Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Overview

Are you an experienced safeguarding professional with a passion for protecting children and driving high standards of practice across a complex partnership landscape?

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a highly skilled Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to lead on the management and oversight of allegations against adults who work with children. This is a critical role that sits at the heart of safeguarding arrangements across Buckinghamshire, ensuring that concerns are managed fairly, effectively and in line with statutory guidance.

As a key safeguarding expert, you will work collaboratively with schools, early years settings, health partners, police, social care colleagues and employers across the children's workforce to promote safer cultures, provide specialist advice and ensure children remain protected.

Take a look at our Children's Social Care Candidate Pack to find out more.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to undertake a highly influential safeguarding role where your expertise will help shape practice, support partner agencies and contribute directly to keeping children safe across Buckinghamshire.

You'll join a service committed to learning, collaboration and continuous improvement, working alongside dedicated professionals who share a passion for achieving the best outcomes for children, young people and families.

About the role

As the LADO, you will manage and oversee allegations made against individuals working with children across Buckinghamshire, ensuring cases are handled in accordance with legislation, statutory guidance and local safeguarding procedures.

You will provide expert advice and challenge to employers and partner agencies, chair Allegations against Staff and Volunteers (ASV) meetings, oversee complex investigations carried out by partners and ensure robust decision-making processes are followed throughout. You will also play a key role in quality assurance, performance monitoring and service development, helping to strengthen safeguarding practice and improve outcomes for children.

Working within a multi-agency environment, you will build strong partnerships, contribute to regional and national networks, deliver training, support organisational learning and ensure Buckinghamshire Council continues to meet its statutory obligations relating to allegations management.

This role offers the opportunity to influence safeguarding practice across the county and make a meaningful impact on the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

About you

We are looking for an experienced Social Work professional who brings significant expertise in child protection, safeguarding and allegations management.

You will have:

• A recognised Social Work qualification (DipSW or equivalent) and current Social Work England registration, unless you were in a LADO role prior to 2015.
• Extensive post-qualifying experience, including significant experience within child protection services.
• Detailed knowledge of legislation, guidance and best practice relating to safeguarding, safer recruitment and the management of allegations against adults working with children.
• Experience of leading complex multi-agency processes and working effectively across organisational boundaries.
• Strong analytical, risk assessment and investigative skills, with the ability to make sound decisions in highly sensitive situations.
• The confidence to advise, challenge and influence senior leaders, employers and partner agencies.
• Excellent communication, report-writing and relationship-building skills.
• Experience of delivering training, supporting professional development and contributing to service improvement.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet statutory timescales.
• Most importantly, you will embody Buckinghamshire Council's values of being Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy, demonstrating a commitment to safeguarding excellence and continuous improvement.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Mark Blackwell at [email protected]

Closing date: 23:59 Friday 18th September 2026.

Interview date: Wednesday 30th September 2026.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

 

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Buckinghamshire is a successful, growing place with fantastic natural assets, a highly productive economy and many resourceful and thriving communities. However, we are far from complacent and our new and ambitious unitary authority is well placed to tackle the challenges associated with growth, an aging population, climate change and inequalities in both opportunities and outcomes – particularly for our children and young people.

Children’s Services is on an improvement journey and as our very recent Ofsted report shows, we have continued to improve despite the pressures of the pandemic and have built solid foundations for future success. Relationships with partners are strong and our collective response to the pandemic has strengthened and deepened our work together.

We have a big, ambitious agenda for Buckinghamshire, and our teams work collaboratively and at pace to make a positive difference to the lives of children and young people across the county.

We are looking for talented and driven individuals to help us achieve the best outcomes for our children, young people and families in Buckinghamshire. Our key priorities include continuing to protect vulnerable children and young people from harm, whilst sustaining an environment where social work practice can thrive. Through our vital work with our partners, including The Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Childrens Partnership, we continue to improve our collective response to children and young people who have been exposed to domestic abuse, exploitation, substance misuse and mental health issues.

No matter what role you take on in our Children’s services, you will be part of a team who is dedicated to supporting children and their families to achieve their full potential.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/