EXPIRED

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Orion Eden Park, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3RD

This job expired on 11 March 2024 – see similar jobs

• Closing date

  11 March 2024 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  26 February 2024

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £34,491.00 - £36,567.00 Annually (FTE) Actual 40hours, 40 weeks (£33,516.38 - £35,533.72)

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) job summary

Based at Eden Park High School

Education for the 21st Century is a values-led organisation, driven by a determination to create welcoming and open schools for the local community, where every person thrives, makes excellent progress, and succeeds. We are committed to improving outcomes and transforming lives, realising social mobility, and the transformative power of education. We value the difference in all of our schools while seeking to bring them together around a framework that delivers an enriching experience and a great education for the young people within our care. 

We want the very best for all of our young people. Our plan to ensure that we deliver great schools is underpinned by our shared values of trust, kindness, and endeavour. Our schools and our staff are collaborative and we seek to create consistency and quality throughout.  

Our leaders create improvement in schools that is robust and sustainable. We are as enthusiastic about developing and nurturing our staff, as we are about developing our young people. Our professional development programs and our approach to school improvement provide quality and rigor while creating a depth of experience and learning for our staff. 

Main Purpose:

Support the DSL to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, and follow school policies and the staff code of conduct

Support the DSL to ensure the school follows the updated guidance stated in Keeping Children Safe in Education

Support the DSL in leading safeguarding and child protection across the school (including online safety)

Support the DSL by acting as a source of support, advice and expertise within the school

Support the DSL to work with the safeguarding officers and counsellors in liaising closely with children’s social care and other services i.e.

Managing referrals

Working with others

Sharing the child protection file

Raising awareness with social care, police etc.

Support the DSL to work with the safeguarding officers and counsellors to support all staff to carry out their safeguarding duties, i.e.

Provide training

Providing advice

Understanding the views of children

Holding and sharing information

Support the DSL by taking part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings, and contribute to the assessment of children.

Support the DSL to ensure that all safeguarding files are kept up-to-date and shared when necessary.

Managing Referrals

• Recognise how to identify signs of abuse and when to make a referral

• Under the guidance of the DSL, respond appropriately to disclosures or concerns relating to the well-being of a child

• Under the guidance of the DSL, support staff who make referrals through the school’s safeguarding software

• Under the guidance of the DSL, refer allegations or cases of suspected abuse to the relevant investigating agencies, ensuring they have access to the most relevant and up-to-date information, i.e.

• Refer cases of suspected abuse and neglect to the local authority children’s social care

• Refer cases to the Prevent team/ Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern

• Refer cases to the police where a crime may have been committed

• Refer cases to the school counsellor to ensure students can access support

• Refer cases to CAMHs to ensure students can access support

• Refer cases to the Prevention of child criminal exploitation panel where there is a criminal exploitation concern as required

• Refer cases to HR to ensure the Disclosure and Barring Service are informed when a person is dismissed or leaves due to risk or harm to a child

• Under the guidance of the DSL, organise a range of workshops for students to meet their needs

• Ensure that relevant, detailed and accurate written records of referrals/ concerns are kept and that these are stored securely

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 safeguarding partners

• Inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead of safeguarding issues, especially ongoing enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 and police investigations

• Inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Headteacher for child protection concerns in cases which concern a staff member

• Under the guidance of the DSL, 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

• Under the guidance of the DSL, liaise with the wider safeguarding team to support the student, where safeguarding concerns are linked to mental health

• Under the guidance of the DSL, promote supportive engagement with parents and/ or carers in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including where families may be facing challenging circumstances

• Share the welfare, safeguarding and child protection issues that children in need are experiencing, or have experienced

• Develop strong relationships with safeguarding students’ parents, encouraging parental participation within the school and the student’s learning.

