Designated Safeguarding Lead

Job title: Designated Safeguarding Lead
Job purpose: We are seeking an experienced, professional and child-centred Designated Safeguarding Lead to take operational responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the school. This is a non-teaching role and would suit a candidate with a strong social work background,
Reporting to: Head
Hours: Full time (40 hours per week), all year round. Some flexibility will be required to attend meetings, case conferences, training or other safeguarding-related activity outside normal working hours where necessary.
Required: As soon as possible
Salary: £40,800 per annum FTE
Benefits: Generous pension scheme. Free lunch on site during term time. Annual flu jabs, online EAP service and counselling. Training and development support. Parking on site.
Closing Date: Monday 1 June 2026 at 9am. Please note that applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the recruitment may close ahead of this date, if the right candidate has been found.

We are seeking an experienced, professional and child-centred Designated Safeguarding Lead to take operational responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the school. This is a non-teaching role and would suit a candidate with a strong social work background, together with the judgement, resilience and interpersonal skills required to work effectively with stakeholders from young children to adults in a busy independent school environment.

The successful candidate will lead on day-to-day safeguarding practice, ensuring that concerns are identified, recorded, assessed and managed appropriately, and that the school’s safeguarding arrangements remain robust, responsive and fully compliant. The role will require close and highly collaborative working with the school’s pastoral team, particularly the Deputy Head Pastoral, to provide the teacher-led and educational input in relation to pupils’ wider pastoral care, behaviour, attendance and school-based support. The Designated Safeguarding Lead will bring specialist safeguarding expertise, including risk assessment, statutory liaison, case management and multi-agency working, complementing and strengthening the school’s provision.

The postholder will provide expert advice and support to staff and families, maintain effective safeguarding records, liaise with children’s social care and other external agencies as required, support staff training and awareness, and promote a strong safeguarding culture across the school. The role will be based on a full-time, all year-round contract, although some flexibility may be possible for the right candidate around a term time or term time plus pattern.

This role offers a particularly attractive opportunity for the right candidate seeking to apply their safeguarding expertise within a supportive school environment. The position provides the chance to focus on high-quality, child-centred safeguarding practice, collaborative decision-making and preventative work. Benefits include a strong emphasis on work–life balance, access to high-quality professional development, and the opportunity to work as part of a committed and experienced pastoral team. In addition, the successful postholder will be eligible for the school’s 50% fee discount, lunch in term time and a generous pension scheme.

Job Specification

Safeguarding leadership and case management

• Lead on the day-to-day operation of safeguarding and child protection procedures across the school.
• Act as the first point of contact for safeguarding concerns and child protection matters.
• Receive, assess, review and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, ensuring that actions are timely, proportionate and in the best interests of the child.
• Maintain oversight of safeguarding cases, including early help, child in need, child protection, low-level concerns where relevant, and pupils with complex vulnerabilities.
• Make referrals to children’s social care, the LADO, the police and other agencies, as appropriate.
• Work in accordance with Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) procedures, thresholds and local safeguarding arrangements.
• Attend and contribute to safeguarding meetings, strategy discussions, child protection conferences, core groups, team around the child meetings and other multi-agency forums as required.
• Ensure safeguarding concerns are recorded clearly, accurately and confidentially, and that case records are maintained to a high standard.
• Monitor patterns, themes and emerging risks, taking appropriate action and escalating concerns where necessary.
• Lead, Oversee and Co-ordinate the school’s response to contextual safeguarding concerns, abuse and neglect, child on child abuse, online safety concerns, exploitation, domestic abuse, mental health and early help, attendance/missing education and multi agency working.

Collaborative working with the pastoral team

• Work in close partnership with the Deputy Head Pastoral and wider pastoral team to ensure a joined-up approach to pupil welfare, wellbeing and protection.
• Provide the specialist safeguarding, child protection and multi-agency perspective within pastoral decision-making.
• Complement the teacher-led pastoral oversight provided by pastoral leaders, ensuring that educational, behavioural and pastoral support is informed by robust safeguarding expertise.
• Contribute to pastoral meetings, case review meetings and strategy discussions concerning vulnerable pupils.
• Support colleagues in understanding safeguarding thresholds, professional curiosity, information-sharing and appropriate next steps when concerns arise.
• Help ensure that safeguarding risk management sits coherently alongside wider pastoral planning and support for pupils and families.
• Act as the School’s Attendance Lead and work with the Attendance Officers and pastoral team to meet statutory expectations, working alongside the Mental Health Lead to manage lead of EBSNA situations that link to Safeguarding and spot any emerging trends.

Advice, guidance and staff support

• Provide advice and guidance to staff on safeguarding concerns, child protection procedures and appropriate professional responses.
• Support staff in identifying signs of abuse, neglect, exploitation and other forms of harm.
• Promote a strong safeguarding culture in which concerns are recognised early, recorded appropriately and acted upon.
• Offer support and challenge where needed to ensure that safeguarding responsibilities are understood and carried out effectively across the school.
• Lead on safeguarding induction for new staff, volunteers and contractors as appropriate.
• Assist in planning and delivering safeguarding training and updates for staff, so that safeguarding knowledge remains current and embedded in practice.

