Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) - Operational

Kingsway Park High School, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL16 4XA

14 days remaining to apply

• Closing date

  12 October 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  28 September 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Pastoral, health and welfare
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: £46,579.00 - £49,817.00 Annually (FTE) Actual Salary - £43,336 - £46,349. A recruitment and retention payment may be available for an exceptional candidate, subject to relevant approvals and terms.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) - Operational job summary

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) - Operational

Salary: SSP34-37 | £46,579-£49,817 FTE | £43,336-£46,349 actual

Contract: Permanent | 37 hours | TTO + 3 weeks

Start date: November 2026

A recruitment and retention payment may be available for an exceptional candidate, subject to relevant approvals and terms.

Kingsway Park High School is seeking to appoint an accomplished and experienced safeguarding professional to take a key role in the operational leadership and day-to-day delivery of safeguarding and child protection across our school.

This is a senior operational safeguarding role and does not form part of the school's Senior Leadership Team. Working closely with our Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead, who sits on SLT and retains strategic oversight of safeguarding, you will have significant responsibility and professional autonomy for operational safeguarding practice.

You will manage complex safeguarding cases and referrals, assess risk, work confidently with children, families and external agencies, and provide authoritative safeguarding advice to colleagues. You will also lead and support our wider safeguarding team, providing line management and professional supervision to the Deputy DSL, Safeguarding Officer and Family Support Worker.

We are looking for someone with substantial and recent safeguarding and child protection experience who can demonstrate sound professional judgement, resilience and confidence in managing complex and sensitive situations. You will have strong knowledge of current safeguarding practice, significant experience of multi-agency working and the ability to appropriately challenge and escalate concerns.

You may already be working as a DSL or Deputy DSL, or hold a senior safeguarding role within education, children's services or another relevant setting. Previous school-based safeguarding experience would be advantageous but is not essential; what is essential is the depth of safeguarding expertise required to operate confidently at this level.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced safeguarding practitioner ready to take greater operational leadership responsibility within an established safeguarding structure. We recognise the importance of attracting an exceptional professional to this key role and a recruitment and retention payment may be available for an exceptional candidate, subject to relevant approvals and terms.

Kingsway Park High School is a vibrant, inclusive and diverse secondary school of approximately 1,350 students. We are committed to ensuring every child feels safe, supported and able to succeed.

If you have the experience, judgement and professional confidence to lead complex operational safeguarding practice, we would welcome your application.

For full details of the role and person specification, please refer to the accompanying application pack.

Closing date: Monday 12th September 2026 by no later than 9:00am

Interviews: Thursday 15th September 2026

Applications should be submitted via MyNewTerm.

Altus Education Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. This position is subject to an Enhanced DBS check. In accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education, online searches will be carried out on shortlisted candidates and references will be sought in line with Trust recruitment procedures.

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

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Kingsway Park High School

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary school
• Size: 1289 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Kingsway Park High School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/kingsway-park-high-school

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