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Job Title: Safeguarding and Pastoral Lead (DSL)
Business Area: Organisation-wide 
Contract Type: Temporary (Maternity cover-12 month Fixed Term Contract)
Working Pattern: Full Time, Term Time Only
Pay Scale: £36,400

Role Purpose
The Safeguarding and Pastoral Lead is responsible for overseeing and coordinating safeguarding practices and pastoral support across the Navigators setting. This role ensures that all learners are protected from harm and supported in their personal, emotional, and social development.
The post holder will manage the safeguarding team, ensuring compliance with statutory safeguarding responsibilities and internal policies. They will work collaboratively with staff, families, and external agencies to promote a safe and inclusive learning environment.
In addition, the Safeguarding and Pastoral Lead will manage and support a team of staff, providing guidance and professional development to enable effective pastoral care and safeguarding interventions. The role contributes to the wider strategic aims of the provision by maintaining strong collaborative links with the organisational safeguarding lead, ensuring safeguarding standards are upheld across the organisation and promoting positive outcomes for all learners.

Role responsibilities

Safeguarding Leadership

• Lead the central safeguarding team and ensure compliance with statutory safeguarding duties.

• Act as a key point of contact for safeguarding concerns, disclosures, and safeguarding referrals.

• Maintain accurate and confidential safeguarding records in line with policy and legislation.

• Liaise with external agencies (e.g. social care, police, health services) to coordinate support and interventions.

• Contribute to the development and review of safeguarding policies and procedures.

Team Management and Staff Development

• Line manage members of the safeguarding and pastoral team, providing supervision, guidance, and performance management.

• Deliver safeguarding and pastoral training to staff, ensuring confidence and competence in their roles.

• Promote a culture of safeguarding and wellbeing across the provision.

Strategic Contribution

• Contribute to whole-school planning and improvement, particularly in areas related to safeguarding, behaviour, and learner welfare.

• Provide reports to the organisational safeguarding lead as required.

• Participate in multi-agency meetings and represent the provision in safeguarding forums.

• Meet with the Organisation's Strategic Safeguarding Lead fortnightly

Skills and abilities

• Demonstrates an empathetic and patient approach when working with vulnerable learners and their families.

• Resilient and passionate about safeguarding, with a commitment to promoting learner welfare.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage own timetable and prioritise workload effectively.

• Approachable and professional in interactions with learners, staff, and external stakeholders.

• In-depth understanding of child and adult safeguarding legislation, procedures, and best practice.

• Able to work independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce timely, accurate, and well-structured reports.

• Confident in advocating for learners in a professional and constructive manner.

• Able to remain calm and focused under pressure, particularly in high-stakes safeguarding situations.

• Capable of making clear, decisive judgements in safeguarding contexts, with a strong understanding of accountability and the seriousness of decisions made.

Experience and qualifications

Essential:

• Proven experience in a safeguarding role within an educational, social care, or youth support setting.

• Experience leading or contributing to safeguarding investigations and multi-agency working.

• Demonstrable experience of providing pastoral support to children and young people with complex needs.

• Experience managing and supporting staff in a safeguarding or pastoral context.

• Experience in managing staff or a small team.

• Strong working knowledge of safeguarding legislation, including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), Working Together to Safeguard Children, and local safeguarding procedures.

• Relevant qualification in safeguarding, child protection, social work, youth work, or education (e.g. Level 3 Safeguarding, DSL training, or equivalent).

• Evidence of continued professional development in safeguarding and pastoral care

• Full UK driving licence with access to own vehicle for work purposes

• GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4 or level 2 functional skills

Desirable:

• Experience working in alternative education or similar specialist education setting.

• Qualification in mental health, counselling, or trauma-informed practice.

• Experience of contributing to whole-school or organisational safeguarding strategy.

Behaviours and attitude

•Empathy: The ability to show compassion and empathy for students and their lived experience. To demonstrate a deep understanding of the challenges faced by students, their families and the local community. To demonstrate active listening skills and respond to needs and concerns sensitively with compassion with a trauma informed lens.
•Work Ethic: To demonstrate a strong commitment to the role, organisation and cohort, consistently going above and beyond to ensure that each Navigators student is securely and consistently supported.
•Integrity: To uphold ethical standards in all interactions, ensuring transparency and accountability and confidentiality of sensitive information. To understand our students rights, relevant legislation and willingness to advocate to achieve best results for the student.
•Resilience: To demonstrate a positive attitude in the face of challenges, adapting strategies to overcome obstacles to achieve the best outcome for the student whilst adhering to legislation and statutory requirements.
•Trust: To build trusting relationships with students, parents, colleagues and external professionals and agencies. Fostering an environment where stakeholders feel comfortable sharing concerns and collaborating on solutions.
•Authenticity: The ability to encourage open and honest communication, creating a safe space for students, families and staff to express their concerns, support requirements and aspirations.
•Commitment: To demonstrate a dedication to continuous professional development, actively seeking opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills related to child protection and contextual safeguarding. To show dedication and belief in the organisations ethos, encompassing high standards throughout.
•Honesty: To communicate and behave in an open and truthful manner with all stakeholders, colleagues and services users providing clear information about the organisations standards, duty of care, expectations and available support.
•Enjoy: To promote and contribute to a positive, safe community that encourages students to engage in their Navigators journey, trust professionals and develop and grow their self-worth.
•Learn: To demonstrate a willingness to reflect on experiences, seek feedback and professionals support to ensure students and stakeholders received the best support to ensure best outcomes and experience.
•Respect: To demonstrate treating all individuals with dignity and acknowledging differences, valuing different perspectives and adopting an inclusive, secure environment for students with varying needs.

Declarations

We aim to create and maintain a safe environment and community where all young people and adults feel safe, secure and valued. We work hard to create strong relationships and show a commitment to safeguarding all young people.
Our work is classified as Regulated Activity as defined in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (SVGA). This role will include regular contact with children and adults both 1:1 and in group settings. This includes those that could be classified as vulnerable and both an understanding of and experience in adhering to UK safeguarding legislation is required.
Further information relating to our Safeguarding, Child Protection, Ex-offender of Safer Recruitment policies are available upon request.
All applications are assessed on an individual basis in relation to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.
This post will require the successful candidate to complete our Disclosure Barring Service, Vulnerable Child and Adult register checks as well as reference checks. We may also carry out additional online searches such as social media as part of the selection process.