Safeguarding Officer Ysgol Friars

To ensure all pupils are safeguarded effectively so that they can thrive now and in the future.

You will work with the headteacher, designated safeguarding lead, the senior leadership team and staff team to embed and uphold a robust culture of safeguarding and pastoral care to all pupils.

To be responsible for enhancing our safeguarding team, in which all staff understand the needs of vulnerable children at risk. You will work under the leadership of the designated safeguarding person (DSP). They will support pastoral staff in identifying those at risk, work with senior leaders and designated safeguarding person to refer appropriately to the relevant agencies, provide reports for partner agencies and develop a culture in which the safeguarding needs of children and adults are recognised and managed robustly.

As the Safeguarding Officer you will be involved in ensuring that all safeguarding aspects of our school are addressed effectively and communicated appropriately internally and externally.

You will play a proactive role interacting with our pupils encouraging them to engage in the school community. The role will also support the Designated Safeguarding person with the monitoring, quality assurance and implementation of pastoral strategies in order to mitigate risk for our pupils.

As the Safeguarding Officer, you will work directly with the school’s designated safeguarding person. You will receive referrals directly from school staff via myconcern, from pupils or families in need of help and support. You will also work closely with external agencies to support families at Ysgol Friars.

You will promote positive attitudes with pupils and families towards education and to ensure parents are aware and supported in their statutory responsibilities, including good attendance of pupils at school

• To foster a culture amongst staff where safeguarding is understood and prioritised.
  
• To pro-actively liaise with parents/carers at all stages of pupils involvement in the school. Also to support staff in their effective engagement with families.
  
• To provide comprehensive chronologies for pupils.
  
• To proactively represent Ysgol Friars in any meetings
  
• To monitor myconcern on a daily basis
  
• To work with senior leaders on referrals for early intervention and support for families
  
• To liaise directly with social workers and support agencies
  
• To record accurately
  
• To attend early intervention and support meetings on behalf of school, ensuring that you have current and up-to-date information to share with colleagues
  
• To write update reports for meetings in partnership with senior leaders.
  

Ensure a high quality of care

• Ensure that each child/young person is treated as an individual.
  
• Ensure that pupils who are victims of abuse are supported appropriately and sensitively.
  
• Encourage a culture of listening to pupils taking into account their wishes and feelings so that measures may be put in place to protect them.
  
• Proactively obtain access to resources and attend any relevant or refresher training courses.
  
• Be alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with additional learning needs and disabilities and young carers. Challenge behaviour from staff and pupils which breaches school policies using the appropriate procedure.
  

Assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes in place

• Respond appropriately to disclosures or concerns, which relate to the well-being of a child.
  
• Maintain accurate, confidential, secure and up-to-date documentation on all cases of safeguarding and child protection using My Concern.
  
• Ensure that all actions from reviews, planning and intervention meetings are successfully carried out and monitored.
  
• Keep records accurate and up-to-date in order to ensure information on young people supports and informs reviews and development plans for the individual including documentation relating to learning, behaviour and well-being outcomes.
  
• To monitor pupils missing from school.
  

Liaise with parents, guardians, social workers and other professionals.

• As part of early help prevention, work directly with children in need and their families in the community in order to promote, strengthen and develop the potential of parents and carers and their children in order to prevent children missing in education /becoming looked after and /or suffering significant harm.
  
• Support SLT with referrals to multi-agencies and where appropriate act as the lead in professional meetings
  
• Maintain a robust online filing system
  
• To support relationships and communication between young people, parents, family, friends and guardians.
  
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the post as requested.
  

Qualifications:

• Relevant qualifications in education, social care or safeguarding.
  
• Experience of working within a school or supporting education safeguarding
  

Knowledge and Experience:

• Knowledge and demonstrable experience of working with children or young people who have additional learning needs
  
• Firm understanding of Safeguarding principles and Child Protection with experience of a safeguarding responsibility
  
• Good appreciation and knowledge of health and safety, data protection principles and equal opportunities
  

Skills and Behaviours:

• Moral courage, integrity and tenacity that enable you to challenge and hold account peers, external professionals, parents/carers, and systems and procedures to ensure our pupils are safeguarded
  
• Commitment to the role, the desire to put the child/young person first and treat them as an individual
  
• Proven ability to solve problems quickly and decisively and able to stay calm in a crisis/emergency situation
  
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
  
• Be positive and creative in meeting young people’s needs
  
• Work collaboratively with other employees and professionals with good interpersonal skills
  
• Good numeracy, literacy and IT skills
  
• Punctual and reliable
  
• Able to undertake the physical demands of the job role
  

• Eligibility to work within the UK
  
• Satisfactory Enhanced DBS with barred list checks
  
• Be able to meet the demands of what can at times be emotionally and physically challenging work.
  

• Act in accordance with the school’s policies and procedures set down by the Headteacher and Gwynedd County Council Policies and procedures in respect to Safeguarding and Child Protection. Some pupils may be from other local authorities and you will be required to act in accordance to their procedures also.
  
• Participate in staff development, appraisal and training as appropriate, including continuous professional development.
  
• Comply with the school's agreed policies and procedures including but not limited to Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities Policies, Data Protection Act, Child Protection Policy,
  
• Undertake any other tasks, duties and responsibilities as directed and appropriate to the grade and role of the post subject to any reasonable adjustments under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 as incorporated into the Equality Act 2010.
  
• Participate in the wider development of the school and contribute to school improvement as required.
  
• Undertake other such reasonable duties as may be required from time to time
  
• Work towards and support the School’s vision and its objectives
  
• Support and contribute to the School’s responsibility for safeguarding pupils
  
• Work within the School’s health and safety policy to ensure a safe working environment for staff, pupils and visitors.
  
• Work to promote equality of opportunity for all pupils and staff, both current and prospective.
  
• Maintain high professional standards of attendance, punctuality, appearance, conduct and positive, courteous relations with pupils, parents and colleagues.
  
• Engage actively in the performance review process.