Liaison with parents, carers and external agencies

• Build constructive professional relationships with parents and carers, where appropriate, while ensuring that the needs and safety of the child remain paramount.
• Liaise effectively with children’s social care, health professionals, CAMHS, early help services, the police, local safeguarding partners and other relevant external agencies.
• Support communication and coordination between the school and external professionals involved in safeguarding or family support work.
• Ensure that referrals, reports and professional communications are timely, accurate and of a high standard.
• Advocate appropriately for pupils and families in accessing support and intervention.

Policy, compliance and safeguarding systems

• Lead the ongoing review and implementation of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice across the school.
• Help ensure that safeguarding arrangements reflect statutory guidance, best practice and the expectations of the independent school sector.
• Maintain effective safeguarding systems, including secure record-keeping, chronology management, monitoring arrangements and transfer of files where required.
• Contribute to safeguarding audits, inspections, reviews and compliance activity.
• Support the maintenance of appropriate safeguarding documentation and evidence.
• Work closely with senior leaders to identify areas for development and strengthen safeguarding practice across the school.

Pupil support and safeguarding culture

• Build trusted professional relationships with pupils, enabling them to feel heard, supported and safe.
• Support vulnerable pupils and those who may need additional protection, monitoring or coordinated intervention.
• Promote a safeguarding culture in which pupils know how to seek help and understand that concerns will be taken seriously.
• Contribute to safeguarding education and awareness, as appropriate, in collaboration with pastoral and teaching colleagues.
• Ensure their own safeguarding knowledge and skills are updated at least annually, in line with statutory guidance, including through appropriate refresher training and professional briefings.

Administration

• Maintain and enhance safeguarding files, logs, records and reporting systems on the school systems including CPOMS, in an organised, accurate and confidential manner.
• Prepare reports, summaries and safeguarding information for senior leaders, governors or external professionals as required.
• Assist with the administration and coordination of safeguarding meetings, referrals, reviews and follow-up actions.
• Carry out other duties that support the smooth and effective operation of safeguarding within the school.

Duties of all staff

• Play a full part in the life of the school community, supporting its mission, ethos and policies.
• Set high personal standards of dress and appearance, attendance/punctuality and class discipline/behaviour, upholding the staff code of conduct at all times.
• Actively engage in safeguarding practice and health and safety awareness around the school sites.
• Commit to personal professional development, including active engagement in staff training and the performance review process.
• Comply with relevant school policies and procedures at all times.

This job description should be seen as enabling rather than prescriptive and will be subject to regular review as the needs of the School evolve. You will be required to undertake other comparable duties as the Head or senior colleague may require from time to time.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional qualification in social work, with current or previous registration as a social worker, or equivalent substantial professional safeguarding experience grounded in statutory child protection practice.
• Evidence of relevant safeguarding training and continuing professional development.
• A good standard of general education.

Experience

Essential:
• Significant experience of safeguarding and child protection work with children and families.
• Experience of working within, or very closely alongside, statutory safeguarding systems, including children’s social care and multi-agency safeguarding processes.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding thresholds, risk assessment, referrals and case management.
• Experience of writing clear, accurate and professional records, reports and referrals.
• Experience of liaising effectively with a wide range of professionals and agencies.
• Experience of handling highly sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and sound judgement.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Ability to build credibility and work collaboratively with school staff, including senior leaders and pastoral colleagues.
• Confident IT user with experience of digital record-keeping systems, email and standard office software.

Desirable:
• Experience of working in a school or educational setting.
• Experience of acting as a Designated Safeguarding Lead or deputy safeguarding lead.
• Knowledge of safeguarding practice in the independent school sector.
• Experience of delivering training or guidance to staff.
• Understanding of pastoral systems and the ways in which safeguarding intersects with behaviour, attendance, SEND, mental health and family support.

Competencies

• Ability to communicate professionally, calmly and effectively with pupils, parents, colleagues and external professionals.
• Ability to exercise sound judgement, especially in complex or sensitive safeguarding situations.
• Strong IT skills, with the ability to use CPOMS (or similar systems) to manage and report on confidential information with confidence and accuracy.
• High levels of emotional resilience, professional curiosity and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team while maintaining ownership of specialist responsibilities.
• Ability to challenge constructively, escalate concerns appropriately and maintain a child-centred focus at all times.
• Commitment to equal opportunities, safeguarding and high professional standards.
• Ability to build trust and credibility with pupils, families and colleagues.
• Flexibility, discretion and a strong sense of professional accountability.
• A reflective approach to practice and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Danes Hill School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We expect all staff to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to the receipt of an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and medical clearance, and other statutory checks. Online checks of publicly available information will be carried out for shortlisted candidates, in line with the school’s safer recruitment procedures.