Designated Safeguarding Lead

Norwich Steiner School provides a Steiner-Waldorf curriculum for pupils from age 3- 19 years of age, with pupils being able to leave the school as balanced, well-rounded and mature young adults, able to pursue their own futures and destinies with confidence and self-belief.

SAFEGUARDING - All employees working at Norwich Steiner School have responsibility towards safeguarding and should be guided by knowledge of the school's policies in their response to any safeguarding issue that may arise in the course of their work in and associated with the school. Staff are at all times expected to maintain professional boundaries in their relationships with pupils.

Responsibility of the designated safeguarding lead (DSL)

The designated safeguarding lead takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection (including online safety) in the school. The role carries a significant level of responsibility, and the DSL will be expected to join the school management team.

The DSL role in Norwich Steiner school is as set out in Annex C of Keeping Children Safe in Education and therefore Annex C and any updates form the basis of the job description for this role. The relevant document can be found on page 163:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file /1181955/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023.pdf

As outlined in more detail in Annex C, the key areas of responsibility of the DSL are:

• Managing referrals - to social care, the police or other authorities as appropriate.


• Working with others, including other staff, parents, children, safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, to provide support, advice, expertise and appropriate information.


• Information sharing and managing the child protection/safeguarding files (the school uses the electronic CPOMs system)


• Raising awareness about the different aspects of safeguarding as appropriate to pupils, staff and parents.


• Training, knowledge and skills - The DSL is required to undergo regular training, including DSL training, multi-agency training, Early Help Assessment Process training and Prevent awareness training, and to refresh knowledge and skills regularly.


• Providing support to staff to help them feel confident on welfare, safeguarding and child protection matters.


• Understanding the views of children - in particular, encouraging a culture among all staff of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, and the difficulty they may have in sharing the difficulties they may have.


• Holding and sharing information - able to keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of concerns and referrals, and understand how and when to share, and understand relevant data protection legislation., The post holder will be required to attend regular training updates, as provided andrecommended by DfE and the local authority.
  
  This post needs a responsible, resourceful, confident person who can remain calm, reassuring and optimistic in the face of challenges, always placing the best interests of children at the heart of everything that they do.


The post holder must have good listening and speaking skills, and this must apply across the age ranges, as the DSL works with children from 3-19, as well as parents, staff and those working for external agencies.

Although the work of a DSL is highly rewarding, it can also be stressful and sometimes include disturbing aspects; the post therefore requires someone who is empathic, but emotionally robust and able to remain objective. The DSL must be capable of calmly following the necessary procedures as appropriate, regardless of any difficulties that are presented., No specific qualifications required, but a good general education, and previous experience in safeguarding children within a school setting, are highly desirable.,
• Managing safeguarding concerns, either as a DSL or perhaps as a teacher involved in pastoral care or as an alternate DSL


• Experience of CPOMS or other electronic safeguarding recording system


• Familiarity of how to work with educational and safeguarding legislation


• Familiarity with national and local safeguarding requirements, processes and resources


• Computer literacy, particularly a good level of competence Word & Excel


• Ability to write in plain English
  
  This is a permanent and full-time post. During term time the designated safeguarding lead should always be available during school operating hours (9am-3.30pm for 36 weeks), but as with other full- time staff, the DSL must be prepared to be in school by 8.30am and stay until 5pm or later when there are relevant meetings.


Additionally, as with any administrative or teaching role in a school, it is essential that the safeguarding function is maintained during school holidays. The DSL will be expected to carry out administrative tasks/producing monitoring reports on CPOMs, updating the safeguarding policies based on guidance released by DfE before the start of each new academic year, and generally keeping on top of any DSL administration. It is estimated this will amount to 10-15 hours of work per week during the holidays.

Within the 16 weeks of the year that are outside of term time, all staff are entitled to a clear 6 weeks with no commitment to carrying out school work, although the 6 weeks may not be taken in one go.

The salary for this post is currently £25,000, rising to £26,000 on 1 August 2024.,
• The school has a work-place pension scheme in place, operated by NEST. Staff are automatically enrolled onto the pension scheme when employment commences but are also given the opportunity to opt out if they choose


• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (Education Support Partnership) which provides caring and compassionate advice and support on professional or personal matters


• Free on-site parking


• Cycle to Work scheme