Safeguarding Officer - Hybrid Working

Are you an empathetic and dynamic individual looking for a new opportunity where you can make a difference? Do you want to be part of a team who helps protect the most vulnerable people within our communities? The Lighthouse Safeguarding Unit is a multi-disciplinary team of police staff and officers focused on supporting vulnerable victims after domestic abuse, sexual offences, hate crime and other crimes to guide them through the criminal justice process and help them recover. We strive to identify and protect vulnerable children and adults and a large portion of our work is working within a multi-agency safeguarding environment. Alongside other Police Departments we process and share information to ensure children and adults are kept safe in the community.

The role involves two positions available for a Safeguarding Co-ordination Unit Officer - 37 hours per week at Keynsham & 25 hours per week working within the MISPER (Missing Person) team at either Keynsham, Bridewell, Bridgwater. Whilst primarily based at a police premises, you will be able to spend a proportion of your time working from home.

As a Safeguarding Officer, you will be part of a diverse and collaborative team and will be at the forefront of protecting vulnerable people within our communities. It is a great opportunity to join a busy and expanding team with great development opportunities to progress within the unit and upskill yourself as an individual.

You will collate confidential and emotive information from a variety of systems and will be responsible for making decisions under pressure. You will be integral to sharing information with our external partners such as Social Services and other education and health agencies to ensure that vulnerable people are protected and supported appropriately. You will also need to be able to adapt to changing priorities and think on your feet but you will leave at the end of each day knowing the work you do contributes to changing others’ lives.

Please be aware that this role will require you to liaise with external partners only with no direct contact with victims or wider communities. Your main responsibilities will include:

• Assisting and cooperating with external and internal customers both verbally and in writing in respect of public protection enquiries.
• Identifying and researching information and intelligence held by the force regarding vulnerable individuals and people who pose a risk, to assist with the risk management process.
• Utilising a range of information and intelligence sources in order to compile effective reports.
• Identifying victims that require a risk assessment and safeguarding plan and refer to other departments working as a team to keep people safe.
• Undertaking referrals and sharing relevant information held by the Police Service with core multi-agency partners.

Skills, experience and qualifications:

• A good working knowledge of data protection and the ability to deal with matters of a confidential nature.
• Experience of researching large volumes of information from a range of sources.
• Ability to take a methodical approach to work, ensuring accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and as part of a team.
• Experience of report writing, working with multi-agency partners and a working knowledge of safeguarding are desirable.

What we can offer you:

• A package of financial, lifestyle and health benefits to support whatever stage of life you're in, including flexible working.
• Structured training and ongoing professional development.
• Continuous professional development.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Employee Assistance scheme offering help through counselling services, legal advice, fitness advice, personal coaching and health assessment.
• Staff discount scheme for savings on shopping, days out, sporting events, holidays.

Additional information:

Full training and mentoring will be provided for this role. This role works across Monday to Friday (between 8am and 5pm), hours can be discussed with successful candidates. Interviews are scheduled to take place in person week commencing 15th June. This role is blended so you will be able to work from your home address for a proportion of your working week. You may need to attend meetings at other locations across the force area and at Keynsham Police Centre, The Bridewell Police Station or Bridgwater Police Station. To be eligible to apply for this role you must have a 5 year 'checkable history' in the UK - ideally this means that you would have been resident in the UK for the last 5 years.

For more information please see attached job description or contact Helen Holt via email Helen.Holt@avondandsomerset.police.uk MS Teams (Keynsham post) or Shannon Jones via email Shannon.Jones@avonandsomerset.police.uk (MISPER post).