Designated Safeguarding Lead and Family Liaison Officer

Acorn Care and Education; Leigh; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational organization is looking for a Designated Safeguarding Lead / Family Liaison Officer to join their team at The Holden School in Leigh. You will lead safeguarding practices, support staff, and engage with families to ensure the safety and wellbeing of pupils. The role requires relevant qualifications and a commitment to fostering family engagement. Benefits include a life assurance plan and access to mental health services. This permanent position offers a salary of £25,725 per annum and adheres to a 4-Day Working Week initiative.

Benefits

Life Assurance

Pension scheme

Mental health support services

Flexible Benefits Platform

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of safeguarding responsibilities.
• Experience in building relationships with families.
• Ability to work collaboratively with agencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead safeguarding and child protection activities.
• Provide guidance and support to staff on safeguarding.
• Coordinate early help and family support.

Skills

Organizational skills

Compassion

Resilience

Education

Relevant safeguarding qualifications

Job description

How would you like to get paid for five days, but only work four? At Outcomes First Group, we believe in better work/life balance — and we’re putting wellbeing first.

That’s why we’re proud to be part of a 4-Day Working Week (4DWW) trial, where you can work one day less each week (or equivalent hours), while still receiving your full-time pay.

Our school will adopt the 4DWW once we have a full team in place — and with the rollout already underway across the wider Group, now is the perfect time to join.

Job Title: Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) / Family Liaison Officer (FLO)
Location: The Holden School, Leigh WN7 4SB
Salary: £25,725 per annum (not pro rata)
Hours: 37.5 hours per week | Monday to Friday
Contract: Permanent | Term Time Only
Start: January 2026
UK applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

About the Role

As part of our ongoing growth, The Holden School, part of Acorn Education, is seeking an experienced and dedicated Designated Safeguarding Lead and Family Liaison Officer to join our supportive and committed team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in safeguarding pupils and strengthening family engagement within a nurturing school environment.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) / Family Liaison Officer plays a vital role in ensuring the safety, wellbeing, and protection of all pupils, while building strong, trusting relationships with families who require additional support. This role combines strategic leadership of safeguarding and child protection with hands‑on family engagement and effective multi‑agency working.

You will lead safeguarding practice across the school, ensuring statutory responsibilities are met, staff are supported, and concerns are responded to promptly and appropriately. Alongside this, you will act as a key point of contact for vulnerable families, coordinating early help, signposting services, and working closely with external agencies to improve outcomes for children.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all safeguarding and child protection activity across the school, including managing referrals, maintaining accurate and confidential records, and ensuring compliance with statutory guidance and school policy.
• Provide advice, guidance, and support to staff on safeguarding matters, including contributing to training, supporting referrals, and leading on complex casework.
• Line‑manage safeguarding deputies while retaining overall accountability for safeguarding practice and decision‑making.
• Act as a key point of contact for families requiring additional support, building positive, professional relationships and promoting engagement with the school.
• Coordinate early help and family support, including signposting and referring to appropriate services, carrying out home visits where appropriate, and attending multi‑agency meetings.
• Work collaboratively with senior leaders, staff, and external agencies to ensure safeguarding and family support are embedded across all aspects of school life.

This role is suited to a highly organised, resilient, and compassionate professional with a strong understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and a commitment to supporting families to overcome barriers and improve outcomes for children.

Why join Acorn Education?

We place the outcomes of the pupils and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first‑class mental health support services and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enabling you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:
  • A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
  • 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
  • Cycle to Work Schemes
  • Electric Car Purchase Scheme
  • Critical illness cover
  • Family Growth Support – inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

*You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy. 4DWW is subject to successful completion of probation and is not a contractual benefit.