Excellent Safeguarding policies, processes and practices are central to the mission and ministry of this large diocese covering South London and East Surrey. We are seeking a highly experienced safeguarding practitioner, ideally with relevant leadership experience, to lead and manage a well-respected team, and ensure that the diocese maintains the highest standards of protection for children and vulnerable adults. Safeguarding policies and arrangements are currently subject to review by the Church of England nationally, and the diocese is seeking a colleague who will enable the diocese to develop its staff and volunteers across the diocese as polices evolve.
The DSA will offer excellent practitioner expertise, leadership, support and advice to the wider diocese including Southwark Cathedral in the development of its safeguarding arrangements, aspiring to best practice.
The safeguarding team is an integral part of our diocesan structures, the DSA reports directly to the Diocesan Secretary, the most senior of the executive staff, who is also the Bishop’s Lead for Safeguarding. Safeguarding is regarded as critically important by the Bishop.
The DSA plays a full role as a member of the Senior Management Team. The values of the diocesan staff are transparent accountability, collaborative team working, respect for all, and the effective stewardship of resources.
Main Responsibilities:
- To manage the diocesan safeguarding team, offering excellent practitioner expertise and sound management of casework including responsibility for a share of the casework.
- Leadership, support and advice to the wider diocese including Southwark Cathedral in the development of its safeguarding arrangements, good practice, policy and training.
- To ensure that allegations of abuse are appropriately referred to the statutory authorities ensuring the provision of appropriate advice and support to survivors and victims of abuse.
- To ensure that those who pose a risk are appropriately supported and managed.
- To advise the diocese on all safeguarding matters ensuring that all advice is in line with the law, government guidance and national policy and guidance from the House of Bishops.
- To work collaboratively with colleagues across the diocese including the Chair of the Diocesan Safeguarding Panel, the Bishop’s Lead for Safeguarding, other dioceses, and the National Safeguarding Team.
The Ideal Candidate
- You must have a relevant professional qualification or equivalent extensive experience (for example, social care or criminal justice), with current professional registration where applicable. Normally we would expect a degree level or above.
- It will be important to have recent relevant experience as a safeguarding practitioner, with a detailed knowledge and experience of applying safeguarding legislation, guidance and practice. An eye for detail, and experience of report writing are also essential.
- An ability to operate at a strategic level, and of contributing to policy and practice development and implementation in a collaborative environment will also be important,
- You should have credible and extensive experience of undertaking statutory case and management reviews, and ideally in providing supervision to other professional safeguarding staff in a busy team .The team works together transparently and closely .
- Your experience of working with survivors of abuse will be important in ensuring that we provide appropriate support and advice for this important area of work.
- Experience of communications and external stakeholder management on safeguarding issues with policy-makers, media or other external stakeholders at local and/or national level in a context of public scrutiny will be important..
The DSA is not required to be a practising Christian but is expected to be in sympathy with the ethos of the church and share our values.
About the Diocese
The Diocese of Southwark, founded in 1905, forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England and is part of the wider Church of England, in turn part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Diocese covers primarily the area of Greater London which is south of the Thames, together with the eastern part of the county of Surrey. It is one of the largest dioceses in terms of population and parishes as well as one of the most diverse. As a Diocese, we celebrate churches, worshipping communities and fresh expressions of Church, across the full spectrum of traditions, that speak well of each other and support each other as together we seek to deliver our key objectives.
Our vision is founded on mutual commitment from all who make up the Diocesan family to walk together in the pilgrimage of faith, supporting, encouraging and resourcing each other in our common task.
See vacancy online, here.
