Safeguarding Network is an exciting company providing safeguarding support and training to organisations working with children and adults at risk. Established in 2017 we were concerned that there was an increasing pressure on safeguarding leads within organisations. Coupled with this was a requirement that organisations fill the void left by decreasing social care budgets, with little by way of support, particularly when something is not deemed to meet the social care thresholds. Safeguarding Network was therefore designed to reduce this burden and to support organisations to build confidence in safeguarding.
As we continue to grow our business, we are now recruiting self-employed Associate Consultants to provide direct support to early years settings, schools, colleges and other educational/care organisations. We now have a strong reputation for safeguarding expertise and experience, promoting positive practice around CPD and supervision across the sector and aim to be able to meet the needs of our customers and continue to improve the lives of children and young people.
We work with schools and other organisations whose leaders also require supervision and support in their strategic senior leadership safeguarding role. Applications to become Associate Consultants are also invited from leaders with experience in holding a strategic senior post within education, health and social care.
Reporting to Supervision Service Manager our highly experienced Associate Consultants will build relationships with and provide external safeguarding supervision to Designated Safeguarding Leads and other key personnel, deliver training and undertake quality assurance work as required. Safeguarding Consultants will possess a strong safeguarding track record, a relevant qualification and demonstrate a passion and belief in the rights of children and young people.
Benefits
- £40 per hour
- Flexible working hours
- Flexible working base
- Family friendly, inclusive approach
- Strong staff engagement in company development
- Regular supervision and support
- Children’s rights centred company with strong value base
- Exciting time to join a small and growing company
Key roles
Supervision
- Develop safeguarding supervision agreements with education settings and offer regular, high quality safeguarding supervision in line with these agreements
- Respond to safeguarding queries within working hours providing advice and support as necessary followed by a clear written record the same day where required or within 48 hours
- Provide sound professional advice in line with the law, regulations, guidance and good practice as well as escalating concerns where necessary in line with safeguarding children partnership policies and within Safeguarding Network
- Provide a written record of supervision to the supervisee within 5 working days
- Attend and contribute effectively to your own supervision and raise issues from the education settings you supervise in a timely and considered manner
- Where agreed, travel to deliver supervision on site (it is expected most supervision will be delivered remotely)
- Contribute to individual appraisals, support the setting in strategic safeguarding development and provide thematic feedback
- Assist the Safeguarding Network management team in identifying themes and common areas of need across DSLs to aid business development
Training
- Develop and deliver safeguarding training courses including, but not limited to, whole school safeguarding training, DSL training and subject specific training.
- Create dynamic and interactive training content both online and face-to-face that meets the learning objectives of the commissioners and learners with an emphasis on the lived experience of the child and the child’s voice
- Reach high standards of quality, always aiming to achieve good or excellent feedback and wherever possible, measurable impact for children and young people
Consultancy & quality assurance
- To undertake audits and quality assurance visits as requested
- To visit settings to observe culture and practice, review policies, inspect recording, interview staff, leaders and young people in confidence
- To undertake a structured approach to planning an audit, undertaking a visit and producing a report
- To provide honest and constructive feedback to organisations in a manner which builds their capacity to keep children safe and keep improving
- To produce high quality written reports within 5 working days of a visit to be quality assured internally before being sent to the customer.
General
- Safeguarding Network works in close collaboration with its sister company dialogue who offer similar services to children’s homes and residential schools. The post holder may be expected to deliver similar services, including quality assurance work, on behalf of dialogue
- Work within a strong equalities framework that provides personal challenge for trainees, supervisees, organisations and themselves while creating a safe, respectful working environment
- To act promptly on safeguarding issues, encouraging and supporting organisations to take the appropriate action and, where necessary, taking action themselves in line with the agreements and local procedures to keep people safe from harm
- There are flexible working arrangements for this post which allow the postholder to work from home and agree suitable hours. It should be noted supervision often takes place between 3:30pm and 6:30pm in line with customers’ needs.
- The post will require some travel when services cannot be provided remotely. The postholder may be required to travel to our head office in Devon at regular intervals. Travel and expenses will be reimbursed at the month end or arranged by the company in advance
- Safeguarding Network is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive approach to safeguarding children
- As this post may involve unsupervised inspection and audit work in children focused settings it requires an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check. Safeguarding Network is committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and follow a safer recruitment process.
