Care- Experienced Safeguarding Officer

North Kent College, Brook Street, Tonbridge, TN9 2PW

35 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  5 November 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  1 October 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Pastoral, health and welfare
  • Student support, learning and progress
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: 37 hours per week, 40 weeks per annum
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: £23,924.21 pro rata per annum + £4,464.39 holiday pay (£31,187 full-time equivalent)

What skills and experience we're looking for

Do you believe every young person deserves someone in their corner? We’re looking for a compassionate and tenacious Care-Experienced Safeguarding Officer to champion our Looked After Children and Care Leavers, ensuring their voices are heard and they have the support they need to thrive.

Working across our Hadlow and Tonbridge campuses, you’ll manage a caseload, act as a Designated Member of Staff, support Personal Education Plan meetings, help learners access statutory entitlements, and work with Virtual Schools, social workers and other partners to provide effective safeguarding and welfare support.

You’ll build trusted relationships with care-experienced learners, advocating for their education, wellbeing and future progression into training, apprenticeships or employment.

The successful candidate will hold a Level 3 safeguarding qualification or equivalent, with strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, DfE guidance and the needs of Looked After Children and Care Leavers. You’ll have excellent communication, organisation and IT skills, sound judgement when handling sensitive information, and a calm, empathetic and resilient approach. An enhanced DBS, including barred list check, is required, along with the ability to travel between campuses and access to a car during working hours.

What the college offers its staff

In addition to a competitive salary, you can expect the following benefits at NKC:

• Enrolment onto the People’s Partnership pension scheme (as part of the staff of North Kent College Business Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of North Kent College).
• Access to free parking and a number of onsite facilities, including gyms, restaurants and coffee shops.
• CPD days and access to several discount memberships through being an employee at a College.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

Care-Experienced Safeguarding Officer (CSO) - H&T - JD - Sept 26.pdf - 168 KB (opens in new tab)

About North Kent College

• Organisation type: FE College, ages 16 to 99
• Education phase: Sixth form or FE college
• Size: No information available
• Age range: 16 to 99
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: North Kent College website
• Email address: beckycross@northkent.ac.uk
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/north-kent-college

North Kent Colleges Group is proudly rated as an Ofsted ‘Good’ provider, with ‘Outstanding’ learner behaviours and attitudes (April 2024). With four campuses across Kent and over 4,000 students, we strive to equip the young people who study here with an inclusive and innovative education experience to enhance their future career prospects, which, as noted by Ofsted, is supported through our high-quality, industry standard facilities. Each and every staff member plays a key part in delivering the success of our learners’ experience, and we want those who join our curriculum and support teams to share our passion in achieving this. 

Arranging a visit to North Kent College

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email beckycross@northkent.ac.uk.

College location

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more college jobs in Kent and Medway