Ref: SO- Sept 2023
Support Staff – Job Description
Department: Support
Title of Post: Safeguarding Officer (Permanent)
Grade: Grade 7 (Points 18- 21) FTE £26,446 – £29,174 (Pro-rata £22,520 –
£24,843 as per 2022-23 and subject to agreed increases for 2023-24).
Responsible to: Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral)
Hours: 37.0 hours per week, 39 weeks per year term time including 5 training days
Monday – Thursday 08:15-16:15 Friday 08:15-15:45 (Includes
30-minute unpaid lunch)
The Safeguarding Officer may not take paid holiday during
School term-time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ROLE
As a non-teaching Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead the post holder will support the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in:
1. maintaining and developing effective safeguarding systems and policies;
2. responding to safeguarding concerns from the outset and taking the necessary steps both in the short and long term to: a. protect children from maltreatment; b. prevent the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development; c. ensure that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and d. take action to enable all children to have the best outcomes;
3. attending strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings;
4. establishing and maintaining clear systems of communication across the
School to ensure all staff groups are adequately and appropriately supported and trained in safeguarding and child protection;
5. helping to ensure that the School meets its statutory obligations with regard to safeguarding;
6. supporting pastoral leads with early help assessments;
7. working together with Heads and Deputy Heads of Year in behaviour investigations;
8. conducting behaviour investigations when required, including interviews with students and contact with parents;
Ref: SO Sept 23
9. supporting the PSHE lead with creation of resources and delivery of sessions and assemblies as part of the School’s safeguarding education and Personal
Development curriculum.
SPECIFIC AIMS AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Lead on the implementation of safeguarding policies and procedures across the
School to ensure that robust safeguarding systems and processes are in place, and contribute to the safer recruitment process.
2. Contribute to the review of safeguarding policies and strategy, ensuring that they reflect current legislation and best practice.
3. Promote staff awareness of all updated government safeguarding recommendations and statutory requirements.
4. Audit existing safeguarding procedures to ensure they are maintained, developed and reflect best practice in accordance with statutory requirements and the aims of the School.
5. Ensure that all policies and procedures are accessible and communicated efficiently to all staff, students, volunteers, contractors, visitors and governors.
6. Act as one of the first points of contact for safeguarding referrals, concerns and disclosure.
7. Work alongside external agencies where appropriate.
8. Provide appropriate advice and guidance to all stakeholders.
9. Complete all necessary documentation and ensure that full and accurate records are maintained on the School system and any other relevant platform.
10. Lead on procedure where safeguarding concerns have been raised.
11. Identify areas requiring development and improvement, and work collaboratively with staff to address and strengthen them.
12. Assist with the completion of individual student risk assessments and safety plans.
13. Analyse complex and sensitive information and provide regular reports of safeguarding concerns and referrals, risk and risk mitigation strategies to the
Designated Safeguarding Lead.
14. Develop safeguarding training programmes, ensuring that they are legally compliant, promote best practice and are reflective of the risks identified in the
School or locality, with an evaluation of their effectiveness.
15. Lead on the development and co-ordination of effective safeguarding learning and development across the School.
Ref: SO Sept 23
16. Deliver safeguarding related training to key stakeholders.
17. Develop and maintain a safeguarding resource bank for staff, students and parents, ensuring it is user friendly and accessible.
1.
MANAGEMENT OF PEOPLE
None
SUPERVISION OF PEOPLE
Supervising and supporting some of the School’s most vulnerable children will feature in the role.
CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
Work within the policies and procedures governing the School, whilst applying creativity and innovation to enhance systems and procedures.
CONTACTS AND RELATIONSHIPS
The post holder will be required to work collaboratively with all colleagues, including the Student Manager, Heads and Deputy Heads of Year, members of the Leadership
Team, and the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
The post holder will also have regular contact with students, parents and visitors, and will need to have sensitive and confidential conversations.
DECISIONS
Ref: SO Sept 23
The post holder will know when to seek advice from the DSL and other deputy DSLs.
The post holder will need to make decisions in line with policies and statutory guidance.