• Under the guidance of the DSL, liaise with the Pastoral Team to identify the impact that any safeguarding issues might be having on children’s attendance, engagement and achievement at school

• Ensure the school knows which students have or have had a social worker

• Under the guidance of the DSL, support teaching staff to provide reasonable adjustments to help these children reach their potential

• Under the guidance of the DSL, liaise with the Headteacher to inform them of any issues and ongoing investigations

• Under the guidance of the DSL, liaise with the Governor with safeguarding responsibilities

Managing the child protection file

• With the DSL support the Pastoral team to ensure child protection files are kept up to date

• With the support of the DSL support the Pastoral team to ensure safeguarding data/ patterns are reported and addressed

• 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; and 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)

• Ensure the child protection file is requested from previous schools as soon as possible.

• Ensure the 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 them put appropriate support in place.

Raising awareness

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure each member of staff has access to, and understands, the school’s child protection policy and procedures, especially new and part-time staff

• Under the guidance of the DSL, induct new members of staff with regard to the school and Bromley’s safeguarding policies and procedures

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure all staff receive frequent updates so that they are able to recognise and report and concerns immediately

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure each member of staff has signed the annual safeguarding declaration

• Work with the designated safeguarding lead, to ensure the child protection policy is reviewed annually (as a minimum) and the procedures and implementation are updated and reviewed regularly

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure the child protection policy is available publicly

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure parents are aware that referrals about suspected abuse or neglect may be made by the school

• Under the guidance of the DSL, raise awareness amongst parents/ carers on how they can support their child’s learning/ support key issues affecting families, through workshop/ resources/ newsletters

• Work with the DSL and other safeguarding partners to make sure staff are aware of any training opportunities and the latest local policies on local safeguarding arrangements

• Under the guidance of the DSL, help promote educational outcomes by sharing information with teachers and school leadership staff about the welfare, safeguarding and child protection issues that children who have or have had a social worker are experiencing

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibility to challenge behaviour which breaches the Guidance for Safer Working Practise (Code of Conduct/ Professional Expectations of Staff)

Looked after children

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure the emotional and educational wellbeing of all looked after children (LAC)

• Under the guidance of the Deputy Headteacher/ DSL, coordinate the work of other frontline pastoral staff in their role as key workers for individual looked after children, ensuring;

• analysis of relevant data and reporting to SLT and Governors

• effective communication and consultation, as appropriate, with the parent of looked after children and all external agencies

• relevant parents’ consultations

• challenging targets are set for LAC students

• the monitoring and evaluation of each student’s progress in line with agreed school procedures, including evaluation against standards and performance criteria and actions from RAP meetings, setting deadlines where necessary and reviewing progress on the action taken

• The maintenance of accurate and up-to-date information concerning attendance, punctuality, attainment and behaviour of LAC students

• Under the guidance of the Deputy Head/ DSL, supporting the pastoral staff in liaising with relevant members of the SLT to ensure that LAC students have access to an appropriately differentiated and challenging curriculum that suits their needs and enables them to achieve

• Under the guidance of the Deputy Head/ DSL, to provide quality assurance in terms of the recording and reporting of the progress of looked after students across the school

• To promote teamwork and to motivate staff to ensure effective working relations within the pastoral and tutor teams

Training

• Undergo DSL training (every 2 years)

• Undergo ongoing training to gain the knowledge and skills required to carry out the role and meet the expectations set out in KCSIE, including those outlined in the ‘Training, knowledge and skills’ section of annex C

• Undertake Prevent awareness training

• Have a working knowledge of how the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board operates

• Refresh knowledge and skills at regular intervals and at least annually, to reinforce and enhance safeguarding knowledge and practice

• In the absence of the DSL, represent the school at Designated Lead forums and disseminate the information to colleagues

Providing support to staff

• Under the guidance of the DSL, support and advise staff and help them feel confident in reporting welfare, safeguarding and child protection concerns

• Under the guidance for the DSL, support the safeguarding officers during the referrals process

• Under the guidance of the DSL, support staff to consider how safeguarding, welfare and educational outcomes are linked, including liaising with the Pastoral team to ensure the provision of academic and pastoral support is effective.

