At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead safeguarding strategies and support vulnerable children in a specialist education setting.
- Company: Join a growing independent SEN provider dedicated to child welfare.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, impactful role, and the chance to shape safeguarding practices.
- Other info: Opportunity for significant career growth and influence in a supportive environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable young people and their families.
- Qualifications: Degree in Social Work, safeguarding experience, and strong leadership skills.
Integrity Education Solutions are supporting an independent SEN provider with the appointment of an exceptional opportunity has arisen for an experienced and highly credible safeguarding professional to join a growing specialist education organisation as Head of Safeguarding and Company Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) from January 2027.
Based in South London with travel across other London sites.
This is a senior strategic role with organisation-wide responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, providing expert guidance, professional challenge and leadership across a number of specialist education settings supporting vulnerable and neurodiverse children and young people.
The successful candidate will work closely with senior leaders, School DSLs, Social Workers, Assistant Heads and multidisciplinary teams, ensuring safeguarding arrangements are consistently robust, compliant, effectively implemented and responsive to the complex needs of the pupils being supported.
The role also carries significant responsibility for pupil attendance, family engagement, complaints oversight and the development of safeguarding practice across the organisation, making this a broad and influential leadership opportunity for an experienced social work and safeguarding professional.
The Role
The Head of Safeguarding will provide expert leadership across complex safeguarding matters, including cases involving vulnerable young people at risk of exploitation, high-risk behaviour, complex mental health needs, offending, substance misuse and significant physical, psychological or healthcare needs.
The role will include supporting leaders with low-level concerns and allegations against staff, overseeing referrals to children's services, police and LADO teams, attending relevant multi-agency meetings and ensuring safeguarding records and reports are maintained to exemplary standards.
The postholder will also use learning from national and local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, research and best practice to strengthen safeguarding strategy and practice across the organisation.
Reporting to the Director of Clinical Services, the Head of Safeguarding will provide expert strategic and operational leadership across all aspects of safeguarding and child protection.
As Company DSL, the postholder will ensure that the organisation fulfils its responsibilities under national and local safeguarding requirements, while providing supervision, advice and challenge to those responsible for safeguarding within individual schools and services.
The successful candidate will also lead the organisation's approach to attendance and family engagement, including the implementation of the Families and Schools Working Together (FAST) programme, while overseeing the company's complaints process and ensuring that learning from safeguarding matters, complaints and incidents is identified and embedded across the organisation.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as the Company Designated Safeguarding Lead, providing expert safeguarding leadership, professional advice, supervision and challenge across the organisation.
- Lead the auditing, quality assurance and continuous improvement of safeguarding and child protection practice, ensuring policies, procedures and standards remain compliant with statutory guidance.
- Provide professional supervision to Social Workers, School DSLs and relevant senior leaders, supporting high-quality practice and professional standards.
- Maintain strong relationships with Local Authorities, children's services, police, LADO teams and other safeguarding partners, acting as a central point of contact for complex and high-risk cases.
- Provide strategic oversight of pupil attendance and engagement, using data, auditing and intervention strategies to improve attendance and ensure robust systems are in place across all services.
- Lead the implementation and quality assurance of the FAST programme, strengthening family partnership, pupil voice and engagement across schools and services.
- Oversee the organisation's complaints process, ensuring investigations are timely and robust and that learning and themes are identified and translated into organisational improvement.
- About the Candidate
- An appropriate degree-level professional qualification, or equivalent, in Social Work.
- Current registration with Social Work England.
- Qualified Practice Educator status.
- Significant post-qualification experience within complex safeguarding and social work environments.
- Experience supervising staff, including Qualified Social Workers in relation to Social Work England requirements.
- Experience working within or leading multidisciplinary teams across education, health and social care.
- Experience supporting neurodiverse children and young people, including those with ASC and/or SEMH.
- Strong knowledge of child protection legislation, national policies and procedures.
- Experience of reporting, auditing and quality assuring social work processes and outcomes.
- Experience managing complex and emotionally challenging situations involving young people and families.
- Excellent communication, listening, empathy, negotiation and problem-solving skills.
- The ability to provide professional challenge while developing and supporting colleagues.
- A strong commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity and the welfare of children and young people.
Why Apply?
- This is an opportunity to take on a genuinely influential safeguarding leadership position within a specialist education organisation supporting some of the most vulnerable children and young people.
- The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape safeguarding strategy at organisational level, develop the practice of safeguarding and social work professionals, strengthen multi-agency partnerships and directly influence the quality of support provided to pupils and their families.
- The role offers significant scope to lead meaningful organisational improvement across safeguarding, attendance, family engagement, complaints and social work practice.
If this role is of interest, please contact Kenny Fraser at Integrity Education Solutions.
Integrity Education Solutions and the school are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
The successful candidate will be subject to enhanced DBS and full pre-employment checks.
Applications are welcomed from all sections of the community
Head of Safeguarding in London employer: Integrity Education Solutions Limited
Integrity Education Solutions Limited is an exceptional employer, dedicated to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment for its staff. Located in South London, the new specialist provision offers unique opportunities for professional growth and development, allowing educators to make a meaningful impact on the lives of autistic learners. With a strong emphasis on collaboration and innovation, employees are encouraged to thrive both personally and professionally in this rewarding role.
Contact Details:
Integrity Education Solutions Limited Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Safeguarding in London
✨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 Integrity Education Solutions Limited.
✨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 Integrity Education Solutions Limited!
✨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 Integrity Education Solutions Limited, 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 Integrity Education Solutions Limited 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 Head of Safeguarding in London
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 Integrity Education Solutions Limited:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Integrity Education Solutions Limited! 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 Integrity Education Solutions Limited
✨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.
