Safeguarding Lead – Secondary School – York

Start Date: As soon as possible
Contract: Full-time Permanent
Salary: Paid to scale

This is a well-established Secondary School in York serving pupils aged 1118 within a diverse and inclusive community. The school is committed to maintaining high standards while ensuring that pupil safety wellbeing and personal development remain central to its work.

The school has a strong pastoral structure and expects all staff to contribute to a positive safeguarding culture. Staff work collaboratively to identify concerns provide appropriate support and ensure pupils know where they can access help.

The school is seeking an experienced Safeguarding Lead to coordinate safeguarding procedures and work closely with senior leaders and pastoral teams.

The Safeguarding Lead will have responsibility for coordinating safeguarding activity across the school.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Acting as a key point of contact for safeguarding concerns.

• Coordinating day-to-day safeguarding procedures.

• Ensuring concerns are recorded accurately.

• Maintaining confidential safeguarding records.

• Monitoring referrals and follow-up actions.

• Providing guidance to staff when concerns arise.

• Supporting safeguarding meetings.

• Liaising with external agencies where appropriate.

• Working closely with pastoral and welfare teams.

• Monitoring emerging safeguarding concerns.

• Supporting safeguarding training and staff updates.

• Contributing to policy reviews.

• Ensuring safeguarding documentation is maintained.

• Supporting appropriate communication with families.

• Promoting a strong safeguarding culture.

• Ensuring relevant concerns are escalated appropriately.

The Safeguarding Lead may work directly with pupils who raise concerns or require additional support.

This can include:

• Listening to pupils.

• Recording concerns accurately.

• Working alongside pastoral staff.

• Supporting appropriate interventions.

• Ensuring pupils understand how to access support.

• Monitoring agreed actions.

• Contributing to wider wellbeing initiatives.

The successful candidate must be approachable while maintaining clear professional boundaries.

The role may involve working with external professionals and agencies where appropriate.

The successful candidate will need to ensure relevant information is shared appropriately and that actions meetings and outcomes are accurately documented.

Strong organisation and communication skills will be essential.

The Safeguarding Lead will support staff in understanding their safeguarding responsibilities.

This may include providing guidance contributing to training sessions answering procedural queries and helping staff understand when concerns should be escalated.

The successful candidate should have:

• Significant safeguarding or child protection experience.

• Strong knowledge of safeguarding procedures.

• Excellent communication skills.

• Strong organisational abilities.

• Excellent record-keeping skills.

• The ability to maintain confidentiality.

• Confidence supporting and advising colleagues.

• The ability to communicate sensitively with pupils and families.

• Strong professional judgement.

• A calm and consistent approach.

• Experience working with external agencies.

• A genuine commitment to pupil safety and wellbeing.

Previous experience as a DSL or Deputy DSL would be advantageous.

The successful candidate will help ensure safeguarding remains a shared responsibility throughout the school.

You will work with staff across different departments and contribute to maintaining high standards of professional practice.

This is an important opportunity to join a supportive Secondary School in York and take a central role in safeguarding and pupil welfare.

If you are an experienced safeguarding professional with relevant school-based experience please send your CV as soon as possible.