Lead Safeguarding Officer

Manchester Enterprise Academy; Wythenshawe; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Manchester Enterprise Academy seeks a Lead Safeguarding Officer to lead the safeguarding provision and team, ensuring student wellbeing and protection in line with statutory requirements. The role is Grade 7, full-time at 35 hours per week, term-time plus 5 INSET days and 2 weeks. Starting salary £34,882 with FTE £38,510.

The appointment is expected January 2027. You will monitor referrals, coordinate with multi-agencies, support staff and parents, and drive safeguarding training and statutory

Qualifications

• Excellent numeracy and literacy skills.
• Experience knowledge and understanding of current safeguarding legislation and guidance.
• Experience working with multi-agency colleagues on sensitive and confidential cases.
• Ability to manage a range of tasks and a large caseload with a methodical approach.
• Commitment to equality, diversity and safeguarding standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead monitoring and evaluation of children at risk from harm and liaise with multi-agencies or social services as needed.
• Advise and support staff on child protection disclosures and work with pastoral teams to monitor at-risk looked after children.
• Ensure safeguarding processes are in place to overcome barriers to learning for vulnerable students.
• Liaise with parents/carers and staff following safeguarding protocols and disclosures.
• Coordinate safeguarding support for Looked After Children and other vulnerable students.
• Manage and monitor caseloads of children on Child Protection Plans.
• Lead Personal Education Plans for Looked After Children within agreed timescales.
• Convene and represent the school at Child Protection and Looked After Children meetings.
• Develop, implement and teach the Penn Resilience programme in school.
• Review and produce analyses/reports on Looked After Children and at-risk students as required.

Skills

Numeracy

Literacy

Communication skills

Multi-agency collaboration

Discretion/confidentiality

Independent working

Education

Safeguarding qualification

Job description

We currently have an exciting opportunity for Lead Safeguarding Officer within our team at Manchester Enterprise Academy (MEA)

This is a Grade 7, permanent full-time role working 35 hours per week, term time only plus 5 INSET days + 2 weeks. The starting salary is £34.882 and the full time equivalent is £38,510. This role is expected to start in January 2027.

We’re looking for:

We're looking for an exceptional individual who can lead our Safeguarding team within school. The successful candidate will lead our highly effective safeguarding provision within school, promoting the well-being of student's across the school and ensuring our most vulnerable students and supported effectively.

Main purpose of the job:

You will lead the development and delivery of the schools safeguarding provision ensuring statutory and local authority procedures are effectively implemented across the school to ensure the safety and well-being of all students alongside managing the safeguarding team.

Key Responsibilities:

• To take a lead role in managing the monitoring and evaluation of children at risk from harm. To ensure information is shared with multi agencies and or a referral is made to social services for a child in need of protection
• To advise and support all staff in the event of a child protection disclosure. To work closely with the pastoral team in identifying, monitoring and supporting a child at risk and looked after children, to monitor their academic progress, emotional and social behaviour
• To ensure strategic processes are compiled with in order to overcome barriers to learning for vulnerable and looked after children
• Liaise with parents/carers and staff in the event of a disclosure or a raised child protection concern following the Common Assessment Framework
• To take a lead role in coordinating the provision of support in school for Looked After Children, vulnerable students and children at risk of harm/in need of child protection
• To take a lead role in managing and monitoring the caseloads of children placed on a Child Protection Plan
• To take the lead in ensuing Personal Education Plans for Looked After Children are completed within the agreed timescale
• To convene, lead and represent the school at Child Protection meetings and Looked After Children meetings within agreed timescales
• To develop, implement and teach the Penn Resilience programme in school
• To ensure information and data is reviewed, updated and compiled to produce analysis and reports on Looked After Children, vulnerable students, children at risk and/or on a child protection plan as required

What you will bring:

• Excellent numeracy and literacy skills and a relevant qualification / evidence of training skills.
• Experience knowledge and understanding of current relevant legislation, policy and guidance relating to Child Protection, Safeguarding, Common Assessment Framework, Children's Acts etc.
• Experience working openly and collaboratively with multi-agency colleagues regarding highly sensitive and confidential situations
• Ability to work independently, manage a range of tasks with a methodical approach to large workloads to meet deadlines and effectively manage a complex caseload
• Demonstrate a commitment to appropriate professional standards, including core policies relating to equality and diversity and child protection
• Resilience and persistence with the ability to deal with difficult situations and/or individuals in a calm, fair but effective manner
• Ability to establish and maintain positive relationships that generate confidence and respect with a variety of individuals - from students and parents to colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Effective and persuasive communicator both verbally and in writing, with the ability to produce accurate, good quality letters, reports and documentation for governors the Local Authority and other agencies

All school staff are expected to share Prospere Learning Trust’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Specific safeguarding responsibilities are detailed in the attached job description.