Deputy DSL and Mental Health Lead
Werneth School, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 3BX8 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2026
Closing date
2 July 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
24 June 2026
Job details
Job role
- Pastoral, health and welfare
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Fixed term - 12 months initially
Full-time equivalent salary
- Scale SO3 £39,862 - £45,091
What skills and experience we're looking for
Thank you for taking an interest in this role of DDSL Mental Health Lead at Werneth School.
We are seeking a highly motivated, compassionate and dedicated professional to join our team as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) and Mental Health Lead. This is a rewarding opportunity for an individual who is passionate about supporting young people, promoting positive mental health and ensuring that every student feels safe, valued and able to thrive.
Working closely with the Designated Safeguarding Lead and Senior Leadership Team, you will play a key role in leading safeguarding practice across the school, ensuring that students receive timely and effective support when concerns arise. You will contribute to the development of a strong safeguarding culture where the welfare of children remains at the heart of all decision-making.
As Mental Health Lead, you will drive the school's commitment to promoting emotional wellbeing, developing a whole-school approach to mental health and supporting early intervention strategies.
The successful candidate will possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, sound safeguarding knowledge and a strong understanding of the challenges facing young people today. They will be able to build positive relationships with students and families, manage sensitive information with professionalism and discretion, and work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
If you are passionate about safeguarding, mental health and empowering young people to succeed, we would be delighted to hear from you.
For more information, please see the person specification and the job description.
What the school offers its staff
Education Learning Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust, educating over 3500 pupils from age 2 to 16 in the Greater Manchester area. We are very proud of our inclusive ethos to Collaborate, Empower and Achieve and provide over 490 employees with an inspiring and innovative place to work, with exceptional training and development opportunities.
As a valued member of our Trust, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive and rewarding benefits package. This includes a highly competitive salary, a respected and generous pension scheme, and outstanding opportunities for career progression and professional development. We are also committed to supporting your health and wellbeing, offering access to our award-winning employee assistance programme and a wide range of employee benefits and discounts.
Our vision at ELT is to create an exceptional learning journey for all, by providing:
• exciting, innovative and challenging learning communities
• school improvement strategies arising from evidenced based research and professional enquiry
• opportunities for professional development and leadership
• a celebration of the diversity and uniqueness of individual settings
• innovation in practice by recognising the value of learning partnerships, both locally and nationally
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures that promote safeguarding and safer working practices. This is in line with statutory guidance including Keeping Children Safe in Education and The Education Act 2002.
All offers of employment are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records, online checks and vetting checks.
It is an offence to apply for a role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974.’
We are committed to fulfilling our Equality Duty obligations, including valuing equality and diversity and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are committed to employment practices that promote diversity and inclusion in employment regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.
We welcome applications from disabled candidates and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
We expect the successful candidate to have the necessary standard of spoken English, as described under Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, the Public Sector fluency duty that requires state funded schools to ensure candidates for their customer facing roles have the necessary standard of spoken English (or English or Welsh in Wales).
Candidates should apply by completing the ELT application form, CVs alone will not be accepted in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
ELT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures that promote safeguarding and safer working practices. This is in line with statutory guidance including Keeping Children Safe in Education and The Education Act 2002.
All offers of employment are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records, online checks and vetting checks. It is an offence to apply for a role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Werneth School
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 991 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Werneth School website
- Email address
- DANIEL.WILLIS@WERNETHSCHOOL.COM
Werneth School is an 11-16 comprehensive school in Stockport with over 1100 students of all abilities: we serve a wide range of student backgrounds and a supportive community. Housed in a purpose-built new building (opened November 2017) with new resources and interactive boards in every classroom, the school has been through a rapid period of change. Student numbers are increasing year-on-year and academic performance is improving. The school benefits from an exciting partnership with the Manchester United Foundation to raise aspiration in our students. The school has now joined the Education Learning Trust based at Gatley Primary School, converting to academy status in January 2021. We are already benefiting from the collaborative work of a family of 5 schools, including another secondary school.
School location
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