Role Responsibility
Are you passionate about safeguarding children and young people? Do you have experience working in a safeguarding role within an education and/or social care setting? If so, we invite you to apply for an exciting opportunity to join the LADO Education Safeguarding Advisory Service (LESAS) as a Safeguarding Support Officer.
You will provide support to the LADO Education Advisors in the service, working closely with education settings and the wider childrens workforce to offer support and advice on all matters relating to safeguarding children. The role will assist the service carry out our responsibility for managing allegations against professionals, ensuring this is carried out in an effective manner and that systems are in place to promote safe professional practice within the Kent childrens workforce under section 11 of the Children Act 2004 and Working Together statutory guidance.
As a key member of a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team, you will be instrumental in the development and delivery of LESAS evidence-based safeguarding training for Designated Safeguarding Leads, managers and staff within educational settings (including schools, colleges and early years providers) and the wider children's workforce. You will be a confident trainer with experience in creating and facilitating both in-person and virtual safeguarding training, with exceptional communication skills to ensure the effective dissemination of safeguarding information to diverse audiences.
The position requires an understanding of current safeguarding issues and risks for children and young people, along with working knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance related to safeguarding in education. The post holder will support the service to respond to strategic education safeguarding enquiries and will be tasked with updating existing and creating new commissioned resources to aid safeguarding practices, including conducting safeguarding reviews in early years settings and other organisations.
The successful candidate will collaborate with colleagues and external agencies to triage Ofsted complaints regarding schools and support local safeguarding partnership procedures. This role requires the identification of safeguarding themes and providing both professional support and appropriate challenge to senior leaders in educational settings. A strong understanding of confidentiality is essential, as well as the ability to address a broad spectrum of safeguarding issues sensitivity.
This is a demanding role and requires someone who is self-motivated, enthusiastic, adaptable, able to prioritise tasks and to work under pressure. You will be well supported in developing new areas of safeguarding expertise and developing a range of transferable skills, and will have opportunities to share your safeguarding experience, skills, and knowledge.
The service has one SSO vacancy based in West Kent (Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge and Malling), however work across Kent and beyond will be required to meet business need. The team currently operates a hybrid working model, which includes office-based work throughout the county, remote work from home, and visits to education settings and venues as required for the delivery of face-to-face training or reviews.
Kent County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. Appointment is dependent on satisfactory and verifiable references. This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service.
This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.
Closing date for applications is the 2nd October with interviews to commence in person on the 17th October at Kroner House, Ashford.