The Church of England is on a journey to put the safeguarding of children and adults at the heart of all it does. To progress on our journey, we need to provide a range of enhanced support to dioceses and cathedrals in respect of their safeguarding functions in order to deliver positive outcomes for children and vulnerable adults. To implement these changes (based on Recommendation 1 of the report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse on the Anglican Church), we have created three Safeguarding Lead roles. Each will work with a small number of dioceses and cathedrals. The pilot phase of these changes, will be 18 months in duration, We are currently ten months into this pilot. On completion of the pilot, a final model will be agreed to be rolled out across the whole Church.
Interview will be in person on Wednesday 2nd August 2023
Introduction
As Safeguarding Lead, you will implement the model with a designated group of dioceses and cathedrals on a pilot basis. Subsequently, you will support the roll-out of the model across the Church to onboard dioceses and cathedrals that were not involved in the pilot. You will also provide the ongoing support to a specific group of dioceses and cathedrals.
Central Safeguarding Lead (hybrid work arrangement) You will work with individual dioceses and cathedrals which have no regional connection. This role offers hybrid working options, working from home and from our office in Central London. This group of dioceses and cathedrals for the pilot includes Blackburn Cathedral, York Minster, the diocese of Newcastle, diocese of Oxford both the Cathedral and diocese of Chichester.
Main Responsibilities
The main responsibilities for this role are:
Working in partnership with a group of dioceses and cathedrals, the roles are responsible for co-ordinating and leading the operational implementation of the four work streams which comprise the overall IICSA Recommendations 1 & 8 and Regional Model Pilot Project:
- IICSA Recommendation 1: the introduction and operation of the DSO (Diocese Safeguarding Officer) and the CSO (Cathedral Safeguarding Officer) roles, including the wider system changes required.
This will include the professional supervision and quality assurance of the work of the DSO/CSO roles, which will include:
- Advice and guidance on individual cases and safeguarding-related situations and developments
- Encouragement of curiosity about different hypotheses for understanding cases and safeguarding situations
- Reflection on self, exploring what influences the CSO/DSO’s perspectives and what impact safeguarding situations have on the CSO/DSO
- Analysis, making connections with relevant research findings and theory
- Quality assuring the work of the CSO/DSO, providing feedback and identifying professional development and support needs
- Regional support model / Central support model piloting
For Regional Safeguarding Leads:
- Development and piloting of a regional model of support
This will involve working with a cluster of dioceses and cathedrals collectively to enhance positive outcomes through, for example:
- Joint working, sharing of resources and other mutual support arrangements
- Joint commissioning of specific services
- Peer auditing
- Development of survivor engagement arrangements
- Sharing of best practice
- Group as well as individual supervision
- Strengthening connections with other Church bodies and relevant services in the region
For Central Safeguarding Leads:
- Development and piloting of forms of support customised to the needs of individual dioceses and cathedrals
The Safeguarding Lead will be expected to promote creative approaches to practice development to achieve good safeguarding outcomes.
- Quality Assurance development
Working with the Research and Evaluation Lead roles in the NST to support dioceses and cathedrals with the introduction and further development of the Church’s draft national safeguarding standards and quality assurance framework. This will include contributing to the design of the independent auditing arrangements as required by IICSA Recommendation 8.
- The safeguarding function and resource assessment
Clarifying the range of the safeguarding responsibilities of dioceses and cathedrals, what this means for different roles, and the structure and skill sets required for diocesan and cathedral safeguarding services. From this, developing an objective methodology for determining the resources that dioceses and cathedrals need to deliver safeguarding to a good standard.
- Relationships with internal stakeholders in dioceses and cathedrals
The Safeguarding Lead will establish effective relationships with key stakeholders within the dioceses and cathedrals they are working with – in particular, their senior leadership teams and Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panels or equivalent in cathedrals. This will include providing evidence-based feedback in respect of the quality and capacity of safeguarding functions within the diocese and/or cathedral. This will highlight areas of strength, as well as areas needing development, including systemic vulnerabilities.