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure that staff members are following up to date procedures in line with National and local expectations

Providing support to 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

• Understanding the difficulties that children may have in approaching staff about their circumstances and consider how to build trusted relationships which facilitate communication

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure the regular update of the school safeguarding displays

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure that pupils who are victims of abuse are supported appropriately and sensitively and that all actions from planning and intervention meetings are carried out and monitored

• Under the guidance of the DSL, attend and contribute effectively to Child in Need meetings, Child Protection conferences, planning and review meetings, including those taking place out of normal working hours.

• Under the guidance of the DSL, liaise and coordinate with colleagues and outside organisations to provide Early Help as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child or young person’s life

• Under the guidance of the DSL, act as Lead Professional as appropriate

Holding and sharing information

• Understand the importance of information sharing, both within the school, with other schools and colleges on transfer and with the safeguarding partners, other agencies, organisations and practitioners

• Under the guidance of the DSL, lead weekly internal safeguarding meetings to ensure all internal staff are aware of the wider picture involving the child

• Understand relevant data protection legislation and regulations, especially the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)

• Under the guidance of the DSL, keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of concerns and referrals

• When pupils move school, ensure that their safeguarding file is sent to the new establishment immediately and securely

• When pupils are new to the school, ensure that their safeguarding file is requested immediately and securely kept

• Under the guidance of the DSL, ensure that annual S11 form is completed, in liaison with the Headteacher and the designated safeguarding governor

• Ensure that actions resulting from meetings are SMART and that they are carried out in a coordinated way; making the difference which was anticipated

Attendance

• Under the guidance of the SLT lead, promote and support high levels of student attendance

• To attend and participate in relevant meetings as and when required, including offsite and home visits

• To produce Looked after children reports for absences and submit to the local authority

• Working with the Pastoral/ attendance team to produce and analyse data

• Working with the Pastoral/ attendance team, assist in the administrations of student lates, Penalty Notices, CME’s and the graduated response

• To oversee the attendance team who lead on whole school attendance and cover their responsibilities if absent

• To support in the maintenance of accurate and up-to-date information concerning attendance and punctuality

  We reserve the right to this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response

Commitment to safeguarding

Education for the 21st Century is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Education for the 21st Century is fully committed to equality and to valuing diversity as an employer and a provider of education.

This job post has expired.

About Orion Eden Park

• School type: Free School, ages 11 to 19
• Education phase: Secondary
• School size: 1303 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 19
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
• School website: Orion Eden Park website (opens in new tab)
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/eden-park-high-school (opens in new tab)

Education for the 21st Century is a values-led organisation, driven by a determination to create welcoming and open schools for the local community, where every person thrives, makes excellent progress, and succeeds. We are committed to improving outcomes and transforming lives, realising social mobility, and the transformative power of education. We value the difference in all of our schools while seeking to bring them together around a framework that delivers an enriching experience and a great education for the young people within our care.

We want the very best for all of our young people. Our plan to ensure that we deliver great schools is underpinned by our shared values of trust, kindness, and endeavour. Our schools and our staff are collaborative, and we seek to create consistency and quality throughout.

Our leaders create improvement in schools that is robust and sustainable. We are as enthusiastic about developing and nurturing our staff, as we are about developing our young people. Our professional development programs and our approach to school improvement provide quality and rigor while creating a depth of experience and learning for our staff.

In joining Eden Park High School and the family of schools within E21C you will gain access to an unparalleled level of support and development in a forward-thinking school and trust.

Eden Park High School is a new school in Beckenham. We opened in 2017, moved into our purpose-built new premises in 2019, celebrated our first ever GCSE results in 2022 and have opened our new Sixth Form this September. With a new and expanded leadership team, this young school is starting an exciting new chapter as we build the culture, systems and teams that will see us expand further over the next two years and deliver an outstanding quality of education for the community.

We are currently recruiting exceptional teachers and support staff who want to be part of our journey of transformation. We want people who will share in our ethos and values and set a new standard of excellence and inspire young minds.

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