The Victory Primary School is part of United Learning, a large and growing group of schools aiming to offer life-changing education to children across England. Our schools work as a team and achieve more by sharing than any single school could. Our subject specialists, our group-wide intranet, our own curriculum and our online learning portal all help us share knowledge and resources, helping to simplify work processes and manage workloads for an improved work-life balance.
At The Victory, we have two-year groups from Reception to Year 6 with a pre-school on site. A unique feature of our school is that we also have an Inclusion Centre for children across Portsmouth with communication and interaction needs.
The role
To support the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) with his commitment to safeguarding and child protection. The role will involve day to day coordination and management of cases relating to identified children, attending, and representing the Academy in multi-agency meetings and ensuring that recommendations are effectively implemented to support safety and learning in school.
The post holder will be required to provide guidance and expert professional support in all aspects of safeguarding, developing, and implementing effective strategies, policies and procedures working with the Designated Safeguarding Lead to ensure that these reflect best practice. This will include supporting colleagues to ensure safeguarding decisions are made in the best interest of individuals and delivering relevant training to staff where appropriate.
Responsibilities:
- To assist the DSL in facilitating the development of safeguarding and child protection policies, procedures, and guidance for the academy. To receive and coordinate referrals, arranging action and reviewing services for children and families.
- Assist the DSL in the development and implementation of a strategic and sustainable approach to promoting the safety and wellbeing of children.
- Maintain, build and develop robust links with external agencies, liaising with the LADO, Children’s Services, the Police, Early Help etc
- Make and follow up referrals and lead in the writing of Early Help Assessments
- To work directly with children in need and their families in the community in order to promote, strengthen and develop the potential of parents/carers and their children in order to prevent children becoming looked after and/or suffering significant harm. (Including identifying packages of support that may be provided.)
- To ensure that pupils who are victims of abuse are supported appropriately and sensitively. To provide support and guidance to carers and provide planned interventions as part of agreed plans for children. Ensure that the needs of the service users are regularly reviewed and changes in circumstances and newly identified needs are clearly addressed.
- Complete professional assessments of need and risk in respect of parents and carers using the Department of Health and the Local Authority criteria for children in need and those at risk of significant harm. Taking the lead responsibility to coordinate the multi-agency approach to prevent and address child protection issues and children in need within the school.
- Plan professional intervention using the appropriate available resources ensuring needs are met through negotiation and consultation with professional colleagues and service users. Promote anti-discriminatory practice. Keep appropriate case records, statistics and information and produce reports as requested in accordance with School policies and procedures.
- Promote and maintain up to date working knowledge of safeguarding procedures and legislation, ensuring consistency in approach, policy delivery and deliver Safeguarding training to staff where necessary.
- Day to day administration required within the role.
United Learning
The Victory Primary School is part of United Learning, a large, and growing, group of schools aiming to offer a life changing education to children and young people across England.
Our schools work as a team and achieve more by sharing than any single school could. Our subject specialists, our Group-wide intranet, our own curriculum and our online learning portal all help us share knowledge and resource, helping to simplify work processes and manage workloads for an improved work-life balance.
As a Group, we can reward our staff better: with good career opportunities, better pay, benefits, and ultimately, the satisfaction of helping children to succeed. We invest in our staff wellbeing. Our academies each have at least eight INSET days per year (with three of those solely dedicated to planning), and an ongoing group-wide wellbeing programme. It’s an ethos we call ‘the best in everyone’.
We are working hard to become a more diverse organisation – which is key to our commitment to bringing out the best in everyone. We welcome applications from everyone committed to this ethos and would particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates, who are currently under-represented in the Group as a whole. We always appoint on merit. We are open to discussing flexible working options.
For a confidential discussion about this role, please contact:
Samantha Smith – ssmith@thevictory.portsmouth.sch.uk
For further information and to apply: http://Safeguarding Officer – Part Time – United Learning (current-vacancies.com)
