Job Purpose
As Safeguarding Coordinator you will work alongside the school’s Director of Safeguarding. You will support the Director with active casework, keep meticulous records, track trends and suggest improvements with the aim of continually enhancing the school’s approach to safeguarding. You will have particular responsibility for managing the safeguarding training process for staff, ensuring that all Eton staff receive regular and appropriate safeguarding training and that all records are kept up to date. You will also operate as one of the school’s Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL).
Whilst there will be occasions as DDSL where interaction and working with pupils is expected, this role is primarily administrative, and office based.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
- Working with the Director of Safeguarding and members of the Leadership Team, regarding safeguarding referrals to, for example, the Police, Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Children’s Social Care, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), etc.
- Maintaining high quality safeguarding records, and assisting with the preparation of reports and production of management information to inform future practice. This includes keeping detailed logs of safeguarding cases (whether referred to other agencies or not) and proactively tracking trends.
- Documenting the ongoing support, management and progress of pupils of concern including, but not limited to, any child looked after by the Local Authority or otherwise subject to child protection plans.
- Keeping abreast of changes in statutory and regulatory safeguarding requirements (liaising with the school’s Director of Compliance), and advising the Director of Safeguarding accordingly.
- Regularly reviewing current safeguarding policies, practices and processes and advising on improvements, including improvements to safeguarding management systems and their use.
- Ensuring the school’s safeguarding and support mechanisms (e.g. policies, tutorials, medical and counselling provision etc.) are appropriately promoted, publicised and understood by pupils, staff and parents.
- Liaising with and sharing relevant safeguarding information with appropriate members of staff (e.g. House Masters, Dames, teaching staff, medical staff and counselling staff) so as to advise on safeguarding and welfare cases.
- Building your personal knowledge and understanding of, and developing supportive and effective working relationships with, local and community resources and statutory services, so that you are best able to deliver outcomes in the best interests of pupils and the school. These services include: Mental Health Teams, Children’s Services, LADO, NHS, Police, CAMHS, Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships, privately commissionable services and voluntary services.
- Undertaking the duties of a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL). This includes overseeing and responding to digital safeguarding alerts generated by members of the Eton community or by the school network’s firewall as part of a rota with the DSL and other DDSLs, attending DSL meetings, and any other reasonable tasks as required.
- Assisting the DSL with the delivery of safeguarding training to Eton staff, and ensuring that all new staff undertake essential safeguarding training as part of their induction.
- Taking responsibility for the organisation of all safeguarding and related CPD training and record keeping (including sending invitations and reminders to staff and the retention of documentary evidence where required). This will involve working closely with the HR team and relevant Heads of Department.
- Liaising with the Communications Manager to ensure that the safeguarding pages on the school’s website, parent portal and intranet are kept up to date as regulations, policies and practice develop.
- Assisting the Director of Safeguarding with the production of regular Safeguarding Bulletins for staff, pupils and parents, including identifying initiatives and drawing attention to key issues in pupil welfare.
- Assisting the Director of Safeguarding with the preparation of regular safeguarding reports, and the annual safeguarding report, for the school’s governing body, the Provost and Fellows.
- Attending regular meetings with the Safeguarding Governor (currently the Provost), preparing the documentation for these meetings and taking minutes.
- Any other tasks as reasonably requested.
- Commitment to and promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion.
- All positions at Eton are classed as ‘regulated activity’ as per the Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022 guidance, therefore a good understanding of safeguarding procedures is essential.
- Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including but not limited to, completing safeguarding training as required, and ensuring any safeguarding updates issued by the College are read and understood.
- Understand and comply with procedures and legislation relating to confidentiality.
Skills and Competencies
To be successful in this role, you will need to be able to demonstrate the following:
- Knowledge of the legal and procedural framework relating to safeguarding, including the roles and responsibilities of services and engaging with them. Previous experience of working with the LADO and the police would be an advantage.
- Prior experience of working within a similar safeguarding role, or within Children’s Services, combined with knowledge of the current ISI/Ofsted inspection regime.
- Excellent IT skills, particularly with the use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Demonstrable experience of creating and confidently delivering engaging presentations.
- Previous experience of keeping accurate, detailed, records and writing concise reports.
- High levels of literacy and numeracy, ideally with a grade C or above in English and Mathematics.
- Previous experience of designing and delivering training interventions would be advantageous.
In addition to your experience, you may enjoy this role if you possess:
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the demonstrable ability to flex your style to work with, and meet, the needs of a variety of different groups.
- The ability to juggle competing tasks, to organise your time and to prioritise effectively so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Flexibility, a ‘can-do’ attitude, and the desire to work within a fast paced role with quickly changing priorities.
- A high degree of personal integrity and the demonstrable ability to deal with confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
- Excellent team-working skills which embody proactivity, enthusiasm and a hands-on approach.
- Optimism and emotional resilience combined with an understanding that you may be involved with potentially distressing situations in the course of your work.
- The ability to actively reflect on your own practice, and the willingness to undertake training and take on board advice and constructive feedback.
Cultural awareness combined with a highly personable attitude and empathy
Working Pattern
- Your working hours will normally be 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, however some out-of-hours and weekend work will be required in order to deliver the safeguarding activities of the school. If this is the case then you will receive time off in lieu by agreement with the Director of Safeguarding.
- The role works 39 weeks per year (i.e. during state school term times).
- You will be required to be on duty cover over school holidays to monitor the safeguarding mailbox and internet monitoring system. This will equate to an additional 20 hours over the course of the year and can be done remotely from home, and payment for this is included in your salary. Exactly how these hours are worked will be by mutual agreement with your line manager.
- If a bank holiday falls during term time, this is considered a normal working day, and you will be given a day’s holiday in lieu.
Disclosure Checks
Eton College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to, reference checks with past employers, an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (including Barred List information), an online search and, where applicable, Prohibition checks. If you are successful in your application, you will be required to complete a DBS Disclosure Application Form. Any information disclosed will be handled in accordance with any guidance and/or Code of Practice published by the DBS. The College is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings (including those which would normally be considered as “spent” under the Act) must be declared, subject to the DBS filtering rules. It is a criminal offence for any person who is barred from working with children to attempt to apply for a position at the College.
For more information: Safeguarding Coordinator/Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead | Jobs and careers with Eton College
