Regional Safeguarding Lead - South West in Bristol

Location: South West region. Regular travel to academies in this region and some national travel as required.

We are seeking an experienced and highly credible Regional Safeguarding Lead who will act as the lead safeguarding professional across the region for all academies including primary, secondary and special settings. This is a high‑profile, field‑based role, working closely with Headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and senior leaders to provide assurance, challenge and support, ensuring safeguarding practice is robust, compliant and consistently effective across every phase and context. You will play a pivotal role in protecting vulnerable pupils, strengthening safeguarding culture and driving improvement at scale across the region.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide safeguarding assurance across academies through regular visits, testing systems, culture and practice against statutory and Trust expectations.
• Hold Headteachers and DSLs to account for safeguarding compliance, quality and continuous improvement.
• Identify, elevate and manage safeguarding risks, ensuring timely action and appropriate senior oversight.
• Use safeguarding, attendance and vulnerability data to spot patterns, hotspots and emerging risks, translating intelligence into effective action.
• Lead and deliver high-quality safeguarding training, support DSL development and model best practice across the region.

Pay range: SCP 39 - 43 (£50,269 - £54,495)

Qualifications and Skills:

• Significant experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, ideally at senior leadership level, with responsibility for complex cases.
• Expert knowledge of KCSIE, Working Together to Safeguard Children and safeguarding compliance across multi-academy settings.
• Proven experience of safeguarding assurance, audits and quality improvement across more than one school or organisation.
• Strong ability to deliver professional challenge, influence senior leaders and work effectively with multi‑agency partners.
• High levels of resilience, professional credibility and judgement, with the confidence to make and defend difficult safeguarding decisions.

Benefits:

• Financial and Lifestyle: We offer a strong financial package including access to defined benefit pension schemes (LGPS or TPS), life cover at three times pensionable pay, and 31 days of annual leave for year‑round employees. Staff can also benefit from the Cycle to Work scheme.
• Professional Growth and Development: We invest heavily in staff development through tailored INSET days and high-quality CPD opportunities.
• Culture and Wellbeing: Our people‑first culture values every colleague. We support wellbeing through the Wisdom app and a free Employee Assistance Programme offering counselling and financial advice.

E‑ACT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references. E‑ACT is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.