Student Mental Well-Being Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

We are looking for a Student Mental Well-Being Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead to work with our students at Harris Academy Peckham,  covering a variety of emotional health issues. We are looking for a strong communicator with proven skills in engaging with, inspiring and motivating, students, parents and staff. The post holder will work closely with our Vice Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead to ensure the effective safeguarding of students.

Why work at Harris Academy Peckham?

• A place where all flourish, all feel valued and where achievement is the key to success.
• An opportunity to join an ambitious academy at the heart of the local community, working with experienced and inspirational leaders towards an outstanding future.
• The combination of the traditional values of good manners, strong discipline and respect with excellent teaching.
• Generous Harris benefits package and excellent opportunities for personal and professional development.

Main Areas of Responsibility

• Ensure that each member of staff including new, support and part-time, have access to, understand and use the relevant safeguarding legislation, as well as the academy’s policy and procedures appropriately;
• Reinforce the application of legislation and the academy child protection policy to all staff;
• Ensure that the child protection policy is available publicly and to parents/carers so that they are aware that referrals about suspected abuse or neglect may be made and of the role of the school or college in this;
• Review the academy child protection policy annually (as minimum) to update procedures with the support of Governors, the Federation and the Local Authority Education Safeguarding Advisor;
• undertake any tasks requested by the Principal and Designated Safeguarding & Welfare Lead (DSWL) as required;
• Ensure confidentiality and compliance with GDPR around sharing and storage of all safeguarding information (written, electronic and verbal);
• Ensure safeguarding and Child Protection registers are kept up to date;
• Regularly attend and contribute effectively to all safeguarding meetings (Conferences, Core Group Meetings, CLA Reviews, PEPs and others) with the necessary up-to-date and accurate information;
• Have a working knowledge of how Local Authorities conduct a Child Protection Case Conference and a Child Protection Review Conference to be able to confidently contribute and challenge where required;
• Check and update CPOMs on a daily basis to ensure that any safeguarding information is shared (on a need-to-know basis only), tracked and any actions completed, in an efficient and timely manner;
• Are aware of specific needs of children, including those with special educational needs and young carers;
• Encourage a culture of listening to children and taking their wishes and feelings in to account, among all staff and in any measures the academy may put in place to protect them.
• Undertake a termly profile of safeguarding needs and feed this back to the Academy Leadership Group (ALG);
• Understand the local safeguarding context for feeder Boroughs;
• Participate in an annual evaluation of the safeguarding policy with the Principal and DSL

For further information please download the Job Description.

Qualifications & Experience

• Knowledge and experience of safeguarding legislation, policy, procedures and general good practice
• Ability to keep up to date with legislation, policy and guidance developments in safeguarding
• Willingness to attend further training, as required by the Academy
• Ability to identify examples of poor practice and raise concerns promptly and effectively to the DSL and/or Principal
• Experience of creating and maintaining robust and GDPR compliant safeguarding records, both written and electronic
• Strong ICT skills and the ability to write concise reports around safeguarding issues and associated interventions
• Experience of collaboratively working with a range of individuals of various ages, backgrounds, cultures and personalities
• Experience liaising with a range of external agencies, professionals and families, in a sensitive and professional manner, always ensuring a child-centred approach
• Experience of developing and maintaining positive relationships with adults and children, both as a team and 1:1
• Experience of using problem solving skills and challenging decisions to ensure the best outcomes for the child are achieved
• Being a highly valued and successful team member while also able to lead others
• Experience of working well under pressure and prioritising workload

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact us via e-mail, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. You will need this when completing your application.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.

We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

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.