Designated Safeguarding Lead

The American School in London; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The American School in London is seeking a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to join the Senior Leadership Team. You will lead safeguarding across the school, supported by Deputy DSLs, counselors, and a safeguarding team.

The role involves strategic guidance to colleagues, trustees, and external agencies, with oversight of safeguarding records and policy development. You will coordinate with local authorities, ensure timely reporting, and provide ongoing safeguarding training and updates for

Qualifications

• Substantial experience working directly with children and young people in educational or social care settings.
• Certified Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training or willingness to obtain before start date.
• Strong knowledge of KCSIE, Working Together to Safeguard Children, EYFS, data protection laws, and local multi-agency thresholds.
• Excellent analytical, record-keeping, and crisis-management abilities under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary DSL lead for safeguarding and child protection across the school.
• Lead on multi-agency collaboration and referrals to safeguarding services.
• Provide strategic safeguarding guidance to staff, trustees, and external agencies.
• Attend and contribute to child protection conferences and multi-agency meetings.

Skills

Leadership

Crisis management

Communication

Record-keeping

Analytical skills

Stakeholder collaboration

Diversity & inclusion

Education

Advanced qualifications in child welfare

Advanced qualifications in social work

Advanced qualifications in educational leadership

Certified DSL training

Tools

CPOMS

My Concern

Job description

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is a member of the School's Senior Leadership Team and takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the institution, supported by a safeguarding team comprised of two Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads, and four counselors. The role holder ensures that safeguarding is embedded into all aspects of school culture, leads on multi‑agency collaboration, manages child protection referrals, and provides strategic guidance to colleagues, trustees, and external agencies. The DSL has management oversight of a Safeguarding Administrative Assistant and the School Nursing team.,

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for local authority children's social care, local safeguarding partners, and police (where the case leads to safeguarding/child protection)
• Refer cases of suspected abuse, neglect, or harm immediately to Children's Social Care, the Local Authority Designated Officer, Channel/Prevent, or the police, where required
• Lead and support early help assessments for children who require additional support before reaching statutory intervention thresholds
• Attend and contribute actively to child protection conferences, core groups, and multi‑agency risk assessment conferences

Information Sharing and Record Keeping

• Maintain confidential, accurate, detailed, and up‑to‑date child protection records (separate from academic records), adhering to data protection (GDPR/Data Protection Act) standards
• Securely transfer child protection files to new educational settings when a student transfers, confirming receipt and ensuring seamless continuity of care
• In partnership with the Board of Trustees, monitor safeguarding trends within the school to inform local risk assessments and policy development
• Assist the Human Resources Department with maintaining a compliant, accurate and continuously updated Single Central Record, advising on and signing pre‑employment risk assessments where required and permissible
• Serve as the School's Attendance Champion, works in partnership with the divisional attendance officers, monitoring and reporting attendance concerns to the local authority

Raising Awareness and Staff Guidance

• Ensure the school's Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy is updated annually, publicly accessible, and aligned with statutory DfE guidance.
• Ensure all staff (including temporary and supply staff) receive safeguarding induction training and understand their duty to report concerns immediately
• Provide regular safeguarding updates, refresher training, and Level 2 training for employees and supply staff as appropriate, as well as arranging Level 3 training for the appropriate roleholders
• Promote a child‑centric environment where children feel heard, respected, and safe to disclose concerns
• Chair weekly meetings with divisional safeguarding teams, discussing safeguarding cases and advising on appropriate next steps
• Monitor and approve tutoring and enrichment arrangements

Training and Professional Development

• Complete formal DSL training at least every two years to maintain expertise in safeguarding policy, local multi‑agency procedures, and legal updates
• Update knowledge and skills regularly (at least annually) on emerging safeguarding issues, including online safety, peer‑on‑peer/child‑on‑child abuse, exploitation (CCE/CSE), radicalisation, domestic abuse, and filtering/monitoring systems

Online Safety, Filtering and Monitoring

• Oversee the online safety policy and collaborate with TILM leadership to ensure effective filtering and monitoring infrastructure
• Manage concerns relating to student cyberbullying, online harassment, cybercrime (e.g., Cyber Choices programme), and digital safety breaches

Working With Senior Leadership and Trustees

• Meet regularly with the Head of School and the Designated Safeguarding Trustees to report on safeguarding activity, staff training, and policy compliance
• Prepare a biannual safeguarding report, supported by contemporaneous data and evidence, to be presented to the Board of Trustees.

Requirements

• Substantial experience working directly with children and young people in an educational or social care setting
• Certified Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training (or willingness to complete prior to start date)
• Comprehensive working knowledge of KCSIE, Working Together to Safeguard Children, EYFS statutory framework, data protection laws, and local multi‑agency thresholds
• Strong analytical, record‑keeping, and crisis‑management skills under pressure.
• Ability to assimilate and communicate complex information succinctly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing
• Well‑developed interpersonal skills that inspire trust, confidence and credibility with all constituencies
• Evidence of a commitment to continuous professional development, demonstrated by appropriate professional memberships, conference attendance, and presentations
• Strong leadership, decision‑making, and a commitment to collaboration
• A proven commitment to support diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and how it relates to safeguarding matters, Experience managing multi‑agency referrals and attending child protection conferences
• Advanced qualifications in child welfare, social work, or educational leadership
• Experience managing digital safeguarding software (CPOMS, My Concern, etc)