Safeguarding Caseworker in Liverpool

Role Summary:

The Safeguarding Caseworker will provide dedicated professional case holding capacity within the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, helping to ensure safeguarding concerns and allegations are recorded, assessed, progressed and reviewed promptly, sensitively and consistently.

The postholder will manage an allocated portfolio of cases and provide practical professional safeguarding advice to parishes and others, in accordance with current Church of England safeguarding requirements and statutory guidance.

Reporting to the Deputy DSO, the Caseworker will work within clear triage, allocation, decision making and supervision arrangements. The ADSO is the senior practitioner resource for complex or high risk cases, specialist risk advice and professional quality assurance; the Deputy DSO retains leadership of case allocation, supervision and casework performance.

The Caseworker remains professionally accountable for the quality, timeliness and recording of work allocated to them, with escalation whenever complexity or risk exceeds agreed limits.

Duties and key responsibilities:

Responsibilities are grouped around the five National Safeguarding Standards. The role may involve cases of varying complexity; allocation and approvals will reflect the postholder’s experience, competency and the agreed safeguarding supervision arrangements.

Standard 1: Culture, Leadership and Capacity

• Provide a professional, approachable and reliable safeguarding contact for clergy, Parish Safeguarding Officers, parish leaders and diocesan colleagues on assigned referrals, concerns and cases.
• Contribute to a consistent safeguarding culture through timely follow up, accurate recording,appropriate information sharing, clear communication and respect for those affected by concerns.
• Identify themes, recurring practice weaknesses and cases requiring additional support; share
• learning and escape systemic concerns to the Deputy DSO and, where appropriate, the ADSO.
• Contribute information for management reports, statutory or national requests and quality assurance activity as directed, maintaining confidentiality and avoiding unnecessary duplication of records.

Standard 2: Prevention

• Offer professional guidance to clergy, PSOs and relevant church officers on making safeguarding referrals, maintaining safe boundaries and implementing agreed safeguarding arrangements in individual allocated matters.
• Contribute to case specific safer recruitment and suitability work, including DBS/confidential declaration referrals allocated for professional review; refer cases requiring complex risk or eligibility judgements to the ADSO/Deputy DSO.
• Support implementation and review of Church Safety Plans and arrangements for individuals whose involvement in church life may present safeguarding concerns, working with relevant parish and statutory partners.
• Identify opportunities to prevent repeat harm or poor practice and share these with the ADSO, Operations & Parish Support Manager or learning colleagues as appropriate.

Standard 3: Recognising, Assessing and Managing Risk

• Receive and review allocated safeguarding enquiries, concerns and allegations; carry out initial information gathering or screening in accordance with agreed pathways and refer threshold, allocation and high risk decisions to the authorised DSO/DDSO/ADSO route.
• Manage an allocated caseload from assignment to agreed closure or transfer, planning contact, referrals, review dates and actions so that safeguarding work progresses without avoidable drift.
• Undertake proportionate safeguarding risk assessments, safety planning and case reviews within professional competence and approved supervision arrangements; obtain senior scrutiny or sign off where required.
• Respond to allegations against Church Officers and other safeguarding concerns in accordance with the applicable national Code of Practice, under appropriate senior direction; do not undertake unauthorised investigative interviews or duplicate statutory investigations.
• Refer promptly to police, LADO, children’s or adult services, probation/public protection or other appropriate partners as required; coordinate with statutory agencies and record decisions and outcomes.
• Prepare accurate case chronologies, safeguarding plans, case management meeting papers, professional reports and follow up records, using the National Safeguarding Case Management System (NSCMS/MyConcern or its successor) and authorised diocesan records systems.
• Maintain active communication with parishes and relevant stakeholders on agreed actions, reviews and safeguarding boundaries, while managing confidentiality, consent and need to know information sharing.
• Take prompt action where someone is at immediate risk of harm, including contacting emergency services where appropriate; elevate significant risk, disagreement, emerging allegations and urgent matters without delay.
• Participate in Safeguarding Case Management Groups or other case specific professional meetings as directed and ensure that agreed actions are completed and properly documented.

Standard 4: Victims and Survivors

• Respond to victims, survivors, complainants and other affected individuals in a sensitive, trauma informed and person centred way, listening without prejudging and explaining the safeguarding role, limitations and next steps.
• Make or coordinate appropriate offers of support, signposting and safeguarding arrangements for victims and survivors as part of allocated casework, drawing on the DSO/DDSO/ADSO where professional or independent support decisions are required.
• Maintain proportionate communication, review plans and record feedback so that individuals are kept informed appropriately and their wishes, safety, dignity and accessibility needs are considered.
• Apply fairness, confidentiality and appropriate procedural safeguards in contact with respondents and others who are the subject of allegations.

