Trust Safeguarding & Attendance Lead

Enhance Academy Trust; Bradford; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Enhance Academy Trust seeks a Trust Safeguarding & Attendance Lead to manage safeguarding provision across the Trust and oversee attendance functions. The role involves safeguarding leadership, policy implementation, and collaboration with local authorities and partner agencies to secure positive outcomes for children.

The post covers ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, coordinating with Headteachers, and supporting schools in improving pupil attendance and engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead safeguarding provision across the Trust and report to the Executive Team on safeguarding matters.
• Ensure academies comply with safeguarding obligations and staff implement procedures correctly.
• Maintain knowledge of Keeping Children Safe in Education and related legislation.
• Lead annual safeguarding reviews and due diligence checks across the Trust.

Job description

Trust Safeguarding & Attendance Lead

Enhance Academy Trust-Unit 7, The Office Campus, Paragon Business Park, Red Hall Ct, Wakefield WF1 2UY

Scale Points: NJC SCP 28 -31 (Full-time equivalent salary: £39152 - £41771 – pay award pending)

Start date: As soon as possible

Working Pattern: 32.5 hours per week / Term Time Only + 5 days

Closing Date: Friday 18th September

Key Tasks Strategic Safeguarding Leadership

• Lead safeguarding provision across the Trust, ensuring support meets the identified needs of children and families, including regular feedback and updates to the Trust’s Executive Team on safeguarding and child protection matters.
• Ensure academies comply with statutory safeguarding and child protection obligations, are held to account for effective practice, and that child protection policies and procedures are understood and implemented correctly by staff across the Trust.
• Maintain a sound understanding of education, safeguarding and child protection legislation, including Keeping Children Safe in Education. Provide specialist knowledge, skills and judgement to support child-centered decision making.
• Lead annual safeguarding reviews and due diligence checks across the Trust, providing constructive feedback to Headteachers and Safeguarding Leads.

Attendance

• Support on all statutory functions in relation to prosecutions for non-attendance, Attendance Order Proceedings for children missing education (CME) and Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs)
• Support and or produce, analyse, and report attendance data across the Trust.
• Keep abreast of changes in legislation and relevant DfE guidance.
• Develop and monitor policy and planning in relation to attendance, including the Trust’s long-term objectives and common minimum standards.
• Support schools in developing positive relationships with parents, carers and pupils to help ensure any plans in place are tailored to individual needs and encourage a holistic approach where necessary.
• At the earliest opportunity, support schools to identify and intervene in patterns of persistent absence so that these do not become established.
• Support with targeted support for identified pupils by forging relationships with parents, carers or guardians.
• Work with the families of severely absent pupils to support pupils’ return to full-time education.
• Assess problems and identify solutions by working closely with pupils, parents and carers.
• Improve links and build relationships with families to best support the pupil.

Partnership Working and Multi-Agency Engagement

• Build effective professional relationships with Local Authorities, Children’s Services and other external agencies to promote children’s educational rights and secure positive outcomes.
• Represent the Trust and support academies at multi-agency meetings concerning individual children, completing reports and relevant paperwork in line with procedures.
• Maintain a good knowledge of local inter-agency arrangements led by the three safeguarding partners and act as the Trust’s main point of contact with them.
• Develop and maintain relationships with external support agencies, liaising with stakeholders and supporting academies with referrals where appropriate.