We are seeking an enthusiastic Lead Education Adviser with educational experience and expertise to join the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT), a core team within Sutton’s new Family Help model under the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme. This national initiative aims to transform how families receive help, ensuring timely, coordinated support with a strong focus on early intervention to prevent crisis.

The MACPT brings together lead child protection practitioners with expertise from social care, education, health and police. The aim of the MACPT is to strengthen child protection practice and improve outcomes for children through multi-agency collaboration, shared expertise, and
improved quality assurance and communication. The team will place the voice of the child at the heart of decision-making and work preventatively to avoid escalation where possible by enabling earlier, proactive support so that families get the right help before statutory intervention is needed.

Within this context, the Lead Education Adviser will offer specialist educational advice and expertise, supporting safeguarding decisions and ensuring that children and young people open to the MACPT have the best possible educational outcomes. This includes providing strategic and operational oversight of the education elements within child protection plans, identifying and addressing barriers to learning, and working directly with schools, social care practitioners and wider services to ensure that progress is monitored and sustained. You will understand how barriers including trauma and unmet SEND can affect learning and attainment and work actively with the professional network to ensure there is a clear plan of support in place to address them and improve outcomes.

We are looking for a professional with safeguarding experience and a strong background working with disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people within Sutton’s educational landscape. You will be able to provide evidence-based advice, work independently as a self-starter, manage competing deadlines, and maintain clear oversight of the educational components of children’s plans. Strong literacy, excellent communication skills and the ability to build positive working relationships across agencies are essential, alongside a calm, professional and child-centred approach.

As part of statutory child protection processes, the multi-agency child protection team will convene strategy meetings, lead section 47 enquiries, convene child protection conferences and forums, oversee the development and delivery of child protection plans and keep them
under review. They also provide specialist case consultation and maintain awareness of local safeguarding patterns and risks.

This role is positioned within the MACPT as part of Sutton’s Family Help model and will be line-managed by the Strategic Lead for Children Known to Social Care in the Virtual School. The postholder will also contribute to wider work promoting the education of children with a
social worker. The role will involve hybrid working, with the expectation that the successful candidate will work in the office on a regular and flexible basis, according to business needs, and attend in-person meetings across offices in Wallington, Carshalton and Sutton.

You will give us great commitment and in return we offer an excellent package including:

i) Starting salary of £44,660 per annum (Cognus Band 3 Point 50)
ii) Workplace pension scheme 4% to 8% matched contributions
iii) 28 days annual leave pro rata (plus Bank Holidays)
iv) Regular manager support and supervision
v) Hybrid and flexible working
vi) Staff benefits package; currently including Employee Assistance Programme, life insurance, employee benefits platform and (upon completion of probation) health care [Cognus reserves the right to adjust these additional discretionary benefits to improve quality of their services provided, maintain affordability for the Company and to ensure benefits remain fit for purpose with staff needs.]
vii) Staff EDI group and Mental Health First Aiders to support wellbeing and inclusion
viii) Cognus Coaching Programmes
ix) An ambitious culture with friendly and supportive colleagues

To apply, click here