Diocesan Safeguarding Caseworker

The Church of England; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Church Workers Pension Scheme

Hybrid working

Job summary

The Church of England Birmingham is seeking a Diocesan Safeguarding Caseworker to manage safeguarding concerns across the Diocese, triage referrals, and work within national standards. You will support clergy and parish officers with trauma-informed guidance and maintain robust safeguarding records.

Essential experience includes safeguarding across children and adults, knowledge of UK legislation, and the ability to travel across the Diocese.

Qualifications

• Significant safeguarding experience with children, adults, and vulnerable groups.
• Experience engaging with statutory agencies and safeguarding frameworks.
• Ability to maintain accurate, high-quality safeguarding records.
• Understanding of safer recruitment and safeguarding compliance.
• Experience contributing to risk assessments and safety planning.
• Discretion, integrity and ability to handle confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Manage safeguarding concerns and cases across the Diocese.
• Triage and assess enquiries and referrals, escalating as required.
• Work within the National Safeguarding Standards framework.
• Support clergy and parish safeguarding officers through investigations.
• Provide trauma-informed guidance and signposting to victims.
• Maintain legally robust records in line with guidance.
• Travel across the Diocese as needed to fulfil duties.

Skills

Judgement

Clear communication

Emotional resilience

Organisational skills

Escalation & advocacy

Professional boundaries

Travel readiness

Education

Safeguarding qualification or equivalent

Safeguarding Level 4+ training

Minimum 5 years safeguarding practice

Job description

About The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Diocese of Birmingham's Safeguarding Team as a Diocesan Safeguarding Caseworker. The role is central to ensuring that children, young people, and adults at risk are safeguarded through the effective management of safeguarding concerns, the provision of trauma-informed support, and collaborative working with clergy, parishes, statutory agencies, and partner organisations. Working within the Church of England's safeguarding policies and national standards, you will contribute to creating a culture where safeguarding is embedded in every aspect of ministry, ensuring concerns are managed with professionalism, compassion, and accountability.

As a Diocesan Safeguarding Caseworker, You Will

• Be responsible for managing safeguarding concerns and cases across the Diocese
• Triage and assess concerns, escalating when required
• Plan work effectively to ensure concerns are dealt with promptly and appropriately
• Ensure Victims/Survivors and Respondents are listened to and kept appropriately informed
• Support victims and survivors with sensitivity, dignity, and care
• Provide confident, trauma-informed advice to clergy, and parish safeguarding officers
• Work closely with the diocesan safeguarding team to ensure robust, defensible decision-making and handling of concerns
• Contribute to the safe management of individuals who may pose a risk to others
• Ensure safeguarding practice is consistent, compliant, and reflective of national standards
• Provide support to embed safeguarding as a core part of everyday ministry across CofE Birmingham

This role is varied, meaningful, and ideal for a safeguarding professional who thrives in a complex context.

Key Responsibilities

Safeguarding Casework

• Managing, safeguarding concerns and cases across the Diocese
• Triage and assess safeguarding enquiries, concerns and referrals, escalating when required
• Work within the National Safeguarding Standards Framework and the Managing Allegations Code of Practice
• Support clergy and parish safeguarding officers through safeguarding enquiries and investigations
• Provide trauma-informed support, guidance, and signposting to victims and survivors
• Maintain high-quality, legally robust records in line with Church of England guidance
• Complete Risk Assessments of individuals about whom there are safeguarding concerns
• At the Diocesan Safeguarding Officers request, undertaking risk assessments or safety plans for individuals where there are, or have been concerns about their behaviour towards children or adults at risk, where they have convictions for offences against children or adults at risk or where they have a blemished DBS disclosure.

Partnership Working

• Liaise and collaborate with statutory agencies in the UK
• Information share in accordance with CofE policy
• Engagement with national and regional network of diocesan safeguarding officers and relevant local ecumenical or multi-faith forums as well as (when work allows) building relationships with statutory agencies including safeguarding boards, social services, LADO and police.

Policy, Practice & Assurance

• Support the implementation of CofE policy (guidance, codes of practice and frameworks)
• Promote a culture of proactive safeguarding, learning, and reflective practice

Other

• Take directions from the Diocesan Safeguarding Officers as required
• Actively participate in team duties as part of the wider safeguarding and diocesan teams, and contribute to wider safeguarding initiatives
• The ability to travel independently across the breadth of the diocese, on occasion to locations without public transport links
• Supporting training activity on occasion at the direction of the DSO when required

Person Specification

About You

You are a confident, reflective, experienced safeguarding practitioner who manages complex and sensitive situations with professionalism and care.

Essential Experience And Knowledge

• Significant experience in safeguarding children, adults, and vulnerable groups
• Experience managing complex safeguarding concerns involving the statutory response to the protection of children/adults
• Strong knowledge and understanding of UK safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance
• Experience working with relevant statutory agencies (i.e. children’s services, adult social care, police)
• Experience in producing accurate, high-quality safeguarding records
• Understanding of safer recruitment and safeguarding compliance
• Experience contributing to statutory risk assessments and safety planning
• A proven track record of working with Integrity, discretion, and respect for confidentiality
• Able to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment
• Experienced in safer recruitment, risk management, or safeguarding agreements

Essential Skills

• Excellent judgement and ability to make defensible, proportionate decisions
• Clear, confident communication skills across diverse audiences
• Emotional resilience and strong professional boundaries
• Ability to remain calm and empathetic in challenging situations
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple pieces of work
• Confidence in escalation, advocacy, and professional challenge
• Team-oriented with the ability to work independently
• Strong commitment to safeguarding as a core organisational value
• Reflective, self-aware, and committed to ongoing development
• Ability and willingness to travel across the length and breadth of the Diocese.

Qualifications

• Professional qualification or qualified by experience in safeguarding, from a social care, education, health, or related field
• Safeguarding training at Level 4+
• Minimum 5 years of safeguarding practice
• Enhanced DBS (or equivalent) & right to work in the UK

Desirable

• Experience safeguarding within a faith-based or voluntary setting
• Knowledge of Church of England safeguarding frameworks
• Experience delivering safeguarding training or contributing to audits
• Current knowledge of DBS processes and legislation

Terms & Conditions

Salary and Pension: £39,000 per annum plus membership of the Church Workers Pension Scheme.

Contract: Fixed-term up until June 2028.

Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week over 5 days - Hybrid working is available where this aligns with the needs of the role. Following an initial settling-in period, employees may work on a hybrid basis, combining office and home working, with a minimum average of two days per week worked on-site.

Holidays: Five weeks annual leave, plus Bank Holidays plus 3 Discretionary Diocesan days.

Responsible to: Diocesan Safeguarding Officer.

Employer: The Birmingham Diocesan Board of Finance.

Closing Date: 3rd November 2026.

Interviews to be In-person: 16th November 2026.

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community: a place where all can be themselves and bring their unique identity to their ministry and/or work.

We welcome applications from any individuals who feel they meet the person specification for this post, particularly those who are currently under-represented within our staff teams, including people from Global Majority Heritage and UK Minority Ethnic backgrounds, those with visible or invisible disabilities, and those who identify as LGBTQI+.

We offer a range of inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and wellbeing support for our staff teams.

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All appointments to roles undertaking regulated activity are subject to pre-appointment checks, including references and a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check complete with barred list.