Family Support Officer and Deputy DSL

David Nieper Academy, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 7JA

19 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  ASAP

• Closing date

  8 June 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  20 May 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: £29,719.00 - £31,691.00 Annually (FTE) Actual Salary - £27,528 – £29,355 (pay award pending)

Family Support Officer and Deputy DSL job summary

Main Purpose:

Family Support Officer -

Work with the Assistant Head and Trust Family Support Manager to -

Lead the academy’s family support provision

Monitor and evaluate pupil and family experience

Set a high standard through personal example

Contribute in a variety of ways to the day to day running of the academy

Promote the public image of the academy and support academy events

Deputy DSL -

Take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the academy

Take part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings and contribute to the assessment of children.

Advise and support other members of staff on child welfare and child protection matters

Liaise with relevant agencies such as the local authority and police.

Oversee and support the work of the DSOs, including the quality assurance of the safeguarding system used.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Family Support Officer -

To work within the current Family Support model to provide an effective Early Help Offer within the Academy working in close collaboration with the Trust Family Support Manager

To complete and manage Early Help Assessments, and to act as lead professional for Team Around the Family meetings/ Family Support meetings.

To be responsible for holding a caseload of students referred within the academy for a variety of reasons. The work includes but is not limited to one-to-one support for individual students, group work, family consultation and support, liaison with external agencies and partnership working with school and other statutory partners.

To work closely with the Pastoral Team to provide emotional and practical support to children and young people, working with school staff and where appropriate external professionals to provide individual care and development plans.

Provide ongoing support, advice and guidance to enable key pupils to maintain high attendance and to access an appropriate curriculum.

• Develop and maintain effective and supportive mentoring relationships with children and young people and those engaged with them

Work closely with the Attendance team to monitor and support students who have low attendance that is causing concern.

Ensure there is a support plan for pupils with severe non-attendance.

Ensure families and carers are kept informed of the individual action plans to support and encourage their active participation in the process

Provide regular opportunities to monitor the progress of individual children and young people and help empower families and carers to resolve issues they may have

Work closely with others in the academy or external services to set targets, agree action and evaluate outcomes

Provide relevant reports/analysis in preparation for meetings.

Maintain student files and filing

Attend home visits to provide ongoing family support

Access school or external funding to support vulnerable young people and families.

Support the Year 7 Pastoral Support Manager with transition, including attending the Summer School.

Deputy DSL -

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

During term time, the DSL or Deputy DSL or Assistant DSLs will always be available during academy 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 calling 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

Managing referrals-

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

Support staff who make referrals to 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 left due to risk or harm to a child

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

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

Act as a source of support, advice and expertise for staff

Understand the assessment process for providing early help and intervention

Develop a working knowledge of how local authorities conduct a child protection case conference and a child protection review conference

Working with staff and other agencies

• Ensure staff can access and understand the academy's child protection and safeguarding policy and procedures (especially new and part-time staff)
• Provide Safeguarding training for all new staff starters at the academy

Training-

Undergo training to develop and maintain the knowledge and skills required to carry out the role

Undergo Prevent training and be able to:

• Support the academy in meeting the requirements of the Prevent duty
• Provide advice and support to staff on protecting children from the risk of radicalisation

Undergo training on female genital mutilation (FGM) and be able to:

• Provide advice and support to staff on protecting and identifying children at risk of FGM
• Report known cases of FGM to the police, and help others to do so

Refresh knowledge and skills at least annually so remain up to date with any developments relevant to the role

Obtain access to relevant resources

Raise awareness

• Be alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with special educational needs and young carers
• Encourage a culture of listening to children among all staff, ensuring that children’s feelings are heard where the academy puts measures in place to protect them

Other areas of responsibility

Where children leave the academy, securely transfer their child protection file to their new school as soon as possible, separately from the main pupil file

Provide safeguarding reports to the SLT and Trust Safeguarding and Family Support Manager

Model best practice and uphold the principles of confidentiality and data protection at all times

Ensure that quality assurance is taking place with the schools safeguarding reporting system (CPOMS).

General

Attend and participate in staff and working group meetings and training as appropriate.

Adhere to work practices and policies including those relating to Equal Opportunities.

Any other duties requested by the Headteacher.

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

The Governing Body is committed to the safeguarding of children and young people, so all staff appointments are subject to employment checks and a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

Candidates should indicate an acceptance of, and a commitment to, the Academy’s policies in relation to equality and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

It is an offence to apply for this role if an applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

Please follow the below link to view the Christopher Nieper Education Trust Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy https://davidnieper.academy/about-us/academy-policies/

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 David Nieper Academy

• School type: Academies, Does not apply, ages 11 to 18
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 810 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: David Nieper Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/david-nieper-academy

Our Academy is sponsored by the Christopher Nieper Education Trust (previously David Nieper Education Trust), together with local employer partners, who are highly committed in supporting the development and achievements of our students. With a clearly defined approach to teaching, applied learning and brand-new purpose-built facilities, which opened in February 2017, we believe that this is a truly exciting time to join the academy. We are a growing academy now of 780 students 11-18 and will soon be at our full capacity of 850 students 11-18. This role is a new post due to our growing pupil numbers. Our September 2022 Ofsted Inspection graded the academy as ‘Good in all areas’, a fantastic improvement from the ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating when we took over the academy - and we endeavour to build on this as we grow and develop further. We are currently the only academy within the Trust however the Trust is likely to grow in the very near future with a number of other schools actively looking to join.

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