David Ross Education Trust is now recruiting for an Area Safeguarding Lead to join the central safeguarding team, based at one of our Academies.
We are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements and work location at interview.
About the role
The role is to support the designated safeguarding leads in allocated academies, guiding and advising them in the aspects of best practice.
This includes supporting academies in their case work with pupils experiencing health, mental health, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or at risk of social exclusion/disaffection and their families, so they can participate fully in home and school activities in order to achieve their full potential.
You would participate in monitoring safeguarding practice, providing guidance, support and escalation for academies with safeguarding issues. As the safeguarding expert within the allocated region, and the first point of contact for designated safeguarding leaders and principals, you would also be an expert throughout the Trust in a particular specialism such as children’s mental health or domestic abuse and work with the Deputy Head of Safeguarding in developing and implementing a new Trust wide strategy with supporting systems and processes.
Working alongside the Trust attendance leads, you would support academy attendance and welfare teams to develop proactive outreach, support and intervention work with vulnerable families.
Also key is to support the Deputy Head of Safeguarding in driving forward the safeguarding strategy, ensuring that policy and procedures are in line with legislative and organisational development.
We want to be flexible in finding the right people to join our team so the role could be full time (37 hours a week, 52 weeks a year), term time only or another flexible working arrangement to suit.
The post holder will work with specific, regionally based academies and be based at one of our academies. These details will be discussed at interview.
Who we are looking for
An experienced safeguarding lead in health, social care or youth provision, with a sound knowledge of the everyday practicalities and challenges of safeguarding and liaison with Local Authorities, Ofsted and other stakeholders.
This may have been from experience in children’s services, from a health background or significant safeguarding experience from working with vulnerable children and their families in another setting. Irrespective of professional background, we are committed to supporting your welfare and development.
We want to hear from you if you share our commitment to high quality safeguarding practice and you bring with you experience in a particular specialism that complements all that we already do.
These specialisms might include mental health, domestic abuse, child criminal exploitation, or tell us if you are well qualified in managing any of the safeguarding pressures we are all facing at the moment. We are also committed to supporting the safeguarding teams in all our academies through a systematic programme of supervision. As an Area Safeguarding Lead we would want you to be fully involved in this aspect of our work in taking care of staff and enhancing practice.
Salary & Benefits
- £43,421-£46,464 per annum FTE (NJC35-NJC38)
- Access to Local Government Pension Scheme
- Equivalent of 31 days annual leave plus statutory holidays (pro rata for alternative working arrangements)
- Regional networks of Trust colleagues and access to key leaders in Education
- Commitment to employee Health and Wellbeing including dedicated Employee Assistance Programme
- Awards and Recognition Scheme
- Flexible working patterns
- Benefits Platform
- discounts on car leasing
- holiday discounts
- cinema tickets
- restaurant booking discounts
- Cycle to Work Scheme
About The David Ross Education Trust
Here at the David Ross Education Trust, we think of safeguarding in its broadest terms. All members of the Trust share a common commitment to creating a safe environment for children while they are with us at school and in helping them learn to understand risk and how to keep themselves safe when they are not. Safeguarding is embedded throughout our practice, through health and safety, through the curriculum and in the distinctive culture of each of our academies. We all advocate for children.
In addition, we have a strong safeguarding team. Under the leadership of the Head of Safeguarding, the Deputy Head of Safeguarding and Area Safeguarding Leads support a host of dedicated DSLs, DDSLs, welfare coordinators, safeguarding officers and pastoral teams throughout our academies. There is much that unites us, especially in the care we take in getting to know our children and their families. We all have high expectations for rigorous practice in protecting those children known to us to be at risk and in working effectively with professionals from other agencies to care for these children. So too, the highest expectations in maintaining systems that allow us to recognise when other children are troubled.
With academies from Scarborough to London, we know that each of these schools faces different contextual challenges in addition to those we experience nationally.
Apply now
If, when you reflect on your values, expertise and career aspirations, you believe that now is the time to apply for one of these roles, you could begin this conversation with us by contacting the Head of Safeguarding at recruitment@dret.co.uk as well as by submitting your application.
We look forward to hearing from you.
To complete our on-line application form, please click “here“.
Closing date: 23:59 Friday 8th March 2024
Interviews: w/b 18th March 2024
Early applications are advised. We receive high numbers of applications for our roles and therefore have to close the vacancy prior to the closing date in order to review candidates’ details against our job criteria before shortlisting or re-opening the vacancy.
The David Ross Education Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.
It is our objective to ensure that job applicants and staff are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential. We do not discriminate against any applicants on the basis of any protected characteristics.
The David Ross Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo vetting appropriate to the post, including a social media presence check and Enhanced DBS check. The successful applicant will be expected to adhere to all safeguarding, welfare and health and safety policies and procedures of the Trust.
All pre-employment checks are in line with “Keeping Children Safe in Education” statutory guidance.