About the job
Founded in 1882 and based in North London, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has a tradition of playing an entertaining and attacking style of football.
In April 2019, the Club opened a new 62,303-seat technologically advanced stadium that sits at the heart of a £1billion sport-led regeneration of North Tottenham. The stadium is the largest football club stadium in London and as a multi-use venue with the ability to host a variety of events 365 days a year, including NFL, rugby, concerts, and other corporate and private events, is a key step towards catapulting the Club from a Football Club to a globally renown Sports and Entertainment brand. Within the stadium sits the Tottenham Experience – home to both Europe’s largest Club retail store and a range of visitor attractions, including the newly launched stadium rooftop adventure, Dare Skywalk.
The welfare and safeguarding of children and adults’ play’s an important part in what we do, and we are committed to provide safe working practices that protect these vulnerable groups.
The Club is seeking a Safeguarding Manager to ensure the effectiveness of safeguarding procedures across the boys Academy and Women and Girls football.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club welcomes applications from anyone regardless of age, disability, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
This is a pivotal role with dual accountabilities for the management of safeguarding operations at the Club’s Training Centre environment, where both men and women’s football academies operate out of.
Reporting and being accountable to the Club Head of Safeguarding, the right candidate will be a passionate safeguarding professional able to influence, support and constructively challenge in order to embed and sustain a culture where safeguarding is everybody’s business.
The position will involve working irregular hours on occasion (e.g. evenings, weekends and bank holidays) so a flexible candidate is sought.
JOB PURPOSE
To be the operational lead for safeguarding matters within the Boys Academy and Women and Girls football, as well as the go-to person at the Training Centre for Safeguarding guidance and support.
To work with the Head of Safeguarding on the implementation of the Club’s safeguarding policies, procedures and strategic plan ensuring the requirements are embedded within the Boys Academy and Women and Girls football ways of working, activities, and behaviours of all staff and volunteers.
To co-chair the Club’s safeguarding operational committee, feeding into a consistent best practice approach to safeguarding within the wider Club environment
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
· Identify and mitigate operational safeguarding risks to players and staff within the boys Academy and Women and Girls football in a proactive manner.
· Actively promote and raise awareness of safer working practices, including induction and training of staff.
· Implement quality assurance measures to assess safeguarding practices in the context of the Academy provision and to contribute to a continuous improvement culture.
· Champion safeguarding by role modelling best practice principles to colleagues.
· Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and regulation including Safeguarding legislation, the Premier League’s Safeguarding Standards and FA Safeguarding.
· Manage safeguarding concerns and referrals in line with Club policy and statutory requirements under the guidance and oversight of the Head of Safeguarding at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
· Work closely with the Head of Academy Education to ensure that safeguarding education is delivered through the Academy life skills program, as well as ensuring strong relationships with feeder school pastoral teams.
· Contribute to plan and deliver safeguarding education to relevant key stakeholder groups.
· Work closely with Player Care Manager/Liaison, Mental Health & Wellbeing manager, and all other staff to establish and maintain clear information sharing processes in relation to low level concerns
· Inform risk mitigation measures for Academy events, tours & trips
· Attend match days and events as part of the Club safeguarding team.
· Maintain safeguarding records and provide related administration support.
· Keep abreast of current safeguarding issues, legislation, statutory guidance, and best practice and disseminate information appropriately.
· Deputise for the Club’s Head of Safeguarding & Welfare as appropriate to cover absence and where specifically requested.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
· Thinks ahead, generates innovative ideas
· Values & respects others, builds relationships, collaborates
· Gets things done, delivers to highest of standards, takes responsibility
· Team worker whilst highly capable of working on own
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential Requirements:
· Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a Designated Safeguarding Officer/Lead role in a fast-paced environment with multiple modes of service delivery. Ideally within a secondary/ post16 educational setting.
- Qualification or equivalent experience working with children, young people and adults at risk.
- Examples of ability to influence, advise and support colleagues on safeguarding issues.
- Demonstrable knowledge of safeguarding matters, statutory and other guidance related to the best outcomes for children and adults at risk.
- The ability to exercise the highest standards of confidentiality and to work sensitively with those affected by issues of safeguarding.
- Ability to analyse complex situations, make decisions and advise appropriately.
- Ability to identify examples of poor practice and ensure that necessary change is implemented.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including written, verbal, and presentation skills in a professional setting.
- Practical experience of planning and delivering workshops, training events, network events and supporting knowledge sharing with a range of stakeholders.
- Proven planning and organisation skills with excellent attention to detail.
- Examples of self-motivation, self-management, solutions-focus and the ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team.
- Demonstrable awareness of relevant legislation, policy and ability to recognise good practice and ability to use good practice examples as a way of improving organisational culture
· Ability to work across different sites and locations including those of partners as required by the role.
Desirable:
- Experience of establishing effective working relationships, partnerships and collaborations with a range of organisations and providers.
- Managing staff concerns and questions in relation to advice on safeguarding/child protection issues.
- Experience of working with a range of service users with additional support needs.
- An understanding of day to day operational issues in a sport-based environment.
- Experience of digital safeguarding platforms.
Additional requirements
This role will require an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service record check. Applicants will be asked about any previous convictions, cautions, reprimands that are not ‘protected’ as defined by the Rehabilitation Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amended)
For more information, or to apply, please click here.