Discretion: The post holder will have access to confidential information relating to students and their families. Advice can be sought, where appropriate, from the post holder’s line manager.
Consequences:
Significant impact upon student safety and welfare if incorrect decisions are made.
RESOURCES
General Office equipment is needed to carry out these tasks, such as PC, printer, telephone and a private space to meet with students, staff and parents. Access to relevant training is required.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work Demands
Interruption to tasks at any time due to the nature of safeguarding.
Unexpected situations will arise and the post holder will need to prioritise effectively.
Physical Demands
General Office work but may involve long periods of working on a computer and having to switch to different contexts regularly.
Working Conditions
Work is carried out in a well-lit/ventilated office environment.
Work Context
Contact with students, parents and staff on matters that are sensitive and significant.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Ref: SO Sept 23
Up-to-date safeguarding training to the appropriate standard is required and can be provided upon appointment.
Previous experience of safeguarding essential and experience of being a DSL or
Deputy DSL desirable.
Computer/IT literacy essential.
Effective communication (face to face/ written / telephone)
Ability to manage sensitive issues calmly and professionally with due regard to policy and procedure.
Ability to cope with distressing situations, with the support of colleagues and post holders line manager.
Understand the assessment process for providing early help and statutory intervention, including local criteria for action and local authority children’s social care referral arrangements;
Have a working knowledge of how local authorities conduct a child protection case conference and a child protection review conference and be able to attend and contribute to these effectively when required to do so;
Understand the importance of the role the designated safeguarding lead has in providing information and support to children social care in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Understand and support the school with regards to the requirements of the Prevent duty and are able to provide advice and support to staff on protecting children from the risk of radicalisation;
Are able to understand the unique risks associated with online safety and be confident that they have the relevant knowledge and up to date capability required to keep children safe whilst they are online at school;
Can recognise the additional risks that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) face online, for example, from online bullying, grooming and radicalisation and are confident they have the capability to support children with SEND to stay safe online.
GENERAL
Other Duties – The duties and responsibilities in this job description are not exhaustive. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties that may be required from time to time within the general scope of the post. Any such duties should not substantially change the general character of the post. Duties and responsibilities outside of the general scope of this grade of post will be with the consent of the post holder.
Equal Opportunities – The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with
Bourne Grammar School’s Equal Opportunities policies.
Ref: SO Sept 23
Health and Safety – The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the Bourne Grammar School’s Health and Safety policies and procedures.
Safeguarding – All school staff have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people within the school and the post holder will be required to work in line with all statutory guidance.
This job description was evaluated in April 2022 against a recognised Job Evaluation
Scheme.
Job Description written/updated by [Line Manager]:
Name: ………………………. Signature: ……………………… Date: ………………
Job Description agreed by [Post holder]:
Name: ………………………. Signature: ……………………… Date: ………………
CRITERIA QUALITIES
Qualifications *English and Maths GCSE to at least Grade C GCSE, or
and training equivalent.*
- Professional development and/or training in safeguarding.
Experience Understanding and experience of safeguarding principles and effective practice, preferably in an educational context.
- Previous experience of working as a Designated
Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated SafeguardingLead is desirable.
- Previous experience of keeping accurate and detailed records and writing concise reports.
- Previous experience of designing and delivering training would be advantageous.
- Experience in managing behaviour investigations is desirable
Skills and *Up-to-date working knowledge of statutory safeguarding
knowledge requirements.*
Ref: SO Sept 23
- The ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholder groups, including students, parents, staff and external organisations.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to build effective working relationships.
- Sound administrative IT skills.
- Excellent personal organisation.
Personal *Commitment to put the safety and wellbeing of children
qualities first at all times.*
- A commitment to getting the best outcomes for all pupils and promoting the ethos and values of the School.
- Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively.
- Ability to respond calmly in demanding circumstances.
- Reserves of energy, stamina and patience which will allow the post-holder to deal with a fast-paced environment.
- High levels of emotional intelligence.
PERSON SPECIFICATION – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: £22,520.00-£24,843.00 per year
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person
Source – Dsl Jobs – 2023 | Indeed.com
