoint checks.
• To enable the child's voice to be clearly heard throughout the conference and review process.
• To engage children and young people in the conference process according to their age and level of understanding; this is imperative whether the child attends the whole or part of the meeting or contributes in another way.
• To monitor arrangements for children who are the subject of Child Protection Plans, ensuring that through collaboration with multidisciplinary colleagues that plans progress.
• To resolve issues of practice and planning with regards to children who have a Child Protection Plan. This will involve working collaboratively, involving your managers as needed.
• To champion best practice, supporting others through mentoring, coaching and professional supervision.
• To be visible, available and approachable in order to provide guidance to professional colleagues as required in complex child protection cases.
• To present as measured and fair when challenging performance or practice having a clear understanding of the Principal Officers role as well as the roles and responsibilities of others.
• To demonstrate accountability for your own work and actions.
• To be able to listen and relate to others, building positive working relationships with colleagues, partners and service users, demonstrating the ability to challenge and raise difficult topics whilst presenting professionally and respectfully at all times.
• To comply fully with agency policy regarding supervision and appraisal. This includes commitment to personal education and training needs.
• To comply fully with Birmingham Children's Trust Equal Opportunities Policy and be a champion for equal rights, accessibility and participation.
• To undertake such tasks as deemed relevant and necessary by BCT management.

• Recognised Social Work qualification.
• Registration with the Health Care Profession Council (HCPC).

• Substantial post qualifying, managerial, experience and recent experience of chairing Child Protection Conferences.
• A clear and up to date understanding of social work issues and research.
• A thorough understanding of and ability to effectively apply the law and Working Together guidance.
• Knowledge and understanding of the principles of the Strengths Based approach to conferencing. (Strengthening Families Framework).
• A minimum of 2 years working directly with children and families in a safeguarding setting.
• An understanding of systemic practice and how that can be applied within child protection and conference settings.

• Ability to understand, analyse and present a child's situation and lived experience within the conference setting.
• A proven ability to communicate with children and young people.
• Ability to work collaboratively with parents and children.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals.
• Ability to clearly and effectively challenge other professionals as well as family members while demonstrating respect.
• Ability to use systemic practice within a conference setting, ensuring meetings are managed effectively and everyone has a chance to express their views and ask questions.
• Ability to offer advice and consultation regarding all aspects of child protection, including thresholds for child protection planning.
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a team offering support to colleagues and receiving support from them.
• An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence using the English Language as required by Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016.

• Effectively prioritises and manages their own work, sets clear objectives; accepts responsibility and is accountable.
• Inspires others by acting with integrity and role modelling.
• Contributes to creating a positive team working environment, which encourages open discussion, innovation and supports performance; builds capacity and empowers staff.
• Demonstrates a sound understanding of quality assurance. Ensures compliance with procedures.

• Successfully builds and maintains an effective relationship with colleagues, external agencies, children and their families.
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills in dealing with people at all levels and from a diverse range of backgrounds.