Lead Safeguarding Officer
Manchester Enterprise Academy, Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, M22 9RH6 days remaining to apply
Job start date
5 January 2027
Closing date
8 November 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
2 November 2026
Job details
Job role
- Other support role
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- The starting salary is £34.882 and the full time equivalent is £38,510.
What skills and experience we're looking for
We currently have an exciting opportunity for Lead Safeguarding Officer within our team at Manchester Enterprise Academy (MEA)
This is a Grade 7, permanent full-time role working 35 hours per week, term time only plus 5 INSET days + 2 weeks. The starting salary is £34.882 and the full time equivalent is £38,510. This role is expected to start in January 2027.
We’re looking for:
We're looking for an exceptional individual who can lead our Safeguarding team within school. The successful candidate will lead our highly effective safeguarding provision within school, promoting the well-being of student's across the school and ensuring our most vulnerable students and supported effectively.
Main purpose of the job:
You will lead the development and delivery of the schools safeguarding provision ensuring statutory and local authority procedures are effectively implemented across the school to ensure the safety and well-being of all students alongside managing the safeguarding team.
Key Responsibilities:
- To take a lead role in managing the monitoring and evaluation of children at risk from harm. To ensure information is shared with multi agencies and or a referral is made to social services for a child in need of protection
- To advise and support all staff in the event of a child protection disclosure. To work closely with the pastoral team in identifying, monitoring and supporting a child at risk and looked after children, to monitor their academic progress, emotional and social behaviour
- To ensure strategic processes are compiled with in order to overcome barriers to learning for vulnerable and looked after children
- Liaise with parents/carers and staff in the event of a disclosure or a raised child protection concern following the Common Assessment Framework
- To take a lead role in coordinating the provision of support in school for Looked After Children, vulnerable students and children at risk of harm/in need of child protection
- To take a lead role in managing and monitoring the caseloads of children placed on a Child Protection Plan
- To take the lead in ensuing Personal Education Plans for Looked After Children are completed within the agreed timescale
- To convene, lead and represent the school at Child Protection meetings and Looked After Children meetings within agreed timescales
- To develop, implement and teach the Penn Resilience programme in school
- To ensure information and data is reviewed, updated and compiled to produce analysis and reports on Looked After Children, vulnerable students, children at risk and/or on a child protection plan as required
What you will bring:
- Excellent numeracy and literacy skills and a relevant qualification / evidence of training skills.
- Experience knowledge and understanding of current relevant legislation, policy and guidance relating to Child Protection, Safeguarding, Common Assessment Framework, Children's Acts etc.
- Experience working openly and collaboratively with multi-agency colleagues regarding highly sensitive and confidential situations
- Ability to work independently, manage a range of tasks with a methodical approach to large workloads to meet deadlines and effectively manage a complex caseload
- Demonstrate a commitment to appropriate professional standards, including core policies relating to equality and diversity and child protection
- Resilience and persistence with the ability to deal with difficult situations and/or individuals in a calm, fair but effective manner
- Ability to establish and maintain positive relationships that generate confidence and respect with a variety of individuals - from students and parents to colleagues and external stakeholders.
- Effective and persuasive communicator both verbally and in writing, with the ability to produce accurate, good quality letters, reports and documentation for governors the Local Authority and other agencies
All school staff are expected to share Prospere Learning Trust’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Specific safeguarding responsibilities are detailed in the attached job description.
What the school offers its staff
Working for Prospere Learning Trust
Great schools thrive because of the great people in them. We invest in our staff to achieve their full potential and offer a range of benefits including.
