Designated Safeguarding Lead

Witherslack Group; Shustoke CP; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training

Holiday

Flexible benefits

Wellbeing

Medical cover

Beautiful working environments

£1,000 referral bonus

Contributory pension up to 5%

Job summary

Witherslack Group is seeking an experienced Designated Safeguarding Lead to join the leadership team at The Secret Garden School. You will ensure safeguarding across the site and work with colleagues to support pupils with complex needs.

The role requires a minimum of 3 years in a safeguarding lead position and a strong commitment to child protection and collaborative practice. You will lead safeguarding initiatives, support staff development, and maintain comprehensive records and CPD evidence

Qualifications

• At least 3 years’ experience in a Designated Safeguarding Lead role.
• Outstanding interpersonal and problem-resolution skills.
• A genuinely empathetic approach and a full UK driving licence.

Responsibilities

• Lead safeguarding across The Secret Garden School and the Witherslack Group.
• Collaborate with leadership and colleagues to ensure safeguarding across multiple sites.
• Maintain a CPD portfolio and stay up-to-date with safeguarding best practices.

Skills

Safeguarding Lead

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving

Full UK driving licence

Job description

£36,581 - £46,579 + excellent benefits

Please note that applications for this role will close on Thursday 6th October, and shortlisting will occur on the 7th October, with interviews scheduled for Wednesday, 14th October.

Important: You must provide your full employment history, both paid and unpaid, from the age of 16 onwards as part of your application, including roles that may not be relevant to the position.

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.

One of the best environments in SEND

The Secret Garden School is based in Solihull, currently a single site school, extending to over two sites in September 2026, the school meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs including ADHD, autism, speech, language & communication difficulties, and social & emotional difficulties. The age range is 6-19 years. The schools is currently registered for 76 pupils. Serving Solihull and the wider community, this is an exciting opportunity to be at the heart of the next phase of The Secret Garden School’s development, with individual pupil progress, care and high-quality educational experiences at the centre of everything we do.

What we do for you

Benefits

We know you’re going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the education sector. With us, you’ll get to bring learning to life and make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get:

• 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

Role

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.