Head of Safeguarding. Job in Mitcham Education & Training Jobs in Surrey

£41,010 - £49,149 + excellent benefits. Please note that applications for this role will close on Sunday 21st June, with interviews scheduled for Tuesday 30th June.

For children with complex, challenging needs, the level of care and education must go above and beyond and 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. Our aspirational homes, schools and ethos help us achieve the best possible outcomes. In short, we're enhancing life opportunities.

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are a huge part of making sure our children and young people's needs are fully recognised and comprehensively met.

You will work as part of the leadership team and report directly to the Head Teacher for this crucial role. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other members of the Witherslack Group team in different locations to enable you to progress and develop your skills and knowledge. As a Designated Safeguarding Lead you will take responsibility for safeguarding within the school, liaising with statutory and non-statutory agencies, parents/carers and staff on matters of wellbeing, child protection and safeguarding.

One of the best environments in SEND, Lavender Lodge school resides within an 18th Century building in the heart of Mitcham. Our pupils come from many different boroughs to attend our school and are lucky to experience a life changing love of learning. We are proud of our pupils and our dedicated team, and pupils leave us with a sense of achievement. We were recently recognised as Good by Ofsted.

Skill set requirements:

• Must have worked with pupils who are autistic and have previous experience of this.
• Needs to be able to communicate in a variety of ways as 70% of our pupils are non-verbal (e.g., can use Makaton, picture display symbols - we use PEC's and PODD).
• Have experience working with non-verbal pupils.
• Have worked with pupils who display challenging behaviour but would have the will and desire to support pupils to manage their behaviour and also for you to work to understand the function of the behaviour.
• Be flexible to work with pupils from 4 through to 11 years old.
• Be able to think outside the box in regards to delivering lessons.
• Have an awareness of autism strategies such as TEACCH, attention autism and use of PODD and be able to use these in practice.

What we do for you:

• Training: A full induction and on the job training.
• Holiday: You'll work hard at WG, so you'll be rewarded with full school holidays.
• Flexible benefits: meaning you can increase/decrease benefits such as life insurance.
• Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance.
• Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts.
• Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities.
• A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time.
• Contributory pension scheme - matched up to 5%.

Our young people and their families 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. As well as having at least 3 years' experience in a Designated Safeguarding Lead role, we will also look for:

• Comprehensive portfolio of CPD related to Safeguarding and Child Protection.
• Outstanding interpersonal and problem resolution skills.
• A genuinely empathetic approach is also essential.
• Full UK driving licence.

At Witherslack Group, inclusion is part of who we are. We're committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued and that they truly belong. We celebrate diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and the unique strengths that each person brings to our community. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. We are proud to be recognised as an inclusive employer and are committed to making our recruitment and workplace practices inclusive and accessible.

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) and an online search. We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.