- High quality CPD for all roles
- Bupa Level 1 Health Plan - annual cash back allowance for a range of every day health care expenses
- Generous Pension Contribution - over 26% for teachers and 15% for support staff
- Good holidays – teachers as per School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document; non-teachers receive 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 31 days with 5 years' service
- Cyclescheme - save up to 39% on a bike and accessories and get Strava for free
- Employee Assistance Programmes - including access to free counselling and 24/7 helplines
- Credit Union - regular savings, Christmas saving scheme and access to affordable loans
- Flexible working options - we're happy to talk flexible working where possible
- Mental Health First Aid in every school
- Blue Light Card - discounts on holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones, and many more
- bYond cashback card - spend smarter with a prepaid cashback card for your everyday purchases
Visit our website to learn more about our Trust: prospere.org.uk
Manchester Enterprise Academy
MEA is a vibrant secondary academy in Wythenshawe, South Manchester, serving 1200 students. Our campus features modern facilities, including Theatre, Art, Fashion, Dance studios, new Science labs, and a £1 million multi-sport facility with a 3G pitch. We also offer a cafe, dining facilities, Food Technology rooms, and updated ICT, Business, and Language classrooms. Our vision, “A Fantastic Future for All Our Students,” focuses on achieving top academic results through the MEA Way: Safe, Respectful, Ready and Kind.
'Staff have high expectations for all pupils.'
‘Pupils from all backgrounds are well supported to gain the resilience and knowledge that they need for a positive future.’
Visit our website to learn more about our school community: https://www.manchesterenterpriseacademy.org.uk/
Job Application Information
Please apply using the online application form; incomplete applications may not be considered. CVs are not accepted. Early applications are encouraged, and we reserve the right to close the vacancy early. Interviews are expected to be held week commencing 9th November 2026.
As per Keeping Children Safe in Education, we conduct online searches on shortlisted candidates to identify any relevant issues for interview discussion. Shortlisted candidates will be required to submit a self-disclosure declaration, declaring any relevant convictions, adult cautions or other matters which may affect your suitability to work with children. Information will be provided on where to seek guidance on whether certain offences are now protected and should not be disclosed within the self-disclosure form.
Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 all positions within the School are exempt. Therefore, we are entitled to carry out Enhanced Disclosure checks for all staff and volunteers. It is an offence to apply for the role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relating to children.
Applicants must have the right to work in the UK; we do not sponsor visa applications. If you’ve lived or worked outside the UK in the last five years, additional information will be required. Job offers are contingent on satisfactory pre-employment checks, including references.
Safeguarding Commitment
All schools within the Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.
Equality Statement
Prospere Learning Trust values diversity and welcomes applications from all candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.
For application support, contact us on 0161 527 7953 or email jobs@prospere.org.uk
Further information about the job
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
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 Manchester Enterprise Academy
- Organisation type
- Academy, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- Size
- 1145 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- jobs@prospere.org.uk
- Phone number
- 0161 527 7953
Manchester Enterprise Academy (MEA) opened in 2009 and is proud to be part of the Prospere Learning Trust.
Our campus now has two teaching buildings, which incorporate a Theatre, Art, Fashion and Dance studios and new Science laboratories. There is also a new £1million multi-sport facility which includes a full-size 3G rugby and football pitch and other redeveloped sports facilities. We also have a new cafe and dining facilities, two Food Technology rooms and recently refurbished ICT, Business and Modern Foreign Language classrooms.
In order to deliver our vision of a fantastic future for all our students, it is important that they achieve the best academic results possible. Our vision of a “Fantastic Future for All Our Students” is easy to understand, but complex to achieve, as the future evolves so rapidly around us. Students have to adapt in order to build themselves a secure and resilient future. We focus relentlessly on the MEA Way, of Safe, Respectful and Ready. The business partners who lead the Trust help us to complement academic achievement with the other skills that employers demand of their staff. Enterprising, entrepreneurial and networking skills, team working, presenting information and project management are all part of our Fantastic Futures curriculum and, allied to our Pastoral Pledges and aligned to our outstanding Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) provision.
We work incredibly hard to attract the best teachers and our teacher training provision is graded outstanding by Manchester University. We believe that our teachers’ expertise needs to inspire our students by allowing them to shape and craft exciting learning experiences. Our teaching model emphasises excellent classroom dynamics between staff and students. Exams are a serious business, learning is an emotional journey – students who enjoy learning perform far better than those who are uninspired.
Beyond the classroom, as well as having a range of sports teams and experiences, we expect our students to take part in at least two enrichment activities per week. We offer break and after school clubs linked to our curriculum area and there is something for everyone on each day. We also open from 7.45 for Breakfast Club offering a longer school day and flexibility for all families.
School location
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