Safeguarding Development Officer (Job Share Opportunity), 14.8 hpw

South Tyneside Council; South Shields; Hybrid; GBP 14,000 - 19,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Learning opportunities

Job summary

South Tyneside Council is seeking a part-time Safeguarding Development Officer to support the Safeguarding Children Partnership and Safeguarding Adults Board. Working 14.8 hours on Mondays and Tuesdays within a job-share arrangement, you will help deliver safeguarding priorities across the partnership and contribute to improvement activity.

The role involves policy development, audits, performance analysis and cross‑agency collaboration, with hybrid working and opportunities to engage with

Qualifications

• Good understanding of safeguarding children and/or adults.
• Experience of partnership working across organisational boundaries.
• Experience of quality assurance, audit, performance analysis or service improvement.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
• Ability to interpret complex information and present it clearly to different audiences.
• Experience of developing policies, procedures or strategic plans.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to work independently whilst contributing effectively as part of a small team.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the planning, development and delivery of safeguarding partnership priorities.
• Leading and supporting multi-agency audits, quality assurance activity and assurance reviews.
• Supporting the analysis and interpretation of safeguarding performance information.
• Coordinating and contributing to partnership improvement activity.
• Developing, reviewing and implementing policies, procedures and guidance.
• Monitoring and responding to national safeguarding developments, legislation and statutory guidance.
• Producing reports, briefings, business plans and annual reports.
• Supporting learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews, Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews and other review activity.
• Working with partners to identify strengths, risks, challenges and areas for improvement.
• Supporting the delivery of Board, Executive Group and Subgroup business.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with safeguarding partners across South Tyneside and beyond.
• Promoting a culture of learning, challenge and continuous improvement across the safeguarding system.
• No two days are the same. One day you may be analysing audit findings and supporting assurance activity, while the next you could be developing partnership policy, coordinating improvement work or supporting strategic discussions with senior safeguarding leaders.

Skills

Safeguarding knowledge

Partnership working

Analytical skills

Report writing

Communication skills

Independence

Organisational skills

Job description

About the role

This is a permanent part-time post working 14.8 hours per week on Mondays and Tuesdays as part of an established job-share arrangement. The postholder will work alongside an existing Safeguarding Development Officer, ensuring consistent support is provided across the week to both the South Tyneside Safeguarding Children Partnership (SCP) and South Tyneside Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB). This is not a role where responsibilities are divided into separate areas of work. Instead, both postholders work collaboratively across the full range of duties, ensuring continuity of service, shared ownership of priorities and a seamless approach to partnership activity.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the planning, development and delivery of safeguarding partnership priorities.
• Leading and supporting multi-agency audits, quality assurance activity and assurance reviews.
• Supporting the analysis and interpretation of safeguarding performance information.
• Coordinating and contributing to partnership improvement activity.
• Developing, reviewing and implementing policies, procedures and guidance.
• Monitoring and responding to national safeguarding developments, legislation and statutory guidance.
• Producing reports, briefings, business plans and annual reports.
• Supporting learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews, Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews and other review activity.
• Working with partners to identify strengths, risks, challenges and areas for improvement.
• Supporting the delivery of Board, Executive Group and Subgroup business.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with safeguarding partners across South Tyneside and beyond.
• Promoting a culture of learning, challenge and continuous improvement across the safeguarding system.
• No two days are the same. One day you may be analysing audit findings and supporting assurance activity, while the next you could be developing partnership policy, coordinating improvement work or supporting strategic discussions with senior safeguarding leaders.

Benefits

• You will become part of a highly respected safeguarding business unit that plays a key role in supporting strategic safeguarding arrangements across South Tyneside.
• A rewarding and meaningful role that contributes to improving outcomes for children, young people and adults.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• A supportive and collaborative team environment.
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities.
• The opportunity to work alongside senior leaders and partners across the safeguarding system.

Selection Process

• Assessment Exercise: Candidates will be asked to complete a short exercise based on a realistic safeguarding partnership scenario. This will assess the ability to analyse information, identify key themes and risks, consider appropriate actions, and present findings clearly and proportionately.
• Panel Interview: Candidates will attend a competency-based interview with representatives from the Safeguarding Children Partnership and Safeguarding Adults Board. The interview will explore previous experience and behaviours relevant to the role, including:
• Partnership working and relationship building.
• Safeguarding knowledge and understanding.
• Quality assurance, audit and performance activity.
• Policy and procedure development.
• Learning and improvement.
• Communication and influencing skills.
• Working effectively within a job-share arrangement.
• Young People’s Panel: Candidates will meet with a panel of young people who have experience of contributing to participation and improvement activity across South Tyneside. This session will provide candidates with an opportunity to demonstrate their communication skills, values and commitment to putting the voices, experiences and outcomes of children and young people at the centre of safeguarding practice. The young people’s panel will have an opportunity to provide feedback to the interview panel as part of the overall selection process.

Qualifications and Experience

• A good understanding of safeguarding children and/or adults.
• Experience of partnership working across organisational boundaries.
• Experience of quality assurance, audit, performance analysis or service improvement.
• Strong analytical and report‑writing skills.
• The ability to interpret complex information and present it clearly to different audiences.
• Experience of developing policies, procedures or strategic plans.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to work independently whilst contributing effectively as part of a small team.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.

We are looking for an experienced, motivated and highly organized individual to join our small, dedicated team as a Safeguarding Development Officer. We are looking for someone with experience of working within safeguarding, quality assurance, service improvement or partnership environments. If you are passionate about safeguarding, partnership working and improving outcomes for vulnerable children and adults, we would love to hear from you.

Please note that this is a strategic safeguarding role rather than a frontline operational post. Candidates should be able to demonstrate experience of partnership working, quality assurance, performance analysis, policy development, service improvement or similar activity within a safeguarding or public service environment.

Applications are welcomed from professionals with experience in children’s services, adult social care, health, education, criminal justice, community safety, housing, the voluntary sector or other safeguarding-related fields.