Job title: Education Safeguarding Team Co-Manager
Salary: PO6 £49,764 - £52,805
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: Technorth
As our Education Safeguarding Team Co-Manager you’ll thrive on making a difference to effective safeguarding arrangements in Leeds schools, academies and settings.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
As our Education Safeguarding Team Co-Manager, you will bring to the role:
- a professional qualification related to working with vulnerable children and their families and substantial experience of operational safeguarding practice.
- an ability to provide professional oversight, professional advice and support to Education Early Years and Local Authority staff.
- the ability to lead a team, to supervise and motivate staff to perform well.
- the ability to analyse complex situations and complex data leading to considered decisions.
- the ability to contribute to the overall development of services for Children and to develop constructive working relationships with other Agencies.
- A sound understanding of safeguarding/child protection legislation and of safeguarding issues within schools and early years settings.
- The ability to developing effective inter-agency and multi-disciplinary approaches to issues.
About the role
As our next Education Safeguarding Team Co-Manager, you’ll have the opportunity to ensure that the statutory duties and responsibilities of the Local Authority are being met and to quality assure safeguarding practice in Education and Early Years services. You’ll also have the opportunity to shape the direction of the team, continue to foster new and effective ways of working and develop innovative ideas.
The role is integral to our Learning Improvement Service and works closely with our ‘core’ school group of managers working with schools and settings.
What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:
- a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays.
- membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions.
- flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements.
- a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities.
- a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further.
How to apply
Please complete the online application form.
Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Dave Clark, Head of Learning Improvement via dave.clark@leeds.gov.uk or 07891 279874
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.
We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people. 
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
 
If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job Description
Job Purpose:
To manage the various services within the Education Safeguarding Team (EST) to ensure that the statutory duties and responsibilities of the Local Authority are being met and to quality assure safeguarding practice in Education and Early Years services.
Responsibilities for Grade:
- Ensure that systems are in place that where relevant to the service delivery, staff ascertain the wishes and feelings of the child.
- Be accountable for the quality of service offered by the EST to Education and Early Years Services.
- The joint management with other managerial colleagues of the EST which includes the allocation of work to and motivation of members of the EST.
- Regular supervision and appraisal of EST staff in line with departmental policy.
- Identify staff development and training needs and ensure that these are met.
- Use aggregated information from core EST processes in monitoring, analysing and evaluating the performance of staff across the service and where appropriate the service as a whole.
- Organise and manage an advice service for EST either through involvement in the multi-disciplinary team or through a duty system within the service.
- Be a main point of contact for support and advice for Head teachers with regard to safeguarding issues re advice, training, quality assurance of practice, allegations against staff.
- To promote safeguarding to support the educational attainment of vulnerable children and those with Special Educational Needs.
- Involvement in LADO strategy meetings where an Education/ Early Years perspective is required.
- Involvement in strategies re schools which are causing concern.
- To oversee the development and delivery of training programmes for Education and Early Years staff.
- To oversee the development and management of the traded services to schools.
- To manage the service budget including the traded services income.
- To undertake or to support others within education in writing Individual Management Reviews and to be involved in Serious Case Review and Learning Lessons Review processes.
- To Chair complex meetings as appropriate and directed by senior manager.
- Maintain effective links with all agencies involved in safeguarding children and be the key officer in responding to work streams from the LSCP.
- To assist with development and planning of safeguarding services within Education and Early Years settings on a city-wide basis and in particular ensure that there are up to date policies in place which will ensure effective service delivery.
- To participate in and provide training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development.
- To investigate and respond to safeguarding notifications from regulatory bodies (i.e. Ofsted, Education Funding Agency).
To undertake other duties appropriate to the post as required.
To comply with the requirements of all Leeds City Council and Directorate policies, procedures and staff instructions, including responsibilities under the Health and Safety Policy and Procedures.
Qualifications
It is essential that the post holder has a professional qualification related to working with vulnerable children and their families and substantial experience of operational safeguarding practice, particularly within education settings. Anyone with social work qualifications must also show that they are registered with Social Work England or subsequent registration body.
Essential Requirements: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements
Skills Required
- Ability to provide professional oversight, professional advice and management support to Education and Early Years staff.
- Ability to communicate with children young people and families ensuring that staff in their team place children and young people at the centre of all activity and always ascertain their wishes and feelings, when relevant to the practice of this team.
- Ability to lead a team, to supervise and motivate staff to perform well.
- Ability to act with confidence and independence to challenge poor practice within the team; within education and Early Years services and with other agencies.
- Ability to share information effectively, accurately and concisely.
- Ability to train or present safeguarding information to a range of audiences.
- Ability to analyse complex situations and complex data leading to considered decisions.
- Prepare and present reports on complex issues to a variety of different audiences using statistical data.
- Ability to chair multi-disciplinary meetings.
- Ability to contribute to the overall development of services for Children and to develop constructive working relationships with other Agencies.
- Ability to set targets and monitor performance using a range of quality audit tools.
- Ability to use IT systems to manage and monitor case based and management information.
- Ability to set and manage budgets including traded services income.
Knowledge Required
- A professional qualification related to working with vulnerable children and their families, and substantial experience in operational safeguarding ideally within education settings.
- Sound understanding of safeguarding/child protection legislation and care planning processes.
- Sound understanding of Education legislation in relation to safeguarding and children missing from education.
- Sound understanding of the LADO system and the education legislation relevant to this.
- Sound understanding of safeguarding issues within schools and early years settings.
- Sound understanding of the MARAC processes.
- Understanding of the work of the LSCP partner agencies and of safeguarding issues.
- Knowledge of quality assurance processes for performance management of teams.
- Knowledge of current developments affecting the provision of services to children.
Experience Required
- Experience of providing structured supervision and/or training for staff and/or students.
- Experience of ascertaining the wishes and feelings of the child.
- Considerable experience as a practitioner in safeguarding in educational settings.
- Of taking part in complex meetings involving conflict.
- Of developing face to face and e-learning safeguarding training packages.
- Developing inter-agency and multi-disciplinary approaches to issues.
Behavioural & other Characteristics required
- Committed to continuous improvements.
- Ability to understand and observe the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
- To carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under the Council’s Health & Safety Policies and Code of Conduct.
- Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development.
- Demonstrate a positive approach and commitment to providing training and development for your staff.
Desirable Requirements: It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role. Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates.
Skills Required
- Competent in the use of information technology, including word-processing and databases.
Knowledge Required
- A management qualification.
- Car driver.
Experience Required
- Of working within a school setting.
- Of management of multi-agency work.
- Experience of developing new approaches to work related issues.
Behavioural & other Characteristics required
- Knowledge of the problems of disadvantaged groups
