Trust Safeguarding Officer

Location: DDAT Head Office, Bakewell, Derbyshire

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: DDAT Grade 9 Pay Points 23-26 (£34,434.00- £37,280.00 FTE, pay award pending)

Hours per week: 24 hours per week

Weeks per year: 52 weeks (TTO considered)

Start Date: ASAP

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Trust Safeguarding Officer to join Derby Diocesan Academy Trust’s (DDAT) central team. DDAT is a Multi Academy Trust that oversees and supports schools across Derbyshire and Derby City. Established in 2014 by the Diocese of Derby, DDAT is committed to providing high quality education for all children in their academies based on clearly established Christian values and principles.

The Trust Safeguarding Officer will play a pivotal role in our future growth. As our Trust continues to grow, we are committed to ensuring that every child receives the highest standard of safeguarding support, regardless of which school they attend. This newly created role will provide additional operational safeguarding capacity across the Trust, working closely with our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs), senior leaders and attendance leads to promote consistent, effective and child‑centred practice.

The Trust Safeguarding Officer will play a key role in supporting schools with:

• Safeguarding advice
• Early help pathways
• Safeguarding‑attendance integration
• Quality assurance

The postholder will report directly to the Trust Safeguarding Lead. With CPOMS embedded across our schools, the postholder will help maximise its effectiveness through training, support and compliance monitoring, while identifying emerging themes and risks to strengthen safeguarding systems.

As safeguarding reforms continue to evolve nationally and locally, this role will make a significant contribution to developing capacity, improving consistency and ensuring our schools remain fully equipped to safeguard and promote the welfare of every child in our care.

In return, DDAT will offer you:

• An opportunity to work as part of a supportive team and empower you to further develop the Trust.
• A competitive salary and LGPS pension contributions.
• Ongoing high quality professional development opportunities.
• Hybrid working with the opportunity to work from the office in Bakewell, home and the DDAT schools across the Trust.
• Benefits including but not limited to; Free onsite parking at Bakewell Head Office, Cycle to Work Scheme, free eye tests and a contribution towards a pair of glasses for employees using VDU’s, Employee Assistant Programme & an opportunity to work flexibly.

The values and ethos that DDAT is built upon are Christian in nature and represent values and principles that are important to people of all faiths and no faith. There is a focus on individuality, collaboration and unity; there is a real sense of belonging within DDAT. This is well-balanced with a sense of autonomy and empowerment enabling schools to flourish as separate and unique entities.

Derby Diocesan Academy Trust (DDAT) was formed in response to the national Academy and Free School Programme and provides a Diocesan home to schools (Church or non‑Church) either choosing or requiring an academy solution. DDAT strives to help ensure the sustainability of highly valued church schools, even in the unfortunate circumstances that a school is required to move away from being maintained by the local authority in order to secure rapid school improvement. DDAT is increasingly assisting non‑faith‑based schools as they plan to sustain improvements by joining the growing number of schools within the DDAT family.

DDAT is proud to be a Diocesan Trust. We work closely with the Diocesan Board of Education (DBE), having shared values and a vision which is deeply Christian.

We would consider flexibility around working pattern, including Term Time Only working.

Please note that all candidates must have a right to work in the UK in order to be able to work at our Trust. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for international job applicants.

Closing Date: Thursday 3rd September 2026

Provisional Interviews: Friday 11th September 2026

DDAT welcomes a diverse population of both children and staff and is committed to promoting and developing equality of opportunity in all its functions. DDAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to satisfactory references, online checks, pre‑employment and Disclosure Barring Service checks.

The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare any cautions, convictions, reprimands and final warnings that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020).