EDNA MBIZI
United Kingdom
Summary
Experienced safeguarding leader currently working as a Team Manager within Manchester Children’s Services, where I line manage and supervise a team of 8 social workers, providing oversight, guidance and reflective supervision across complex safeguarding work. I have a strong track record of managing risk, leading teams, and maintaining high standards of practice in fast-paced and high-pressure environments. I bring a wide range of knowledge and experience in safeguarding, with a strong focus on multi-agency working, risk management, and protecting vulnerable children, young people and adults. Recognised for influencing practice at a system level, including contributing to safeguarding policy, service reform, and workforce development. I am confident working in environments where safeguarding, reputation, and accountability are critical, and I am able to lead with integrity while embedding a culture of safety, inclusion and professional responsibility across teams and partner agencies.
Overview
2027
2027
years of professional experience
3
3
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Border Force Safeguarding Link
- Act as a central point of contact between Border Force and Children’s Services
- Lead safeguarding responses for vulnerable children arriving into the UK
- Developed expertise in safeguarding risks linked to trafficking, exploitation and immigration status
- Strengthened joint working arrangements and improved safeguarding pathways across services
Youth Justice Partnership Working
- Work collaboratively with Youth Justice to manage risk linked to offending, exploitation and vulnerability
- Contribute to multi-agency plans that balance safeguarding, risk management and rehabilitation
Harmful Sexualised Behaviour (HSB) Lead
- Provide specialist leadership on cases involving harmful sexualised behaviours
- Support professionals in risk assessment, planning and intervention
- Lead development of policies and safeguarding pathways relating to child sexual abuse and HSB
Safeguarding Policy, Practice & Reform
- Contributed to the writing and implementation of safeguarding guidance and frameworks
- Played a key role in design sprint and reform work, shaping how safeguarding services operate
- Promoted consistent, high-quality safeguarding practice across teams
Additional Leadership & Specialist Experience
International Recruitment Lead
01.2023
- Selected to join a specialist team delivering international recruitment of social workers
- Travelled overseas to identify and recruit skilled professionals into Manchester Children’s Services
- Played a key role in strengthening workforce stability and reducing reliance on agency staff
- Contributed to ensuring sustained service delivery and workforce resilience, supporting the council in maintaining safe staffing levels
Safeguarding Social Worker – Out of Hours Service
Manchester Children’s Services
07.2025 - 05.2026
- Operate in a high-pressure, autonomous safeguarding role, making critical decisions outside of core hours
- Work closely with Greater Manchester Police and emergency services in real-time safeguarding situations
- Manage immediate risk relating to exploitation, domestic abuse, missing children and acute crises
- Demonstrate sound professional judgement where decisions have significant safeguarding and reputational implications
Team Manager – Duty & Assessment
Manchester Children’s Services
10.2023 - 05.2026
- Provide leadership and oversight within a high-demand front door service, managing safeguarding concerns across a large and diverse population
- Lead timely and proportionate responses to risk, including Section 47 enquiries and strategy discussions
- Drive a culture of accountability, safe practice and high professional standards
- Contribute to service reform and innovation, including participation in design sprint activity shaping new ways of working
- Work in partnership with senior leaders and external agencies to ensure safeguarding is embedded across systems
- Provide visible leadership that promotes consistency, confidence and resilience across staff teams
- Streamlined operations, leading to increased team performance.
- Cultivated a strong rapport with team members, fostering a cohesive and collaborative workplace environment.
- Delegated responsibilities efficiently amongst team members.
- Conducted performance evaluations to identify areas of improvement.
- Ensured adherence to company policies, resulting in fewer discrepancies and conflicts.
- Steered project execution whilst adhering strictly to timeline constraints.
- Developed action plans for continuous process improvement initiatives.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, enabling informed decision-making processes.
- Boosted morale by recognising and rewarding exceptional work.
- Translated senior management directives into actionable front-line policies and implemented changes with staff.
Qualified Practice Educator
Practice Education
11.2022 - 04.2026
- Support and develop student social workers
- Promote reflective learning and high standards of practice
Senior Social Worker – Court & Locality
Manchester Children’s Services
08.2022 - 10.2023
- Managed complex safeguarding cases within court and child protection frameworks
- Led high-quality assessment, planning and evidence-based decision-making
- Contributed to strengthening practice standards through support and informal leadership
Social Worker – Court & Locality
Manchester Children’s Services
02.2020 - 08.2022
- Delivered statutory social work across Child in need, Child Protection and care proceedings
- Developed strong expertise in safeguarding practice, risk assessment and multi-agency working
Education
MA Social Work Degree -
University of Northampton
01.2018 - 01.2019
BSc Hon Degree - Management and Entrepreneurial Development studies specializing in Management and Marketing
Women’s University in Africa
01.2013 - 01.2015
Skills
- Strategic safeguarding leadership across complex organisations
- Oversight and management of high-risk safeguarding concerns
- Embedding safeguarding culture across multi-disciplinary environments
- Partnership working with Police, Border Force, Youth Justice, Health and legal services
- Safeguarding within high-profile and high-accountability settings
- Leading on Harmful Sexualised Behaviour (HSB) and child sexual abuse pathways
- Safeguarding policy design, implementation and continuous improvement
- Crisis decision-making and risk management under pressure
- Workforce development, training and practice improvement
- Trauma-informed, neglect-informed and strengths-based practice
- Strong understanding of immigration legislation and safeguarding risk at points of entry
- Experience influencing organisational reform and cultural change
- Commitment to wellbeing, inclusion and safe environments for all
References
References available on request.
Knowledge & Professional Understanding
- Working Together to Safeguard Children
- Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004, including statutory duties, threshold application and protecting children from significant harm
- Family First reforms, with awareness of the shift towards strengthening early help, multi-agency collaboration and keeping families safely together where possible
- Care Act 2014 – adult safeguarding principles
- Public Law Outline (PLO)
- Contextual safeguarding and exploitation
- Strong understanding of safeguarding within high-profile and complex environments
- Domestic abuse safeguarding, including risk identification, safety planning and multi-agency responses
- Neglect, including assessment of cumulative harm and long-term impact on children’s development
- Drug and alcohol misuse, and its impact on parenting capacity, vulnerability and safeguarding risk
- Experience of safeguarding linked to harmful sexual behaviour and child sexual abuse
- Understanding of risk factors that impact vulnerable individuals in community and organisational settings
- UK immigration law and safeguarding implications, including risks at ports of entry and for unaccompanied minors
Timeline
Safeguarding Social Worker – Out of Hours Service
Manchester Children’s Services
07.2025 - 05.2026
Team Manager – Duty & Assessment
Manchester Children’s Services
10.2023 - 05.2026
Additional Leadership & Specialist Experience
International Recruitment Lead
01.2023
Qualified Practice Educator
Practice Education
11.2022 - 04.2026
Senior Social Worker – Court & Locality
Manchester Children’s Services
08.2022 - 10.2023
Social Worker – Court & Locality
Manchester Children’s Services
02.2020 - 08.2022
MA Social Work Degree -
University of Northampton
01.2018 - 01.2019
BSc Hon Degree - Management and Entrepreneurial Development studies specializing in Management and Marketing
Women’s University in Africa
01.2013 - 01.2015
Youth Justice Partnership Working
Harmful Sexualised Behaviour (HSB) Lead
Safeguarding Policy, Practice & Reform
Border Force Safeguarding Link