Designated Safeguarding Lead in Nottingham

What skills and experience we're looking for:

• Maintain clear vision, purpose and high expectations focused on pupil progress and achievement.
• Inspire, motivate, and influence staff to reach the highest standards.
• Be an excellent role model for all staff and pupils and be visible, supportive, and professionally challenging.
• Effectively communicate the academy’s core values and ethos to all stakeholders.
• Actively contribute to the day-to-day management of the academy.
• Actively contribute to upholding excellent standards of behaviour for learning.
• Maintain a prominent visible presence monitoring the work of the academy daily.
• Report to the Principal, AAB and Trust Directors on the progress made against targets within the remit of the role.
• Work with external agencies and professionals on matters of safety and safeguarding.
• Raise awareness of safeguarding and child protection amongst the staff and parents; and ensure that child protection information is transferred to the pupil’s new school/academy.
• Ensure that the academy has a nominated local AAB member to liaise with the designated lead for the local area and any partner agencies in the event of allegations of abuse made against the principal.
• Ensure all staff receive the appropriate training, and keep it up to date, in line with advice from local safeguarding partners.
• Notify the Children’s Social Care department if there are concerns over unexplained absences of a pupil following the Child Missing Education (CME) policy and local procedure.
• Inform the Local Authority when a private fostering arrangement is in place.
• Ensure that important safeguarding related policies are kept relevant and up to date.
• Have an overview of the numbers of safeguarding and child protection referrals made from and share this with the Principal and LAC.
• Ensure that the curriculum makes best use of Citizenship and PSHE, RSHE opportunities to cover safeguarding issues with children.
• Ensure there are procedures in place to handle allegations against other children (Child-on-child abuse).
• Create a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, both in individual decisions and in the academy’s development.
• Ensure through the safeguarding curriculum that pupils know the process of raising a concern (about themselves or a friend/other), that they know the academy’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (and deputy), and are aware of other support mechanisms such as ChildLine etc.
• Ensure that colleagues are competent to carry out their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and creating an environment where staff feel able to raise concerns and feel supported in their safeguarding role.
• Ensure all records are kept up to date and secure and kept separately from the main pupil file in a locked location.
• Ensure that appropriate online filtering and monitoring systems are effective and communicated with parents/carers.
• Be the expert on all areas of safeguarding, including Prevent, Online safety, Mental health.
• Ensure all safeguarding needs of all pupils are met and managed in the most appropriate and supportive way.
• Have wellbeing oversight of vulnerable pupils.
• Remove any barriers to learning, ensuring a happy and stable academy life for pupils.
• Enable pupils to make healthy and safe lifestyle choices, recognising and avoiding unnecessary risk.
• Manage CPOMS systems and monitor and check all ‘actions’ are timely, appropriate and robust.
• Work closely with the Trust Safeguarding Lead to ensure we are fully compliant with all Trust safeguarding expectations.
• Ensure all safeguarding is identified in a timely manner and managed effectively and appropriately.
• Keep the Principal informed regarding safeguarding to reassure them the academy is safe and all pupils’ needs are being met.
• Provide or source appropriate supervision for the Safeguarding Team and also any staff who are exposed and need supervision.
• Act as a champion of the academy’s child protection policy and procedures by ensuring all staff have access to and understand them.
• Support the relevant member of SLT to lead the effective implementation of e-safety, promoting the full implementation of the e-safety policy, relevant legislation and guidance.
• Support the SLT to induct new members of staff regarding the academy’s safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibility to challenge behaviour which breaches the Guidance for Safer Working Practice (Code of Conduct).
• Recognise how to identify signs of abuse and when to make a referral.
• Respond appropriately to disclosures or concerns relating to the well-being of a child.
• Refer allegations or cases of suspected abuse to the relevant investigating agencies, ensuring they have access to the most relevant up to date information.
• Liaise with the Principal to inform them of any issues and ongoing investigations.
• Ensure that relevant, detailed, and accurate written records of referrals/concerns are kept and that these are stored securely.
• When pupils move academy, ensure their safeguarding file is sent to the new establishment immediately and securely.
• Be the main point of contact for external agencies – Police/ CAMHS/ CSC Channel.
• Ensure that pupils who are victims of abuse are supported appropriately and sensitively and that all actions from planning and intervention meetings are carried out and monitored.
• Ensure appropriate attendance and effective and appropriate contribution to Child in Need meetings, Child Protection conferences, planning and review meetings, including those taking place out of normal working hours.
• Ensure the team liaises with colleagues and outside organisations to provide Early Help as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child or young person’s life, working with the Early Help Strategic Partnerships and referring to the Early Help Allocation groups where necessary. Act as Lead Professional as appropriate.
• Ensure the provision for safeguarding is run as a professional space, where children are supported and interventions are effective, that the space isn’t being misused and teaching and interventions are taking place.
• Ensure all staff have safeguarding induction on their first day and receive frequent updates so that they are able to recognise and report any concerns immediately.
• Attend relevant training every two years and keep up to date through additional updates and research.
• Represent the academy at Designated Lead forums and disseminate the information to colleagues.
• Work closely with the Designated Teacher for CLA, ensuring there is a clear overview of pupil needs and groupings.
• Ensure that intervention and support for CLA pupils is appropriate, timely and effective.
• Ensure that the CLA process is completed in line with national and local expectations and that process is completed within timescales.
• Collaborate with outside organisations, such as Virtual Academy and Social Care to ensure that support and care is co-produced and remains in the best interests of young people.
• Ensure that communication with carers is of a high quality and carers have a key role in the coproduction of planning and intervention.
• Ensure that CLA pupils have an opportunity to share their views and opinions regarding their education and experience.
• Report on strategic progress to the Principal, AAB and Trust Directors, where applicable.

What the school offers its staff:

• Archway benefits to include shopping discounts and competitions.
• A free and confidential employee assistance programme offering counselling and advice.
• Access to a generous pension scheme.
• Access to discounted travel schemes.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Comprehensive training and support.
• Opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career.
• Eye care voucher scheme.
• Free flu vaccine.
• Access to e-learning and development.

Commitment to safeguarding:

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), medical, online and social media prohibition from teaching, right to work, satisfactory references, suitability to work with children. You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.