- Relationship with external stakeholders
The Leadership teams of dioceses and cathedrals are responsible for the development of effective partnerships with external statutory and non-statutory bodies. The Safeguarding Lead will support the leadership teams within dioceses and cathedrals in the strengthening of relations with statutory and non-statutory organisations where necessary, including providing help to identify and remove obstacles to effective partnership working.
The roles will evolve during the course of the pilot stage.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate should have:
Essential
Skills/Aptitudes:
- Able to apply safeguarding theory and good practice models in a way that delivers positive outcomes for children and / or vulnerable adults
- Able to identify and assess risk, and to develop plans which keep people safe and promote positive well-being
- Able to work collaboratively to influence improvements to safeguarding practice
- Able to communicate clearly and effectively, engaging diverse stakeholders with authenticity and expertise
- Able to build effective relationships with victims, survivors and alleged perpetrators in safeguarding situations and to use the relationships to keep people safe and promote well-being
- Able to quality assure safeguarding practice and organisational change
- Able to hold a position of authority and lead by example Able to develop the professional potential of individuals
- Able to provide feedback and hold difficult conversations
- Able to mediate and resolve different perspectives
- Able to develop new ways of working for an organisation
Knowledge/Experience:
- Case worker lead responsibility in cases involving the protection and safeguarding of children and / or vulnerable adults
- Up-to-date knowledge of research and evidence-based practice models relevant to safeguarding
- Experience of providing professional supervision in respect of safeguarding
- Proven experience working at a strategic level, at least at middle management level, influencing decision-making and implementation
- Expertise of working with and engaging victims and survivors Leading organisational change and development, including cultural change and creative practice development, that results in improved outcomes for relevant stakeholders
- Working with statutory and non-statutory organisations in managing safeguarding allegations and assessing risk
- Understanding of the aims, nature and structure of the Church of England
Personal Attributes:
- Able to inspire trust, confidence and commitment of others
- Personal authority, gravitas and confidence, able to influence and persuade at all levels and with a range of stakeholders
- Expert in valuing and managing relationships with others as the means of delivering change; emotionally intelligent
- Politically astute – understanding, and managing successfully, organisational politics Principled – strong value base and commitment to doing the right thing
- Brave – willing to challenge others (including those with power) constructively
- Good understanding of self; understands how their personal history, life experiences and characteristics inform how they understand and respond to safeguarding situations
- Self-reflexive – welcomes feedback from others
- Personal resilience – working effectively in a pressured environment and under scrutiny Can-do approach to leadership and change – clear vision, engages people, able to overcome obstacles, finds solutions, remains optimistic
- Proven ability to maintain the highest standards of confidentiality and work sensitively around those affected by safeguarding issues
- Strong commitment to equality and diversity
- In sympathy with the aims of the Church of England
Education / Professional qualifications
Relevant professional qualification (e.g. social work or probation qualification), or equivalent experience relevant to safeguarding.
Circumstances:
This role will include extensive national travel and the possibility that the locations you supervise may change as the pilot progresses into business as usual.
About us
In the National Church Institutions (NCIs), we support the mission and ministries of the Church of England. We work with parishes, dioceses, schools, chaplaincies and other ministries, and with national and international partners including mission agencies, and other denominations and faith groups.-.
Find out more about working for the National Church Institutions at Careers | The Church of England
NCI values
- We strive for excellence
- We collaborate
- We act with integrity
- We show compassion
- We respect others
We welcome everyone and we accept and value people for who they are and what they contribute, treating others in the way we would wish to be treated ourselves. We actively listen to and include others, encouraging and enabling everyone’s voice to be heard in discussions and decisions. When we disagree, we aim to disagree well with respect and kindness.
We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience we’re looking for then we would like to hear from you. If there is anything we can do to support you in your application please get in touch via email to hr.recruitment@churchofengland.org.
- As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively look to attract, recruit and retain those of you who are disabled.
- We are a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and welcome applications from those of you who have served in our Armed Forces and their families.
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