Deputy Designated Safeguarding and Welfare Lead

We are looking for a Deputy Designated Safeguarding and Welfare Lead to join our secondary phase at Harris Garrard Academy.

About Us

Harris Garrard Academy is an all-through 3–18 academy with approximately 1350 pupils on roll and joined the Harris Federation as a sponsored academy in September 2017. The academy is based in Thamesmead in a purpose built building. We are now on a journey towards “Outstanding”, led by highly experienced executive principals with proven track records of school transformation. Our vision is clear: nothing is impossible and everything is possible, irrespective of personal characteristics or background. Every problem has a solution. We believe we are more robust, resilient and determined as a team than as a group of individuals. We support, challenge and hold each other to account at all levels within the academy to ensure that our students achieve their potential, are motivated, engaged and fully prepared for life beyond our academy.

Dedicated to moving forward

Our vision is clear: nothing is impossible and everything is possible, irrespective of personal characteristics or background. Every problem has a solution. We believe we are more robust, resilient and determined as a team than as a group of individuals. We support, challenge and hold each other to account at all levels within the academy to ensure that our students achieve their potential, are motivated, engaged and fully prepared for life beyond our academy.

As one of Harris’s successful all-through academies, staff at all levels belong to a strong, cohesive team working with Executive Principal Chris Everett and the wider SLT team. Staff can expect to grow with us as we continue to innovate and evolve as an academy. With ample opportunity to build on CPD, your potential is limitless with us.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Training

• Work with the SLT-DSL to produce and deliver safeguarding training to all groups of staff within the Academy.

Manage referrals

• Refer cases of suspected abuse to the local authority children’s social care as required;
• Support staff who make referrals to local authority children’s social care;
• Refer cases to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern as required;
• Support staff who make referrals to the Channel programme;
• Refer cases where a crime may have been committed to the Police as required.
• Liaise with the designated person or Principal on any allegations against staff
• Oversee any allegations of Sexual Abuse or Harassment through implementing the safeguarding policy;
• Maintain and check CPOMs on a daily basis to ensure all required actions have been completed
• Reinforce the application of the safeguarding policy to all staff
• Undertake any required tasks requested by the Principal, Head of Academy or Designated Person as required
• Ensure compliance with the storage of all safeguarding matters
• Chase up referrals with external agencies to monitor progress and impact of referral
• Ensure baselines are completed at point of referral to monitor impact on child of the referral
• Attend all CORE group meetings and feedback on any relevant information from referrals
• Attend any CIN or safeguarding meeting relating to welfare or safeguarding
• Undertake a termly profile of safeguarding need and to feed this back to the senior team
• Understand the local safeguarding context for feeder boroughs.
• Participate in an annual evaluation of the safeguarding policy with the Executive Principal and DSL

Record Keeping

• Ensure robust and GDPR complaint records are retained

Work with others

• Liaise with the Principal to inform him or her of issues especially ongoing enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 and police investigations;
• As required, liaise with the “case manager” (as per Part four of KCSiE – September 2021) and the designated officer(s) at the local authority for child protection concerns in cases which concern a staff member;
• Liaise with staff (especially pastoral support staff, school nurses, IT Technicians, and SENCOs or the named person with oversight for SEN in a college) on matters of safety and safeguarding (including online and digital safety) and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies; and
• Act as a source of support, advice and expertise for all staff.
• Coordinate external safeguarding speakers on developing staff knowledge of a range of contextual safeguarding issues
• deliver staff training when required to do so
• Lead and carry out the PEP reviews for Looked after children also carry out actions such as expenditure of PEP Funds.  Attend LAC reviews as and when required.
• Assist and attend Designated Teachers Forum at Bexley
• Lead contact for School Nurse – Counselling services – School police – Gangs violence unit – Missing Children Unit – LAC teams Bexley Greenwich. Track and monitor requests.
• Support and implement the Listening Ear holidays project
• Carry out home visits travel between sites Local Authorities-Agencies

For a full job description, please download the Job Pack.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum of five years’ experience in a Deputy DSL role within a school or other organisation that deals with children and young adults
• Safeguarding qualification at Level 3
• Diploma in Social work with children and Families at Level 4
• Detailed knowledge and experience of current relevant legislation, policy, practice, guidance and good safeguarding practice.
• Willingness to attend further training, as required by the Academy
• Ability to keep up to date with legislative, policy and guidance developments in safeguarding
• Ability to identify examples of poor practice and raise concerns promptly and coherently through the senior team DSL and/or Principal. .
• Experience of creating and maintaining robust and GDPR compliant safeguarding records, manual and computerised.
• Good ICT skills and the ability to write concise summary reports regarding safeguarding issues and associated interventions.
• Experience of developing and maintaining effective relationships and liaison with outside agencies and families, focusing at all time of the welfare of the child.
• Experience of using problem solving skills to ensure the best outcomes for the child are achieved.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.