Designated Safeguarding Lead

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Salary: £20,000.00

Location: Chorley, Lancashire

HOURS: 8.30am – 5.30pm 

If you really want to make your mark in a rapidly growing business that is committed to improving the lives of children and young people, we have the role for you!

We now have a fantastic opportunity for a Designated Safeguarding Lead to join our close-knit team at Waterloo Lodge School in Chorley. Someone who takes a more creative approach to the wellbeing of our pupils would be perfect for this role. 

About the School

Waterloo Lodge is an independent specialist day school for boys and girls aged from 11 to 16, catering for children with a wide range of needs Lancashire, Manchester and surrounding areas. Our dedicated team work together to ensure successful outcomes for pupils who often arrive at the school with a troubled view of education and life.

We pride ourselves in steering children in the right direction, nurturing aspiration to progress them academically and socially to encourage them to take pride in their achievements. Socially, we build confidence in our students so they are able to have a greater understanding of the wider community in which they live. 

About the Group

We are part of the Acorn Care and Education Group and can promise you plenty of challenges, and a rich variety of opportunities to develop your career.

Acorn Care and Education provide education and care across 20 schools and 19 residential care homes nationally. Our vision is to build incredible futures by empowering vulnerable young people in the UK to be happy and to make their way in the world. Every day we improve the lives of thousands of young people, their families and communities through a relentless focus on caring and learning. 

About the Role

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for the safeguard of all students in the school.  You will need to ensure the highest standards are met for pupil care and welfare.  Establishing and developing in the support for the school, in raising attendance and investigating persistent absences and improve punctuality. You will also be the first port of call for staff for any concerns that they may have regarding pupils.  You will need to build good relationships with local authorities, social workers and the parents/carers of our pupils.

We are particularly interested in candidates from an SEN backgrounds. Someone who is able to take the Lead Professional and co-ordinator of multi-agency for the care and well-being of our pupils and their families. 

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a Designated Safeguarding Lead who wants to assist the Senior Leadership team in building working relationships with the Teachers and Support Workers to develop creative learning opportunities for the most reluctant and troubles learners.

No two days are the same at Waterloo Lodge so we want Teachers who can work at pace to turn ‘can’t do’ into ‘want to’ and are motivated by working with children with complex needs. You will be motivated by your belief that every child can achieve and reach their potential.  The ideal candidate will enjoy working with children in a calm and engaging demeanour, whilst being resilient using an innovative style of teaching motivated by your belief that every child can achieve and reach their potential. We want someone who places a focus on the positive outcomes of our children and takes responsibility for helping improve the lives of our young people.

Whilst previous experience of working in a SEN environment would be desirable, the most important element of this role is to ensure that child protection and safeguarding of our pupils is paramount. 

Key Accountabilities:

• Establish and maintain good working relationships in order to promote the development and effective delivery of the school curriculum and maximise children’s achievement.
• Teaching pupils according to their educational needs and acknowledging that every lesson counts.
• Creating a well-ordered and secure environment that will ensure the educational well-being of individual children within the group.
• Working with school leaders to assist in the completion to teach individual pupil plans where pupils have specific needs. 
• Contributing and cooperating with other staff and professional agencies as appropriate to the needs of the children. 

Essential Criteria

• Must be educated to degree level
• The ability to write to a good standard of literacy to include excellent report writing skills
• A professional qualification relevant to the role such as Social Worker, Teaching, Youth Worker or other equivalent qualification.
• Ability to use ICT effectively for reporting purposes
• Resilience
• Drivers Licence and access to a vehicle
• The ability to manage challenging behaviour effectively 

Why work for us?

A few reasons we think it’s a great place to work:

• Continuous professional development & training for a clear career path
• Pension
• Opportunity to enrich the lives of young people and make a positive difference
• Be part of a fantastic team who work hard together and support each other
• No two days are ever the same
• Free School Meals onsite
• “Your Wellbeing Matters”
• Employee Rewards Hub 

This position is due to commence on 2nd September 2019 (subject to approved reference and DBS checks).  

Acorn Care and Education are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All successful applicants will be subject to fully Enhanced DBS.  We expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment and strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for everyone in our care.  A full application form must be completed with all employment dates and, gaps in employment accounted for.