Designated Safeguarding Lead

Nightingale Community Academy, London, SW17 7DF

65 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  to be confirmed

• Closing date

  10 September 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  7 July 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Pastoral, health and welfare
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: Term Time Plus 2 Weeks, 36 Hours
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: Inner London Grade PO4 (Point 41–44), Actual salary: £46,111.80 – £48,934.88 (FTE £51,223 – £54,359)

What skills and experience we're looking for

We are seeking an experienced, resilient and compassionate Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to provide strategic leadership for safeguarding and child protection across both Nightingale Community Academy and Nightingale Preparatory Learning. The successful candidate will be passionate about safeguarding, confident in managing complex child protection matters and committed to developing an outstanding safeguarding culture where every learner feels safe, supported and able to thrive.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership for safeguarding and child protection across both NCA and NPL, ensuring compliance with statutory safeguarding guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education.
• Lead and manage safeguarding systems, statutory processes and complex safeguarding cases, including Child Protection, Child in Need, Early Help, Prevent and LADO referrals.
• Line manage Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads and safeguarding staff, providing professional support, supervision and quality assurance across both academy sites.
• Work collaboratively with senior leaders, therapists, attendance teams, families and external agencies to improve outcomes for vulnerable learners.
• Monitor safeguarding, attendance, behaviour and wellbeing data to identify trends, drive continuous improvement and ensure safeguarding practice remains consistent across both provisions.

Key Requirements:

• GCSE Grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics
• Designated Safeguarding Lead (Level 3) Training (or willingness to obtain immediately)
• Experience working as a Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Excellent knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and multi-agency working.
• Excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with learners, families, colleagues and external professionals.
• Commitment to continuous professional development and a passion for improving the life chances of children and young people with SEND and SEMH.

What the school offers its staff

OHCAT is an exciting, forward-thinking organisation, and we offer many benefits to attract and keep our staff, contributing towards maintaining and improving wellbeing, and encouraging our required behaviours, achievements, values, and skills. Below is just a selection of the benefits available to our employees:

Rewards & Benefits:

• Pathways for progression within the trust, ensuring you can grow and thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment.
• Pension Scheme - you will be enrolled in either the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) or the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), both offering life cover and financial protection for your family.

• Salary Sacrifice Schemes (Cycle Scheme and Home Electronics Scheme)
• Employee Wellbeing - We support employee wellbeing with access to counselling, mental health support, generous leave, flexible working, and enhanced parental leave including Employee Assistance Programme, MyGym Discounts, Corporate Eyecare Scheme
• Employee Discounts (Blue Light Card, Costco Membership, Discounts for Teachers, and more)
• Other (Season Ticket Loan and Employee Referral Scheme)

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

Nightingale Community Academy and Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Appointments made will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

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.

DSL JD PS.pdf - 328 KB (opens in new tab)

About Nightingale Community Academy

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 5 to 19
• Size: 139 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 5 to 19
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Nightingale Community Academy website
• Email address: CBoateng@nightingaleca.org
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/nightingale-community-academy

Nightingale Community Academy is a school for boys aged between 5 and 19 who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or Statement of SEN for social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

Some learners also have Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or other learning difficulties. At Nightingale Community Academy we are committed to raising the expectations of our learner group, removing barriers to learning and delivering attainment at the highest level.

“Since the start of the school in September 2016, the principal and his leadership team have shown a tireless determination to improve the education it offers. Their ‘no excuses’ approach means that nothing other than the highest quality of education is good enough”. (Ofsted February 2019) – (The full Ofsted Report, is now available on our website).

Nightingale Community Academy is committed to a multi-disciplinary approach to meeting learners’ needs, and promotes high quality professional development for all staff.

School location

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more school jobs in London