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DSL & Family Support Worker

More than one location, Sdbe Multi Academy Trust

2 days remaining to apply

Job start date
2 September 2024
Closing date
19 July 2024 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
16 July 2024

Job details

Job role: Other support roles
Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern: Term time: 37.5
Contract type: Fixed term - August 2025 possibility of extension to a permanent contract
Full-time equivalent salary: £35,862.00 to £38,769.00

What skills and experience we're looking for

Main purpose

The DSL will take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the school (including online safety and understanding the filtering and monitoring systems in place).

They will take part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings, and contribute to the assessment of children.

They will advise and support other members of staff on child welfare, safeguarding and child protection matters, and liaise with relevant agencies such as the local authority and police.

DDSLs include; Ali Silke EL, Angela Batchelor HoS,

Some safeguarding activities may be delegated to deputies, but the DSL will retain ultimate lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection.

Duties and responsibilities

Managing referrals

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

Support staff who make referrals to the local authority children’s social care

Refer cases to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern

Support staff who make referrals to the Channel programme

Refer cases to the Disclosure and Barring Service where a person is dismissed or leaves due to risk or harm to a child

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

Inform the headteacher of safeguarding issues, especially ongoing enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 and police investigations, and the requirement for pupils to have an appropriate adult

Liaise with the case manager and the local authority designated officer(s) (LADO) for child protection concerns in cases which concern a staff member

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

Liaise with the senior mental health lead and, where available, the mental health support team, where safeguarding concerns are linked to mental health

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

Work with the headteacher and relevant strategic leads, taking lead responsibility for promoting educational outcomes by:

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

Identifying the impact that these issues might be having on children’s attendance, engagement and achievement at school

The above includes:

Ensuring the school knows which children have or have had a social worker, understanding their academic progress and attainment, and maintaining a culture of high aspirations for this cohort

Supporting teaching staff to provide additional academic support and/or reasonable adjustments to help these children reach their potential

Managing the child protection file

Ensure child protection files are kept up to date

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

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)

Where children leave the school (including in-year transfers):

Ensure their 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 it put appropriate support in place

Raising awareness

Ensure each member of staff has access to, and understands, the school’s child protection policy and procedures, especially new and part-time staff

Work with the governing board to ensure the child protection policy is reviewed annually (as a minimum) and the procedures and implementation are updated and reviewed regularly

Ensure the child protection policy is available publicly and parents and carers are aware that referrals about suspected abuse or neglect may be made and the role of the school in this

Link with the safeguarding partner arrangements to make sure staff are aware of any training opportunities and the latest local policies on local safeguarding arrangements

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

Training

Undergo training (at least every 2 years) 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

Refresh knowledge and skills at regular intervals and at least annually

Providing support to staff

Support and advise staff and help them feel confident on welfare, safeguarding and child protection matters

Deliver (or facilitate) appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, and staff responsibilities in relation to filtering and monitoring

Support staff during the referrals process

Support staff to consider how safeguarding, welfare and educational outcomes are linked, including to inform the provision of academic and pastoral support

Understanding the views of 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

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

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

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

Keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of concerns and referrals

Filtering and monitoring

Understand the filtering and monitoring systems and processes in place in the school, including how to manage them effectively and escalate concerns when identified

Make sure that the filtering and monitoring systems and processes block harmful and inappropriate content without unreasonably impacting teaching and learning

Review filtering and monitoring provision at least annually

Other areas of responsibility

Act as attendance officer by:

Doing first calls and follow up accompanied home visits if necessary

Working with the EWO to ensure punctuality and attendance letters are sent out in a timely manner

Attending meetings with parents and EWO

Attending TAF for attendance

The DSL will be required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, and follow school policies and the staff code of conduct.

During term time, the DSL should always be available during school hours for staff in the school to discuss any safeguarding concerns. Ideally this will be in person, but can also be via phone or video call in exceptional circumstances.

Please note that this list of duties is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the DSL will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role.

Family Support Worker Role Purpose and Role Dimensions:

To improve the life outcomes and opportunities for school-aged children and their families by providing a range of family support, interventions and activities.

To ensure that leadership and life skills are embedded across all areas of life with children and their families and to create a culture of personal empowerment.

Maintain accurate records to measure impact and outcomes. Commitment to Diversity:

As a member of the School Team to take individual and collective professional responsibility for championing the School's diversity agenda and proactively implementing initiatives which secure equality of access and outcomes. Also, to commit to continually developing personal understanding of diversity.

Key Accountabilities and Result Areas:

Key Elements: General duties

This will involve:

Developing home school links to encourage good communication between the school and families Work with pupils experiencing social, emotional and behaviour difficulties/or at risk of social exclusion/disaffection and their families so they can fully participate fully in home and school activities in order to achieve their full potential.

Advise on practical childcare and parenting skills including how to meet the emotional needs of children e.g. play, setting boundaries and consistent discipline.

Help to improve attendance by monitoring and offering assistance Design, co-ordinate and evaluate small groups of children and/or parents and address the problems which have created disaffection with school.

Be available to support groups of pupils during the lunch period to help them in resolving conflicts and developing personal, social and emotional skills.

Bring the voice of the parent to school and/or agency meetings and provide support to empower the parents.

Provide time-limited, responsive and flexible support to family members within the home and the community, including some evenings, to promote better outcomes for children and parents including home safety, establishing mealtime/school routines and supporting dealing with debt or financial management.

Assist in active outreach to the most vulnerable families, including facilitating drop in surgeries and community events and visiting families at home to offer services Alongside the Inclusion Team, identify and engage with vulnerable families in order to create a bespoke package of support

Act as a point of contact in school for families in need of support

Complete Common Assessment Framework/Early Help Assessment/Family Outcomes Panel with families in order to assist them in seeking the most appropriate support.

Build effective relationships with families.

Ensure families are fully engaged and involved in setting achievable and realistic goals and deliver solution focussed interventions that address the families' goals.

Work in partnership with families to increase their confidence and resilience to encourage positive family relationships and promote children's development and the health and wellbeing of all family members.

Organise and run productive meetings between parent, pupils and teachers, where the parent's voice is heard, which achieve positive ends

What the school offers its staff

A well-resourced school

Support and development from the SDBE MAT including a generous staff benefits scheme

A school committed to wider education including a full extra-curricular programme

Coaching and bespoke CPD opportunities

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.