Attendance & Safeguarding Lead

Salford City Academy; Manchester; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

Salford City Academy invites applications for an Attendance & Safeguarding Lead to join our Pastoral and Safeguarding Team. We seek someone who cares deeply about young people, builds trusting relationships, and can navigate difficult conversations with empathy and professionalism.

Experience in attendance or safeguarding is welcomed, with extensive training and development opportunities. The role offers progression within United Learning and across the trust, and a commitment to safeguarding

Qualifications

• Experience in attendance or safeguarding is welcomed.
• Ability to build trust with students and families.
• Willingness to engage in training and professional development.

Responsibilities

• Put students at the heart of every decision and collaborate with families and colleagues.
• Maintain high safeguarding standards and liaise with external agencies as needed.
• Lead with integrity and balance empathy with professional challenge.

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Relationship-building

Resilience

Job description

Attendance & Safeguarding Lead - Advert

Salary: United Learning Band 3 Professional (Points 1- 3) £31,042 - £41,231

Contract type: Permanent term time only with the flexibility for additional weeks

Attendance & Safeguarding Lead

Salford City Academy is seeking to appoint an ambitious, compassionate and highly motivated Attendance & Safeguarding Lead to join our dedicated Pastoral and Safeguarding Team.

This is not simply about appointing the most experienced candidate. It is about finding the right person.

After 19 years at Salford City Academy, our Principal remains convinced of one thing above all else: character matters more than experience. Experience can be developed. Character shapes relationships, builds trust and changes lives.

We are looking for someone who genuinely cares about young people and families, someone who can build strong relationships, navigate difficult conversations with empathy and professionalism, and remain determined when facing challenges.

Whilst experience in attendance or safeguarding would be welcomed, we are particularly keen to hear from individuals who can demonstrate the resilience, professionalism, warmth and determination needed to succeed in this important role. You may already work in education, social care, youth work or another people-focused profession. What matters most is your ability to build trust, show compassion and make a difference.

This role also offers an excellent opportunity to develop a long-term career in attendance, safeguarding and pastoral leadership. The successful candidate will receive extensive training, coaching and professional development, including opportunities to gain experience in attendance strategy, safeguarding practice, multi‑agency working and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead responsibilities.

As part of United Learning, there are exciting progression opportunities both within Salford City Academy and across the wider Trust. We are committed to developing our people and helping them achieve their ambitions.

Who Will Thrive in This Role?

This is not simply about appointing the most experienced candidate. It is about finding the right person.

Attendance and safeguarding are about far more than systems and processes. Behind every attendance concern is a young person who may need support. Behind every safeguarding concern is a family who may need guidance. We are looking for someone who understands the importance of listening, noticing and acting, and who believes that every child deserves to be safe, supported and in school, learning.

This role requires someone who can combine compassion with challenge. Someone who can build trust with families whilst also having the confidence to hold difficult conversations when needed. We are looking for a colleague who understands that doing the right thing is not always the easy thing, and who is prepared to advocate relentlessly for the needs of young people.

The successful candidate will:

• Put students at the heart of every decision.
• Build strong relationships with students, families and colleagues.
• Be driven by a determination to improve the life chances of young people.
• Have the confidence to hold challenging and sometimes difficult conversations.
• Balance empathy with high expectations and professional challenge.
• Demonstrate resilience, professionalism and compassion.
• Be highly organised and able to manage competing priorities.
• Communicate confidently with a range of stakeholders and external agencies.
• Lead with integrity and maintain the highest standards of safeguarding.
• Value teamwork and contribute positively to our culture.
• Be ambitious for our students and their own development.

Our View

Experience is important, but character matters more.

We are looking for someone who is committed to learning, open to feedback, willing to embrace challenge and excited by the opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of young people and families.

This is not about finding the finished article.

It is about finding the right person. Someone who will thrive here, contribute to our culture and share our belief that every child deserves the opportunity to attend school, feel safe and achieve their potential. We are looking for someone who is warm and approachable, but also courageous, determined and prepared to challenge when necessary in the best interests of children.

If you are looking for a role where your contribution will matter, your relationships will make a difference and your impact will be felt every single day, we would love to hear from you.