Schools Safeguarding Officer - South in Oxford

Salary: Up to £50,000

Closing date: 15th March

Interview Date: 25th March

This is a remote role, travel will be required across the South West and South East, the ideal candidate for this role will be Oxfordshire based.

Are you currently working as a DSL in school or have wider DSL/Safeguarding responsibilities within a Multi Academy Trust? If so, are you ready to take the next step and join a team of likeminded people who are passionate about safeguarding children? Or are you a Schools Safeguarding Officer or equivalent within a local authority and are already supporting DSLs in schools? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

We are the highest Ofsted-rated provider in the country for special education and care. Our teams are fulfilled by the idea of making even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things.

For children with complex needs, the level of care and education we provide must go above and beyond. That’s what drives us here at Witherslack Group. With our high staff-to-child ratio and in-house clinical teams, we’re proud to have won a reputation for excellence and market leading OFSTED ratings.

The Schools Safeguarding Officer will work closely with the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL’s) and Head Teachers to ensure that practice is robust and defensible in relation to safeguarding within the school. You will work with the Head of Safeguarding to support schools and ensure compliance in accordance with safeguarding and wider legislation and in the development and delivery of training for DSL’s and school-based staff. You will contribute to effective partnership working between different teams and departments within Witherslack Group.

You will undertake safeguarding audits in schools to ensure compliance within current frameworks and support schools in any action plans resulting from findings within safeguarding audits. You will also support DSL’s in schools and give advice to ensure that safeguarding concerns are managed in line with Local Safeguarding Partnership procedures and thresholds. You will work with DSL’s in schools to ensure that safeguarding record keeping is robust and in line with best practice and will give advice and guidance in relation to safeguarding cases.

The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years experience as a DSL in a school and has worked in a variety of different agencies. If in addition to that you have wider agency experience of working within, for example, early help or children’s social care, that would be even better. We are looking for someone who has experience of giving advice to and supporting DSLs/DDSL’s in their work, has experience of developing and delivering training and undertaking audits in relation to safeguarding.

Here at Witherslack Group, we celebrate everyone’s differences as that’s what makes us the best at what we do. Our young people come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds and with different needs – and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage and inspire our young people to be themselves.

We’ll give you the chance to build an exciting career in a fast-growing organisation, where you’re free to achieve your potential. Here’s what we need from you:

• Extensive safeguarding expertise — significant experience (5+ years) managing safeguarding and child protection cases, ideally as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or in a similar senior role.
• Strong policy knowledge — up-to-date understanding of Keeping Children Safe in Education, national safeguarding policy, wider education legislation, and partnership arrangements.
• Proven advisory and training skills — ability to provide expert safeguarding advice to schools, support the resolution of safeguarding deficits, and design and deliver effective training.
• Ongoing professional development — a comprehensive portfolio of CPD in safeguarding and child protection, with evidence of applying learning from reviews and developments into practice.
• Excellent interpersonal and organisational abilities — strong communication, problem-solving, and report-writing skills, with the flexibility to manage competing priorities and support schools in high-pressure situations.

We know you’re going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the care sector. With us, you’ll get to make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get:

• Salary: £45,000 - £50,000 dependent on experience
• Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts
• Holiday: You’ll work hard at WG, so you’ll be rewarded with 7 weeks’ holiday (including bank holidays)
• Flexible benefits package: meaning you can increase/decrease your holiday allowance, pension and life insurance
• Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance
• Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities
• A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time

Join the UK’s best special education and care provider. Our young people deserve the best possible future and we feel the same about our teams. You deserve to have the career you want, with a purpose-led employer, in an environment that allows you to be yourself.

For more information please contact Mary Aurens, Head of Safeguarding on 07469 143799.

The Witherslack Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost). We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.