Assistant Head - Director of Safeguarding

Old Swinford Hospital; Stourbridge; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NEST workplace pension

Job summary

Old Swinford Hospital is seeking an experienced Director of Safeguarding to lead safeguarding strategy, policy and practice across the school. The role requires handling complex child protection matters, guiding colleagues, and working with pupils, families, staff, governors and external agencies to keep children safe.

The successful candidate will join the Senior Leadership Team, influence safeguarding governance, and contribute to training and development for staff and volunteers.

Qualifications

• Experience leading safeguarding strategy and practice.
• Ability to oversee complex child protection matters.
• Experience training staff and guiding colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Lead safeguarding strategy and practice across the school.
• Oversee complex child protection cases and coordinate responses with external agencies.
• Provide guidance, training and support to pupils, families, staff and governors.
• Collaborate with the Deputy Headmaster and SLT on safeguarding governance.

Skills

Leadership

Safeguarding expertise

Stakeholder engagement

Training delivery

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent in Education/Social Work

Job description

Assistant Head - Director of Safeguarding

This is a significant leadership opportunity for an experienced safeguarding professional who can combine expertise, sound judgement and compassion to ensure every pupil feels safe, supported and able to flourish. The successful candidate will lead safeguarding strategy and practice, oversee complex child protection matters, provide guidance and training to colleagues, and work closely with pupils, families, staff, governors and external agencies.

We welcome applications from experienced teachers, educational leaders and safeguarding professionals from related sectors. While experience in education is highly desirable, we are equally interested in candidates who have developed substantial safeguarding expertise through social care, local authority safeguarding services, the LADO function or other child protection settings.

Welcome to OSH

OSH is a warm, inclusive and upbeat school community, where teachers enjoy teaching motivated and interesting young people in a calm and orderly atmosphere.

We enjoy a very good academic reputation, but we are not all about league tables. This school prides itself on a balance of academic achievement and outstanding opportunity for our students to develop as well-rounded people.

OSH is so much more than an 11-18 state school. It is a vibrant and morally driven community that seeks to send out into the wider world young people who can genuinely make a difference to the common good. Our former pupils may be found in Parliament; the media; the military; medicine; banking and finance; public service; science and research; the creative arts and the law. What they all have in common is an optimism about who and what they are, and what just what they can achieve. They are both aspirational and humble. We work hard to keep them grounded, but always aiming high.

The environment, both in and out of the classroom, for pupils to grow, develop and enjoy their schooling, is underpinned by a deep commitment and can-do attitude shared by our staff, from teachers to cooks and sports coaches to the medical team.

Job Overview

Old Swinford Services Ltd seeks to appoint a knowledgeable and dedicated Director of Safeguarding to lead this important area of School life.

This post would suit an emotionally intelligent, resilient and experienced practitioner with significant safeguarding experience and a genuine enthusiasm for working with children and young people.

The Director of Safeguarding (DoS) reports to the Deputy Headmaster who acts as line manager for the DoS, and the DoS then line manages the safeguarding work of three Deputy Designated Safeguarding (DDSLs). The DoS also reports at two key committees – The Governors’ Pupil Welfare and Behaviour Committee and The Governors’ Safeguarding Committee.

Old Swinford Hospital (OSH) is a strong, values driven community. At OSH, safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. The core safeguarding team includes three DDSL’s and in addition, senior boarding and pastoral colleagues are trained up to DSL level. The DoS meets with the Governors’ Safeguarding Committee two or three times each term.

We are now looking for an experienced colleague to lead and manage this important area of School life as we grow in number. Our intention is for the Assistant Head - Director of Safeguarding to become our DSL and report to the Deputy Headmaster. The Director of Safeguarding will also be a member of the School’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Who are we looking for?

The person we are looking to appoint will be:

• a capable individual who can work swiftly and thoroughly and keep the paramountcy principle at the heart of all safeguarding work
• an experienced safeguarding practitioner who has worked at a senior level in an organisation which supports children and families and where that individual has worked with internal stakeholders as well as external agencies
• a practitioner who is equally comfortable working on recording and reporting systems as he or she is working with and training up individuals or teams of individuals
• an individual who is familiar with regulatory compliance, statutory guidance and inspectorates

If your think your have the ability, experience and qualities to be our Director of Safeguarding, we would welcome your application.

Remuneration

A remuneration package will be agreed depending on qualifications and experience.

In line with current regulation you will, if you are eligible, be offered a workplace pension through NEST.

Equal Opportunities

Old Swinford Services Ltd welcomes applications for employment from all sectors of the community.

Suitability to Work with Children

Old Swinford Services Ltd is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants are required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.