Purpose of the Role

To provide strategic leadership, direction and oversight for all safeguarding and child protection practices across the organisation. The postholder will be the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and will hold responsibility for ensuring compliance with statutory safeguarding frameworks, embedding a trauma-informed culture and managing effective multi-agency working. This is a senior leadership role with operational accountability and strategic influence over school improvement and risk management.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Safeguarding Leadership:
Develop and lead the safeguarding strategy across school sites, outreach, and therapeutic provision.
Advise Governors and SLT on safeguarding performance, risks, trends, and compliance.
Lead on whole-school culture, policies and practice related to safety, wellbeing, and trauma-informed education.

2. Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Responsibilities:
Act as the primary DSL with overarching responsibility for referrals, risk assessments, and safeguarding records.
Oversee and quality assure safeguarding and CP processes across multiple teams.
Respond to safeguarding allegations, concerns, and disclosures, ensuring timely escalation.

3. Team Leadership and Line Management:
Lead and develop a multidisciplinary safeguarding and wellbeing team, including social workers, family support, pastoral and therapeutic staff.
Provide professional supervision and appraisal for direct reports.
Build capacity across the DSL and Deputy DSL team.

4. Therapeutic Practice & Systemic Oversight:
Champion emotionally informed practice, regulation strategies and psychological safety for students and staff.
Lead on training and implementation of relational approaches across all staff groups.
Support crisis planning and reintegration for students at risk of exclusion or placement breakdown.

5. Multiagency and External Liaison:
Act as lead liaison with social care, CAMHS, police, LADO and local authority teams.
Represent the school in child protection conferences, strategy meetings, and LAC reviews.
Lead multiagency planning and contribute to Early Help and MASH processes.

6. Data, Compliance and Quality Assurance:
Maintain accurate and confidential records on all safeguarding concerns and interventions.
Complete audits, quality assurance processes and compliance reports for governors, SLT and Ofsted.
Monitor patterns in concerns, referrals, attendance, exclusions, and other vulnerability indicators.

7. Policy and Practice Development:
Lead the review and development of safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, and wellbeing policies.
Ensure policies are embedded, understood and consistently applied across the school.
Prepare for and lead on regulatory inspections relating to safeguarding (Ofsted, LA, etc).

8. Training and Capacity Building:
Design and deliver training for staff and governors in line with statutory requirements.
Maintain and update training logs and safeguarding induction processes.
Support other leaders to develop trauma-informed practices in their areas.

The role requires a highly experienced safeguarding professional with the ability to balance direct operational response with strategic planning and culture change. Emotional resilience, integrity, and high-level interpersonal skills are essential.

Person Specification

Essential

• Professionally qualified social worker (SWE registered) or senior safeguarding professional with equivalent status and credibility, able to operate at strategic and multi-agency levels.
  At least 2 years’ experience in management or leadership role
• Strong understanding of safeguarding law and statutory frameworks
• Skilled in multiagency working and child protection case management
• Excellent communication, supervision, and decision-making skills
• Full Driving licence, and car available for work

Desirable

• Experience in an SEMH or specialist education setting
• Supervision qualification or trauma-informed training
• Experience of Ofsted or regulatory inspections

The duties and responsibilities outlined in this job description are indicative and not exhaustive. The post holder may be required to undertake other tasks and duties reasonably requested by management to meet the needs of the organisation. This job description will be reviewed periodically and may be amended in consultation with the post holder.

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities

Raise Education & Wellbeing School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. All post-holders are subject to an enhanced DBS check and must comply with the school’s safer recruitment and safeguarding policies.

Please return the complete application form to HR@Raise-school.co.uk

How to apply

1. Firstly, please download the Person Specification/Job Description and Candidate Information Pack using the buttons above.
2. Ensure you read the documents and ensure that you meet the criteria of the Person Specification.
3. Please download and read the Privacy Policy for Applicants.
4. Download the Application Form, fill in and email the completed form to HR@Raise-school.co.uk

Please note: We do not accept CVs.

What Ofsted said about our school:

“Pupils enjoy attending this school. They like the wide range of experiences in which they can participate and the way staff help them to succeed. The school’s curriculum is ambitious for all pupils and reflects the school’s ethos. It has been designed to help pupils to overcome their considerable barriers to learning”.

Raise the Youth Foundation CIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, sex, marital status, disability, or age. All applicants are considered based on their merits and abilities for the job. All posts are subject to enhanced DBS checks. We operate a strict safeguarding policy which is consistently and rigorously applied.