Operational Designated Safeguarding Lead

The David Ross Education Trust is now recruiting for the role of Operational Designated Safeguarding Lead at Lodge Park Academy, Corby.

Do you want to be part of a family team who are committed to working together to deliver opportunities for all - no matter what background? Are you ambitious, inspirational, creative, open minded and understand that the students must be central to all our decisions? If so, we would like to hear from you.

About us

At Lodge Park Academy we believe in choice not chance. Through a high-quality education we work to secure the best life opportunities for our students. We want them to be self-confident, respectful and resilient young people who can engage creatively with the world. By developing their academic knowledge and their problem-solving skills, they are enabled to progress to the next phase of education or into the world of work and training, empowering them to take their place in society.

Providing our young people access to quality education and enrichment experiences is what drives us. Our students benefit from a wealth of opportunities to develop, learn and lead. From the classroom to cultural visits, sports, music and arts and engaging with our local communities, the rich and varied experiences we create help fuel ambition and unlock potential.

We value our staff highly and take work/life balance seriously; we realise a happy staff is an effective staff.

Ours is a warm and compassionate community where students explore their creativity and discover their passions working alongside staff who are committed to enriching the lives of their students.

We believe that to learn and achieve, our students must feel safe and happy. For this reason, we invest heavily in our pastoral and welfare teams. We know that with the right approach, the adults in our school can make a massive difference to our young people. We want each of our students to be known personally, valued as individuals, and given the support they need to flourish.

About the role

The Operational Designated Safeguarding Lead will work under the leadership of the Vice Principal for Pastoral. The successful person will play a vital role in contributing to the culture, ethos and wellbeing of the whole Academy, by working closely with families to remove student barriers to learning and/or supporting students classified as CIN or CP.

We require an enthusiastic and highly committed person who will ideally:

Have experience of working with young people aged 11-19 in a secondary school

Worked as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead previously

Hold a current DSL Tier 3 certificate

Have experience of Early Help Assessment process

Experience of record keeping systems for safeguarding

Awareness of national and local trends in safeguarding

Have a connection with young people and can help them feel safe

Hold young people in high esteem and communicate that through the way they treat them

Have a willingness to undertake further work-related training

Have good ICT skills or be willing to learn (including using Microsoft Word and Excel)

Have knowledge and understanding of strategies to overcome barriers to learning, and knowledge of working with multi agencies

Have the ability to work flexibly as part of a team

Good organisation, time management, communication and interpersonal skills

Be willing to undertake first aid training

Have a commitment to inclusion

Help foster a culture of high expectations

Have a commitment to the school’s ethos and vision

Be able to establish strong relationships with students and staff

Model professional standards across all areas of work.

Salary & Benefits

Scale NJC 28 £36,648 FTE (£36,317.81 actual salary) - April 2024 pay review pending

44 weeks (term time plus 6 weeks) - 37 hours a week Monday to Friday

Access to Local Government Pension Scheme

Regional networks of Trust colleagues and access to key leaders in Education

Commitment to employee Health and Wellbeing including dedicated Employee Assistance Programme

Awards and Recognition Scheme

Flexible working patterns

Benefits Platform

The David Ross Education Trust has grown to a network of 34 academies, incorporating primary, secondary and grammar, and special schools. We employ over 2000 people with the primary focus of raising the standards of education for 13,000 young people. Whatever your role, you should know you are contributing to achieving our vision of inspiring the next generation of young people to be the best they can in whatever they choose. Our aim is to be the country’s leading academy chain, committed to delivering the highest educational standards alongside an unrivalled package of sporting and cultural enrichment, including events such as the DRET Spring, and Cups, , volunteering trips abroad, and regular trips/visits throughout the year.

We are incredibly lucky to be able to work alongside outstanding organisations and individuals who are happy to share their expertise and skills in supporting the David Ross Foundation's vision to give children better life chances through access to the best education and support we can give them.

While each academy is unique, we share common goals, aspirations, values and methods that enable us to work collaboratively and collectively to achieve our mission. We operate regional hubs, whereby academies work with other schools who are part of the Trust so we can share skills and knowledge, allowing them to benefit and learn from each other.

Our Trust mission is to give every child attending one of our schools a world-class education. Broadening the horizons of young people by inspiring students to become their confident, academic best via an education that creates academically gifted, confident, well-rounded young people in the classroom, in the workplace and in their communities.

Whatever your role you will contribute towards creating a rich and exciting learning environment that also offers our students an unrivalled package of sporting and cultural enrichment.

Apply now

To complete our on-line application form, please follow the link to our website.

Early applications are advised. We receive high numbers of applications for our roles and therefore have to close the vacancy prior to the closing date in order to review candidates' details against our job criteria before shortlisting or re-opening the vacancy.

The David Ross Education Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

It is our objective to ensure that job applicants and staff are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential. We do not discriminate against any applicants on the basis of any protected characteristics.

The David Ross Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo vetting appropriate to the post, including a social media presence check and Enhanced DBS check. The successful applicant will be expected to adhere to all safeguarding, welfare and health and safety policies and procedures of the Trust.

All pre-employment checks are in line with "Keeping Children Safe in Education" statutory guidance.