At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead safeguarding efforts across nurseries, ensuring child protection and high standards.
- Company: Join Bright Horizons, a leader in early years education and care.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, discounted childcare, and a range of wellbeing resources.
- Other info: Dynamic role with travel across London and surrounding areas, offering excellent growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead and strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation required.
The predicted salary is between 43000 - 43000 £ per year.
Location : A travelling role supporting nurseries within London, Oxford, Bristol, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Warwickshire (Weekly travel and possibly overnights stays)
- Purpose of Role
- The
Safeguarding Divisional Lead provides safeguarding oversight across a designated division, supporting DSLs and operational teams to identify risks, respond to concerns and protect children from harm.
Through guidance, training, case consultation and quality assurance, the role promotes high safeguarding standards, continuous improvement and a child-centred culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.
- What We Can Offer You
- Our benefits include, but are not limited to;
- Flexible working and holiday entitlements
- Discounted childcare
- Quarterly Employee Appreciation Weeks
- Annual gala award evening
- Fantastic range of discounts on high street retailers, grocery stores, cinema tickets, holidays and more
- Wide range of wellbeing resources, supporting our teams for the ups and downs of daily life
Why Bright Horizons?
Our support functions enable our nurseries to deliver the best possible care and education to over 10,000 children across the UK.
Through this support, our nurseries can deliver excellence – with 98% of our 270+ portfolio being rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
We’re on a mission to change the future for children, families, and the people we work with, and are committed to progressive working values like flexibility, work-life balance, and wellbeing
- Key Accountabilities
- Safeguarding Leadership & Oversight
- Act as the safeguarding escalation point for DSLs, Nursery Managers and operational teams.
- Provide safeguarding oversight across a designated region, including nursery visits and key safeguarding meetings.
- Coach and support DSLs to strengthen safeguarding practice and decision-making.
- Provide expert guidance on complex and high-risk safeguarding concerns.
- Promote compliance with safeguarding policies, procedures and statutory requirements.
- Support safeguarding improvements through audits, reviews and learning.
- Contribute to the Safeguarding Helpline, R2R calls and management of escalated concerns.
- Support the delivery of safeguarding training and induction programmes.
- Practice Improvement & Support
- Support settings where safeguarding concerns or improvement actions have been identified.
- Work with DSLs and operational teams to implement and monitor safeguarding improvement plans.
- Provide targeted safeguarding support, guidance and challenge where additional intervention is needed.
- Escalate concerns where safeguarding improvements are not being achieved.
- Embed learning from safeguarding incidents, investigations and inspections.
- Safeguarding best practice and key learning to drive consistency across the region.
- Coaching, Development & Training
- Deliver safeguarding training, workshops and development sessions to Designated Safeguarding Leads and nursery teams.
- Coach leaders to strengthen safeguarding knowledge, confidence and decision-making.
- Reinforce safeguarding expectations, professional curiosity and effective safeguarding practice.
- Support colleagues to understand and apply statutory safeguarding responsibilities, escalation routes and reporting requirements.
- Identify gaps in safeguarding knowledge and capability and support targeted improvement activity.
- Partnership Working
- Build effective relationships with Nursery Managers, Regional Directors, operational leaders and Early Childhood Specialist colleagues.
- Work collaboratively with HR, Operations, and Early Childhood teams to deliver a joined-up approach to safeguarding.
- Develop and maintain effective relationships with external safeguarding agencies and partners, including Children's Services and LADO teams where appropriate.
- Support the DSLs in preparation and attendance of Allegation Against Staff and Volunteer Meetings and Child Strategy Meeting.
- Monitor the DSLs engagement with the Local Authority Safeguarding offer and provide targeted improvement activity to ensure participation.
- Support the implementation of safeguarding initiatives and organisational priorities across the region.
- Insight & Continuous Improvement
- Use learning from Internal Review audits, investigations, safeguarding concerns and organisational insight to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Identify recurring issues, themes and risks and support action to address them.
- Contribute to the development of safeguarding resources, guidance and improvement initiatives.
- Maintain accurate safeguarding records, reporting and documentation relating to regional safeguarding activity.
- Support the sharing of organisational learning and effective safeguarding practice across settings.
Essential Experience
- Significant experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) within a regulated children's setting.
- Significant safeguarding experience within early years, education, social care or another regulated environment.
- Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and child protection processes.
- Experience supporting leaders to manage safeguarding concerns and risk.
- Experience managing complex or sensitive safeguarding matters.
- Experience delivering training, coaching or professional development activity.
- Experience working with external safeguarding agencies and partners.
- Strong understanding of safeguarding thresholds, escalation processes and statutory reporting requirements.
- Training, coaching or facilitation experience.
Qualifications
- Relevant qualification in Early Years, Education, Social Care or related discipline – Essential.
- Personal attributes
- Demonstrates consistent behaviours aligned with our HEART principles, acting with Honesty, Excellence, Accountability and Respect in all interactions, decisions and ways of working.
- Credible safeguarding professional with sound judgement and strong decision-making skills.
- Excellent coaching, influencing and relationship-building capability.
- Confident communicator, able to support and challenge constructively.
- Passionate about improving outcomes for children.
- Organised and able to manage competing priorities across a regional remit.
- Resilient and calm when managing complex and sensitive situations.
- Collaborative, proactive and solutions focused.
Bright Horizons is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
This post is subject to safer recruitment practice and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, which will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.
We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all ages and backgrounds to apply.
We will consider reasonable adjustments required by applicants.
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Safeguarding Divisional Lead employer: Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool
Bright Horizons Solihull is an exceptional employer that embodies a culture rooted in our HEART principles, fostering an environment where you can truly be yourself while making a meaningful impact on the lives of children. With generous benefits such as a 50% childcare discount, enhanced parental leave, and a commitment to professional development, we ensure our employees feel valued and supported in their growth. Join us in Solihull, where your passion for nutrition and healthy eating will inspire the next generation, all within a collaborative and inclusive team atmosphere.
Contact Details:
Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Safeguarding Divisional Lead
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Safeguarding Divisional Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
