Designated Safeguarding Lead

Witherslack Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education and care provider in Greater London seeks a Designated Safeguarding Lead to ensure child protection and wellbeing. This pivotal role involves daily engagement with agencies and teamwork within classrooms. Candidates should possess strong interpersonal skills, a CPD portfolio, and at least three years' experience. Excellent benefits and a supportive work environment are offered.

Benefits

Full school holidays

Flexible benefits

Wellbeing tools and advice

Medical cover

Employee referral bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Qualifications

• Must have at least 3 years' experience in a Designated Safeguarding Lead role.
• Comprehensive portfolio of CPD related to Safeguarding and Child Protection is essential.
• Outstanding interpersonal and problem resolution skills are required.

Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for safeguarding within the school.
• Liaise with statutory and non-statutory agencies, parents/carers, and staff regarding wellbeing.
• Provide support and expertise in safeguarding matters.

Skills

Outstanding interpersonal skills

Empathy

Problem resolution

Education

Portfolio of CPD related to Safeguarding and Child Protection

At least 3 years' experience as Designated Safeguarding Lead

Tools

Full UK driving licence

Job description

Shortlisting: Monday 12th January

Interview: Wednesday 21st January

£41,010 - £49,149 + excellent benefits

Those Huge Small Victories

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.

Get out what you put in

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, this means that on a daily basis you will be liaising with statutory and non‑statutory agencies, parents/carers and staff on matters of wellbeing, child protection and safeguarding and will be a great source of support, advice and expertise in the team.

One of the best environments in SEND

Luxborough Court School is a brand‑new, purpose‑built school registered for 150 pupils aged 5‑19 with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. There is a large sports hall with changing facilities (the site was formally a Premier League football club's training ground), a bespoke 6th form suite plus a number of other smaller individual spaces used for therapeutic intervention and bespoke support. The School benefits from extensive outdoor space plus a large central courtyard garden in the centre of the school and separate secondary and junior playgrounds, with a multi‑use games area.

There are good public transport connections with Chigwell Station less than a mile away, providing Central Line Tube services to London and Essex. The road links are good – the site is located near the M11, Junction 4.

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 - check out our benefits here
• 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 - check out our schools here
• A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time
• Contributory pension scheme - matched up to 5%

Bring your whole‑self to work

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.

Interested in joining us?

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.

As a specialist provider of education and care for children and young people with special educational needs, we understand the importance of embracing individuality and championing difference – especially when it comes to neurodiversity. 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. If you need any adjustments to support you through the recruitment process or in the workplace, we'll be there every step of the way.

By building a diverse and inclusive team, we're better able to support the children, young people and families we serve and ensure every member of our team can thrive, grow, and be their authentic self.

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.

For a full job description and person specification, please click here

To view our ex-offenders policy please click here.

To view our Child Protection Policy, please visit the 'Parents and Carers' section of this School/Learning centre. You can find all our Schools here.

Special Education/Careers in Care/Careers in Special Education/Working with Children/SEMH/SEN/ASD