Head of Safeguarding and Child Protection

Education Authority; Armagh; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional education organization in Northern Ireland is seeking a strategic leader for safeguarding and protection. The successful candidate will manage child protection services, ensuring legal compliance and effective service delivery across the education sector. Responsibilities include leading teams, developing policies, and engaging stakeholders. Candidates should have extensive senior leadership experience, a professional social work qualification, and a strong knowledge of child safeguarding legislation. This role is pivotal for ensuring safe educational environments.

Benefits

Equal Opportunities Employer

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• At least five years' experience in a senior leadership role.
• Sound knowledge of current safeguarding and child protection practices.
• Ability to manage financial resources effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage well-being and protection services.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding legislation.
• Develop and lead policy for child protection and safeguarding.

Skills

Leadership skills

Knowledge of safeguarding legislation

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Education

Professional social work qualification

Job description

Job Description

Responsible to: Assistant Director of Pupil Well-being and Protection

Responsible for: Providing strategic leadership in relation to child and adult protection, safeguarding and inclusion; developing and leading all aspects of assigned services including the Child Protection Support Service (CPSS) and Inter-cultural Education Service (IES) (under Review); Lead Social Worker.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this job is to ensure that the Education Authority (EA) fulfils legal, professional, and inter-agency obligations relating to child and adult safeguarding, and the inclusion of pupils, through the development, updating and implementation of safeguarding, protection and inclusion policy, procedures, and practice standards across the education sector, including schools, EOTAS, and youth settings. The post holder will manage and lead a series of assigned services, including the Child Protection Support Service and Inter-cultural Education Service (under review), taking a rights-based approach to effective service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Service Leadership/Management

• Lead and manage assigned well-being and protection services, including CPSS and IES, ensuring continuous service improvement, high quality service delivery and assurance
• Act as the EA’s Lead Social Worker, ensure that social workers employed by the EA are compliant with Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) standards, including supervision, training, practice and documentation
• Promote rights, welfare, privacy, and consent in all safeguarding, protection and inclusion functions
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that allegations of child and adult abuse and neglect are dealt with in adherence to legislation, EA policy, procedures and due process
• Support multi-disciplinary / inter-agency assessments and action planning to ensure organizational and professional learning in relation to safeguarding, protection and inclusion; including Case Management Reviews, Individual Agency Reviews and Domestic Homicide Reviews
• Develop staff through professional development that enhances skillsets, capacity and competence
• Work collaboratively to promote trauma informed approaches
• Monitor and demonstrate service impact and pupil outcomes using Outcomes Based Accountability Framework
• Facilitate the EA Safeguarding in Education Forum (education sector)
• Manage staff, budgets, and resources equitably and effectively

Strategic Planning & Policy Influence

• Ensure EA meets child and adult safeguarding and protection, and inclusion statutory obligations
• Lead policy development and ensure up-to-date safeguarding, protection and inclusion policies
• Ensure that the EA training framework for child and adult protection, safeguarding and inclusion is responsive to the needs of the education sector
• Translate strategic objectives into directorate, division and service plans and targets
• Promote participation of stakeholders in service planning
• Represent EA on SBNI multi-agency fora and other strategic planning and policy groups as required
• Ensure regular reporting and assurances to the Directorate Management Team, Corporate Leadership team and EA Board members and Committees on child and adult safeguarding, protection and inclusion, including emerging issues, trends and demand

Corporate Leadership & Management

• Promote EA values and contribute to a positive corporate culture
• Provide expert and informed social work opinion and influence
• Ensure CPSS and IES services align with EA policies and governance, including audit and risk management
• Collaborate across directorates to address matters relating to safeguarding, protection and inclusion
• Deliver high-quality reports to EA leadership and stakeholders as required
• Manage staff performance, wellbeing, supervision, and development
• Lead disciplinary, capability and complaints procedures as needed
• Engage with key stakeholders including schools, trade unions and public representatives

Service Development & Quality Assurance

• Develop and deliver specialist services to promote educational access
• Promote reflective practice
• Review and update policies and procedures for regional service delivery
• Facilitate inter-agency work and share best practices and lessons learned
• Keep designated safeguarding professionals in schools informed and engaged
• Implement ICT systems for monitoring and reporting
• Promote efficiency and evaluate resource use
• Identify and secure funding for innovative projects, contributing to business cases as required

Training & Workforce Development

• Oversee child and adult safeguarding, protection and inclusion training programme, resources and online content
• Lead recruitment and retention of professional and administrative staff
• Ensure induction, supervision, and professional development meet regulatory and best practice standards
• Facilitate appropriate regulated post-qualifying training

Governance & Financial Management

• Ensure robust governance and financial controls
• Monitor budgets and ensure value for money
• Evaluate financial implications of service models
• Act as budget holder and authorised signatory
• Manage physical resources effectively

Partnership Working

• Build partnerships with DE, schools, health and social care trusts, and other agencies
• Ensure regular consultation with service users, including children and parents
• Influence partners to improve service effectiveness
• Ensure information relating to safeguarding, protection and inclusion service information is easily accessible on the EA website and support EA communication strategies

Other Duties

• Comply with EA policies and undertake additional duties as required
• Promote equality and good relations in line with Section 75 of the NI Act (1998)

Person Specification and Applicant Guidance

NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS

1. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
2. You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
3. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
4. Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
5. Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
6. In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form on how you meet any desirable criteria.

Section 1 - Essential Criteria

The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.

Factor Essential Criteria Method of Assessment Qualifications/ Experience

Hold a professional social work qualification and be registered or provide evidence of their application to register with NISCC.

Have a minimum of five years’ experience working in a senior leadership role.

Have experience of business planning, service development informed by evidence and data analytics, and the management of financial resources within a senior leadership role.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Knowledge Sound professional knowledge of current safeguarding and child protection practice opportunities and challenges within the Education Sector including legislation, regulations, guidance and inter-agency arrangements.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Skills/ Abilities

Demonstrable commitment to continuous personal and professional development.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Other

The successful candidate will be required:

to have access to a suitable vehicle (appropriately maintained and insured for Education Authority business) that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion;

OR

be able to provide sufficient information on the application form that will satisfy the employer that he/she has access to an appropriate alternative form of transport that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Section 2 - Essential Criteria

The following are additional essential criteria which will be measured during the interview/selection stage in line with EA’s Game Changing People Model.

We will look for evidence of:

• Excellent leadership and management skills to build a high performing team.
• Achievement against challenging targets through the engagement of teams and solving problems through informed decision making under pressure in sensitive circumstances.
• Ability to champion EA strategic priorities, support the delivery of change and drive service improvement
• Strong communicator with proven skills to engage across a range of stakeholders, demonstrating successful impact.

Values Orientation

• Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect EA’s ethos and values. You will find information about our Values here.

Section 3 - Desirable Criteria

Some or all of the desirable criteria may be applied by the Selection Panel in order to determine a manageable pool of candidates. Desirable criteria will be applied in the order listed. You should make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet the desirable criteria, as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.

Desirable Criteria Have taken a lead role in the introduction of a new service or implementation of a significant service change to achieve better outcomes.

Our Values

Through the selection process we will also seek evidence that the personal values of candidates align with those of the EA. This will include evidence of commitment to equality and excellence in service delivery. These reflect our aim which is to meet the needs of all our children and young people equally, removing barriers to learning and ensuring equality of access to excellent education services so that every child can develop to his or her full potential.

DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’.

In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you will be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.

Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice.

APPLICANT GUIDANCE NOTES

To view the applicant guidance notes, please click here.

To learn about the many great benefits of joining the Education Authority, click here

The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.