Job Description

Sandwell Valley School

Job Description and person specification: Inclusion Manager

Sandwell Valley School (SVS) was established in July 2016 as an Independent School offering alternative provision to young people. During November 2017 SVS was rated as GOOD by Ofsted. SVS receives referrals from local secondary schools for children unable to settle in mainstream and from SMBC and other councils for children missing in education. Students are able to undertake a range of qualifications including GCSEs, Functional skills, ESOL and awards in Life Skills.

Job title: Inclusion Manager

Contract type: Part time (4 days), opportunities for full time may be available

Reporting to: Senior Safeguarding and Wellbeing Manager

Responsible for: TBC

Main purpose

The Inclusion Manager will take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the school. They will take part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings, and contribute to the assessment of children.

They will advise and support other members of staff on child welfare and child protection matters, and liaise with relevant agencies such as the local authority and police.

Some safeguarding activities may be delegated to other members of the safeguarding team, although the Inclusion Manager will retain lead responsibility for the work of other members and will ensure it is completed to the highest standard.

Duties and responsibilities

Managing referrals: In conjunction with the Senior DSL

  • Refer cases of suspected abuse to the local authority children’s social care
  • Support staff who make referrals to local authority children’s social care
  • Refer cases to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern
  • Support staff who make referrals to the Channel programme
  • Refer cases to the Disclosure and Barring Service where a person is dismissed or left due to risk or harm to a child
  • Refer cases where a crime may have been committed to the police
  • Keep detailed, accurate and secure written records of concerns and referrals

Working with staff and other agencies

  • Ensure staff can access and understand the school’s child protection and safeguarding policy and procedures (especially new and part time staff)
  • Inform the Principal of safeguarding issues, especially ongoing enquiries into whether a child is at risk of harm, and police investigations
  • Liaise with the case manager and the local authority’s designated officer for child protection concerns in all cases where a member of school staff is involved
  • Liaise with staff on matters of safety, safeguarding, and when deciding whether to make a referral
  • Act as a source of support, advice and expertise for staff
  • Understand the assessment process for providing early help and intervention
  • Develop a working knowledge of how local authorities conduct a child protection case conference and a child protection review conference
  • Attend and contribute to child protection case conferences effectively when required to do so

Training

  • Undergo training to develop and maintain the knowledge and skills required to carry out the role
  • Undergo Prevent training and be able to:
  • Support the school or college in meeting the requirements of the Prevent duty
  • Provide advice and support to staff on protecting children from the risk of radicalisation
  • Undergo training on female genital mutilation (FGM) and be able to:
  • Provide advice and support to staff on protecting and identifying children at risk of FGM
  • Report known cases of FGM to the police, and help others to do so
  • Refresh knowledge and skills at least annually so remain up to date with any developments relevant to the role
  • Obtain access to relevant resources

Raise awareness

  • Ensure the school’s child protection policies are known, understood and used appropriately
  • Work with the governing board to ensure the school child protection policy is reviewed annually (as a minimum) and the procedures and implementation are updated and reviewed regularly
  • Ensure the safeguarding policy is available and easily accessible to everyone in the school community
  • Ensure that parents have read the safeguarding policy, and are aware that referrals about suspected abuse or neglect may be made, and the role of the school in this
  • Link with the local safeguarding children board (LSCB) to make sure staff are aware of training opportunities and the latest local policies on safeguarding
  • Be alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with special educational needs and young carers
  • Encourage a culture of listening to children among all staff, ensuring that children’s feelings are heard where the school puts measures in place to protect them

Other areas of responsibility

· Where children leave the school, securely transfer their child protection file to their new school as soon as possible, separately from the main pupil file

· Undertake safer recruitment training and support the school to follow best practice

· Monitor the single central record and ensure it complies with all relevant legislation

· Provide safeguarding reports to the governing board

· Model best practice and uphold the principles of confidentiality and data protection at all times

The Inclusion Manager will be required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, and follow school policies and the staff code of conduct.

During term time, the Inclusion Manager should always be available during school hours for staff in the school to discuss any safeguarding concerns. Ideally this will be in person, but can also be via phone or video calling in exceptional circumstances.

Please note that this list of duties is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the Inclusion Manager will carry out. The post holder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role.

Person specification

Criteria

Qualities

Qualifications and training

  • GCSE (or equivalent) in English and maths
  • Degree (preferred)
  • Level 3 in Safeguarding training

Experience (Essential)

  • Successful leadership and management experience in a school or other relevant organisation
  • Experience of managing safeguarding in a school or other relevant organisation, including:
  • Building relationships with children and their parents, particularly the most vulnerable
  • Working and communicating effectively with relevant agencies
  • Implementing and encouraging good safeguarding practice throughout a large team of people
  • Demonstrable evidence of developing and implementing strategies to help children and their families
  • Experience of handling large amounts of sensitive data and upholding the principles of confidentiality

Skills and knowledge

  • Knowledge of legislation and guidance on safeguarding and working with young people, including knowledge of the responsibilities of schools and other agencies
  • Ability to work with a range of people with the aim of ensuring the safety and welfare of children
  • Awareness of local and national agencies that provide support for children and their families
  • Excellent record keeping skills and attention to detail, in order to produce reports, take minutes of meetings, and document safeguarding concerns
  • Good IT skills
  • Effective communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to communicate a vision and inspire others
  • Ability to build effective working relationships with staff and other stakeholders

Personal qualities

  • Commitment to ensuring the safety and welfare of children
  • Uphold and promote the ethos and values of the school
  • Act with integrity, honesty, loyalty and fairness to safeguard the assets, financial integrity and reputation of the school
  • Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively
  • Maintain confidentiality at all times
  • Commitment to equality

This job description may be amended at any time in consultation with the post holder.

Work Remotely

  • No
  • Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check via the DBS.

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent
Part-time hours: 28-30 per week

Salary: £24,000.00-£36,000.00 per year

Benefits:

  • On-site parking
  • Wellness programmes

Schedule:

  • No weekends

Experience:

  • DSL: 2 years (preferred)

Application deadline: 25/04/2022
Reference ID: SS1

For more information and to apply: https://uk.indeed.com/viewjob?cmp=Sandwell-Valley-School&t=Inclusion+Manager+Dsl&jk=138e98115b4576b4&q=Child+Protection+Officer&vjs=3