: designated safeguarding lead (DSL)
Lancashire Alternative Provision is committed to creating a diverse workforce. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, religion, belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, age, disability, marriage or civil partnership.
Job details
Salary:
Hours: 9:30 - 2:30 Monday - Friday
Contract type: Permanent
Reporting to: Head Teacher/Director
Main purpose
The DSL will take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the school (including online safety and understanding the filtering and monitoring systems in place).
They will take part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings, and contribute to the assessment of children.
They will advise and support other members of staff on child welfare, safeguarding and child protection matters, and liaise with relevant agencies such as the local authority and police.
Some safeguarding activities may be delegated to deputies, but the DSL will retain ultimate lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection.
Duties and responsibilities
Managing referrals
* Refer cases of suspected abuse and neglect to the local authority children’s social care
* Support staff who make referrals to the local authority children’s social care
* Refer cases to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern
* Support staff who make referrals to the Channel programme
* Refer cases to the Disclosure and Barring Service where a person is dismissed or leaves due to risk or harm to a child
* Refer cases to the police where a crime may have been committed
* Add any other duties of particular relevance to your school
Working with staff and other agencies
* Act as a source of support, advice and expertise for all staff
* Act as a point of contact with the safeguarding partners
* Inform the headteacher of safeguarding issues, especially ongoing enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 and police investigations, and the requirement for pupils to have an appropriate adult
* Liaise with the case manager and the local authority designated officer(s) (LADO) for child protection concerns in cases which concern a staff member
* Liaise with staff on matters of safety, safeguarding and welfare (including online and digital safety), and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies so that children’s needs are considered holistically
* Liaise with the senior mental health lead and, where available, the mental health support team, where safeguarding concerns are linked to mental health
* Promote supportive engagement with parents and/or carers in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including where families may be facing challenging circumstances
* Work with the headteacher and relevant strategic leads, taking lead responsibility for promoting educational outcomes by:
* Knowing the welfare, safeguarding and child protection issues that children in need are experiencing, or have experienced
* Identifying the impact that these issues might be having on children’s attendance, engagement and achievement at school
The above includes:
* Ensuring the school knows which children have or have had a social worker, understanding their academic progress and attainment, and maintaining a culture of high aspirations for this cohort
* Supporting teaching staff to provide additional academic support and/or reasonable adjustments to help these children reach their potential
Managing the child protection file
* Ensure child protection files are kept up to date
* Keep information confidential and store it securely
* Make sure records include:
* A clear and comprehensive summary of the concern
* Details of how the concern was followed up and resolved
* A note of any action taken, decisions reached and the outcome
* Ensure files are only accessed by those who need to see them, and that where a file or content within it is shared, this happens in line with information sharing advice as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)
* Where children leave the school (including in-year transfers):
* Ensure their child protection file is securely transferred to the new school as soon as possible, separately from the main pupil file, with a receipt of confirmation, and within the specified time set out in KCSIE
* Consider whether it would be appropriate to share any additional information with the new school before the child leaves, to help it put appropriate support in place
Understanding the views of children
* Encourage a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, among all staff, and in any measures the school may put in place to protect them
* Understand the difficulties that children may have in approaching staff about their circumstances and consider how to build trusted relationships which facilitate communication
The DSL will be required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, and follow school policies and the staff code of conduct.
During term time, the DSL should always be available during school hours for staff in the school to discuss any safeguarding concerns. Ideally this will be in person, but can also be via phone or video call in exceptional circumstances.
Please note that this list of duties is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the DSL will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role.
Person specification
Qualifications
and training
* GCSE (or equivalent) in English and maths
* Degree
Experience
* Experience of managing safeguarding in a school or other relevant organisation, including:
* Working and communicating effectively with relevant agencies
* Implementing and encouraging good safeguarding practice throughout a large team of people
* Demonstrable evidence of developing and implementing strategies to help children and their families
* Experience of handling large amounts of sensitive data and upholding the principles of confidentiality
Skills and knowledge
* Expert knowledge of legislation and guidance on safeguarding and working with young people, including knowledge of the responsibilities of schools and other agencies
* Ability to work with a range of people with the aim of ensuring the safety and welfare of children
* Awareness of local and national agencies that provide support for children and their families
* Excellent record keeping skills
* Good IT skills,
* Effective communication and interpersonal skills
* Ability to communicate a vision and inspire others
* Ability to build effective working relationships with staff and other stakeholders