Designated Safeguarding Lead

St Edmund's; Canterbury; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

St Edmund's School Canterbury is seeking an experienced Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to provide strategic and operational leadership for safeguarding and child protection across the School, including online safety and monitoring systems.

As a senior leader on the Senior Leadership Team, you will mentor Deputies, drive safeguarding practice, and collaborate with boarding, healthcare, counselling and learning support to ensure a safe, supportive environment for pupils in both Junior and

Job description

Safeguarding and the welfare of our pupils are at the heart of everything we do at St Edmund's School. We are seeking an experienced and committed Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to provide strategic and operational leadership for safeguarding and child protection across the School.

This is a senior and influential role, with responsibility for ensuring that a strong culture of safeguarding is embedded throughout our community. Working across both the Junior and Senior Schools, the DSL will lead on all aspects of safeguarding and child protection, including online safety and oversight and understanding of the School's filtering and monitoring systems and processes.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the DSL will have the status and authority required to carry out the role effectively. They will provide professional leadership to our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs), ensuring that safeguarding practice, systems and procedures are robust, effective and continually reviewed and improved.

Pastoral care at St Edmund's is delivered through our boarding and house structures and supported by healthcare, counselling, chaplaincy, learning support, IT and trained peer-support systems. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with colleagues across these areas, providing expert safeguarding advice, guidance and leadership.

We are looking for an individual with excellent professional judgement, strong leadership and communication skills, and a thorough understanding of safeguarding and child protection. They will be able to combine the day-to-day operational requirements of the DSL role with strategic leadership, quality assurance and the continuous development of safeguarding practice across the School.

While appropriate safeguarding activities may be delegated to suitably trained deputies, the DSL retains ultimate lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection.

St Edmund's School Canterbury is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and is an equal opportunities employer. The successful applicant will undergo child protection screening.