Overview
This is a pivotal leadership role, offering an opportunity to shape and strengthen safeguarding practice across a large and diverse diocese. You will play a key part in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and adults, while supporting parishes, clergy and diocesan colleagues to uphold the highest safeguarding standards.
Responsibilities
* Lead and manage safeguarding casework across the Diocese, ensuring compliance with national Church of England safeguarding standards and statutory guidance.
* Provide line management and supervision to the team of Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers.
* Oversee triage, risk assessment and allocation of safeguarding referrals.
* Manage complex and high‑risk cases, working collaboratively with statutory agencies such as police, social care and probation services.
* Ensure high‑quality case recording, quality assurance and continuous improvement of safeguarding practices.
* Act as the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer in the absence of the Director of Safeguarding.
* Contribute to training, policy development and the promotion of a strong safeguarding culture.
* Regular collaboration with clergy, parish safeguarding officers, senior church leaders and external partners across the Diocese.
Qualifications
* Significant safeguarding casework experience and strong knowledge of legislation and best practice.
* Experience working with victims, survivors and those who pose risk, and partnering with statutory agencies.
* Proven ability to embed good safeguarding practice.
* Strong leadership, risk assessment and communication skills.
* Ability to manage complex cases, quality assure work and maintain confidentiality.
* High integrity, resilience and sound judgement.
* Reflective, collaborative and committed to equality and inclusion.
* Alignment with the values of the Church of England.
Benefits
* A salary of £49,536 per annum.
* 28 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays and two privilege days per year.
* Flexi‑time and the opportunity to apply to use the DBF's remote working policy to work from home for part of the week.
* Membership of the Church Worker's Pension Scheme with a 15.1% employer contribution and an employee contribution between 0‑6%.
* Employee Assistance Programme with access to GP appointments, counselling and financial and legal support.
* Free parking, and the ride‑to‑work scheme and development opportunities.
EEO and Policy
Chichester DBF is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment and to comply with the relevant safeguarding policy. Our full safeguarding policy can be found here. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
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