Standard 5: Learning, Supervision and Support

• Engage in regular professional supervision, case discussion and reflective practice with the Deputy DSO or agreed authorised supervisor; seek timely consultation from the ADSO on specialist or complex safeguarding issues.
• Complete required safeguarding learning and continuing professional development, keeping knowledge of relevant law, safeguarding procedures and Church of England Codes of Practice current.
• Use feedback from audits, supervision, case reviews and survivor experience to improve caseholding practice and avoid recurrence of identified failings.
• Contribute to case based learning, parish briefings or practice discussions in agreement with the Safeguarding Training & Development Lead

Key Working Relationships:

• Deputy DSO (line manager, allocation and professional supervision); ADSO (senior practitioner advice and casework quality assurance); DSO and wider diocesan safeguarding practitioner team.
• Cathedral Safeguarding Officer for matters crossing Cathedral and parish boundaries, coordinated through the Deputy DSO and agreed referral arrangements.
• Safeguarding Operations & Parish Support Manager on parish systems, operational QA and compliance issues, and safeguarding learning colleagues on practice training needs.
• Clergy, PSOs, PCC and parish officers, archdeacons and other diocesan colleagues as appropriate to cases.
• Police, LADO services, children’s and adult social care, probation/public protection teams, health and voluntary agencies, the NST and other safeguarding partners.

Role Boundaries and Accountability

• The Caseworker is a qualified or equivalently experienced practitioner and holds responsibility for progressing assigned cases within clear professional boundaries. The role is not merely administrative; it includes case assessment, proportional risk work, safety planning and inter agency liaison appropriate to competence, supervision and authorised thresholds.
• The ADSO retains a distinct senior practitioner focus on the more complex allocated work, professional casework scrutiny and specialist advice; the Deputy DSO retains overall operational leadership, allocations and supervision. The Caseworker does not routinely undertake independent quality assurance of their own cases or independently determine matters reserved to the DSO or statutory agencies. Safeguarding operations, dashboards, recruitment administration and organisational parish QA are led by the Operations & Parish Support Manager. The Cathedral Safeguarding Officer leads assigned Cathedral safeguarding work.
• The postholder must work in accordance with all applicable safeguarding law, current House of Bishops Codes, data protection requirements and diocesan procedures, escalating uncertainty or serious risks promptly. Reasonable additional duties should remain consistent with a professional case holding post and its grading.

Essential

Experience

• Professional experience of safeguarding children and/or adults in a relevant statutory, voluntary, faith or regulated setting, with direct responsibility for handling safeguarding concerns or cases.
• Experience of managing or coordinating an assigned caseload, undertaking case related assessments and monitoring action and review plans.
• Experience of communicating with individuals affected by abuse or risk, and of recognising the need for proportionate support and careful procedural fairness.
• Evidence of effective multi agency working or case related liaison with appropriate external safeguarding professionals.

Desirable

• Direct Church of England or parish safeguarding experience; knowledge of Church Safety Plans, DBS suitability assessment and NSCMS/MyConcern; experience supporting risk management for those who may pose high harm; involvement in casework audits or training.

Knowledge & Skills

• Working knowledge of safeguarding legislation, thresholds, local safeguarding referral arrangements, trauma informed practice and confidentiality/information sharing, with ability to learn and apply current Church of England safeguarding Codes.
• Understanding of risk factors that can arise where a person who may pose a risk wishes to worship, volunteer or undertake other Church activities.
• Use secure case management systems, Microsoft 365 and effective personal organisation to manage multiple concurrent matters.
• Apply proportionate safeguarding risk assessment and safety planning methods within the role’s competence and supervision framework.
• Assess safeguarding enquiries and maintain a caseload with accurate action planning, prioritisation, monitoring and timely escalation.
• Engagesensitively, respectfully and clearly with victims, survivors, respondents, clergy, volunteers, professionals and families.
• Produce clear, complete, timely and defensible records, chronologies, safeguarding plans, reports and professional correspondence.
• Recognise when a matter exceeds professional competence or agreed thresholds, seek supervision and provide effective handovers.
• Work collaboratively with statutory and voluntary agencies, with appropriate challenge, information sharing and escalation.
• Use secure case management systems, Microsoft 365 and effective personal organisation to manage multiple concurrent matters.

Qualifications and Development

• Relevant professional qualification (including social work, probation, police, health, education or a related field) or demonstrably equivalent safeguarding practice experience.
• Current professional registration where applicable and commitment to completing the Church of England learning required for this role.
• Additional accredited safeguarding, risk assessment or public protection training; evidence of specialist child or adult safeguarding education.

Personal Qualities

• Willingness to undertake continued development in case management, risk assessment, trauma informed practice and multi agency safeguarding.
• Strongcommitment to safeguarding, reliable follow through and the protection and dignity of children and adults.
• Integrity, sound judgement, professional curiosity, sensitivity and the ability to act without prejudice or defensiveness.
• Resilience and self awareness, with a commitment to professional supervision, learning and healthy casework boundaries
• Respect for equality, inclusion, confidentiality and constructive working relationships with people who hold differing perspectives.
• Ability to work within and be sympathetic to the aims and mission of the Church of England without compromising professional judgement.