Job Overview
We are looking for a hardworking, ambitious and dynamic Safeguarding Support Officer to join Harris Academy Wimbledon at this exciting time.
About Us
We are an ‘Outstanding' (Ofsted 2023) secondary academy, established in 2018 to provide an excellent education for children in Wimbledon.
Two years after opening, we moved into our brand-new building which is modern, bright and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities in every area of the curriculum. We are oversubscribed and fortunate to have an amazing level of support from the community with waiting lists for entry into every year group of our academy.
Our academy is an exceptional place to learn, providing an ambitious but happy and inclusive environment. We have high expectations of our students of all starting points and abilities. We know that our students will leave us academically successful, but we also want them to be well-rounded individuals with a highly developed social conscience, ready to lead in their communities and beyond. Our motto is ‘make a difference' and our students and staff give nothing except their very best in pursuit of making a difference to their lives and the lives of others around them.
Three words are crucial to how we guide students to be able to ‘make a difference' : independence, integrity and resilience.
Independence means we support students to develop their skills and attributes, so they have everything they need to succeed. We set challenging targets and raise aspirations so every single one of our students reaches their potential.
Integrity means staff and students must be fair and truthful and have the courage to take the right action in every situation, even when no-one is looking.
Resilience means we give students the tools to recover from difficulties. We show students how taking risks and making mistakes is all part of the learning journey. We also show students how hard work brings success, and support them to persevere with all challenges.
There is a great deal of collaborative working and sharing of good ideas about what works within secondary academies at Harris. The successful candidate will be joining a friendly and outward looking group where professional development and progression opportunities are second to none.
Main Areas of Responsibility
Your Responsibilities Will Include
Supporting the DSL and pastoral team with safeguarding and child protection referrals in line with school policy
Maintaining accurate, confidential records using CPOMS
Liaising with parents, carers and external agencies under DSL guidance
Assisting with Early Help assessments and attending TAC/CIN meetings
Representing the DSL in safeguarding and multi-agency meetings when needed
Helping deliver staff safeguarding training and maintaining training records
Contributing to policy reviews and promoting safeguarding awareness
Staying current with safeguarding guidance, including KCSIE
Supporting risk assessments and implementing safeguarding plans
Coordinating 1-to-1 student interventions with external agencies
Monitoring safeguarding procedures and contributing to audits and reports
Managing safeguarding information during student transitions
Liaising with feeder schools to ensure information transfer
Completing reports, letters and other tasks as directed by the DSL
Qualifications & Experience
We would like to hear from you if you have:
Experience working with children or young people in an educational, social care or safeguarding capacity
Sound knowledge of safeguarding legislation and practices, particularly in school settings (KCSIE, Working Together to Safeguard Children)
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong organisational skills and attention to detail in record keeping
The ability to deal with sensitive and confidential information with discretion
Confidence using digital safeguarding and record management systems
A calm, empathetic, and professional approach to student welfare
The ability to work as part of a team across a wide range of levels and responsibilities
A professional manner
The ability to work under pressure
For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.
Next Steps
If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.
Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.
Rewards & Benefits
Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.
In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, electric car scheme, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.
Safeguarding Notice
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
Equal Opportunities
The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.
We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.
#J-18808-Ljbffr