Safeguarding Manager

Permanent, Full time  - 37 hours per week

National Role - working from home with requirement to travel nationally 

Salary £40,000 - £44,000 + benefits

We're the charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales, because we believe that life is better by water. 

Our 1,800 employees deliver valuable benefit to communities and individuals across England and Wales, including the work we deliver with the active support of around 5,000 volunteers; engaging with 100,000 children annually through our Explorers and STEM programmes, and around 500 events per year involving children and young people making a positive impact for so many. Through our work with children and young people as part of the Explorer programme and in our youth and community projects, as well as our work with customers, boaters, and the public it is essential that we provide supportive intervention where required through our Safeguarding experts and colleagues across our operations.

We are recruiting a Safeguarding Manager with the core purpose to respond to concerns about a child or adult at risk and ensure referral to statutory services. The Safeguarding Manager undertaking the Designated Safeguarding Lead role (DSL) will follow the role as outlined in ‘Working together to Safeguard Children’ statutory guidance in this operational lead role. 

Ideally you will bring significant experience from working in the charitable sector performing DSL role.

Locations:  this is a home based, national role with regular travel across our national locations, offering geographical flexibility.  Candidates should be within a reasonable commute to any of our main hubs at: Leeds, Newark (East Mids), Birmingham, Gloucester, Burnley, London (Paddington), Milton Keynes, Hatton (Warwickshire), Ellesmere Port & Abergavenny.

About the role

Reporting to the Head of Volunteering & Safeguarding, you will have overall responsibility for operational safeguarding performance across the Trust.  As Safeguarding Manager undertaking the DSL role you will act as the main source of support, advice and expertise for safeguarding across the Trust. Whilst taking the lead on Operational Safeguarding, you will work closely with and have support of many colleagues across our charity, including the National Volunteering Team, Legal and Governance colleagues, Senior Welfare & Safeguarding Officer, Welfare Officers and Safeguarding leads, as well working with operational colleagues delivering events and activities on a day to day basis.

Core responsibilities will include:

• Support and review the Trust’s approach to safeguarding.
• Play a lead role in maintaining and reviewing the Trust plan for safeguarding.
• Coordinate the distribution of policies, procedures and safeguarding resources throughout the Trust.
• Advise on training needs and development, providing training where appropriate.
• Provide safeguarding advice and support to colleagues and volunteers.
• Manage safeguarding concerns, allegations or incidents reported alongside the Senior Welfare & Safeguarding Officer and safeguarding leads across the Trust.
• Manage referrals to key safeguarding agencies (eg social services or police) of any incidents or allegations of abuse and harm.
• Develop a network of safeguarding leads across the Trust, coordinate safeguarding cover and provide advice and case supervision as needed.
• Provide reports to senior management team on progress of casework; outcomes; and thematic insights to the robustness of our processes and any learning to influence, policy, procedure, guidance in practice, including training and delivery
• Have good knowledge and understanding of responsibilities of local & national key safeguarding agencies, including social services and the police and how to work effectively with these agencies to safeguard children and adults at risk to enable timely and appropriate signposting.

About you

We are particularly interested to hear from candidates who offer significant experience as Designated Safeguarding Lead in the  charitable sector.  

It is essential that the role holder brings expert knowledge and credibility from significant and appropriate experience.  We therefore require candidates to demonstrate that they hold at least 5 years Safeguarding experience either as a designated safeguarding lead or similarly experience role and practice. A confident and effective communicator, you will work with integrity and respect when working with or supporting others.  It's also important that you are able to demonstrate your strong organisation and prioritisation skills in order to effectively manage a diverse caseload and ensure appropriate management of arising cases.

Required qualification, skills & experience

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in safeguarding in either the DSL role or similar expertise in the safeguarding of children and adults at risk field.
• Degree level Professional qualification in social care, social work, youth and community work or similar or equivalent experience
• Demonstrable extensive continuous professional development in Safeguarding children and adults at risk
• Working with a variety of stakeholders including, colleagues at all levels in the organisation, volunteers, members of the public, statutory authorities including local authorities, Police forces, Ministry of Justice Probation service, for the purpose of safeguarding case management and understanding of appropriate referral processes.
• Undertaking training and learning needs analysis, reviews, and audits
• Writing and implementing processes and procedures
• Preparing, presenting & coordinating training programmes
• Confident communicator with excellent organisational and planning skills
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office packages - Word, Excel, Outlook e-mail, PowerPoint etc. We use Office 365 & MS Teams as part of our standard day-to-day working tools. It is important that you are confident in using Microsoft Office and using portal devices (laptop, smartphones etc).
• Must be able to demonstrate strong focus on teamwork and collaboration
  

Desirable experience

• Experience of working with volunteers and/or being a volunteer
• Knowledge/use of volunteer management system and training platforms

Closing date: 8th June 2025

Interviews:  2 stage interview process to be conducted in late June

Candidate should be aware that in addition to our standard vetting process for this role the successful candidate will be required to satisfactorily complete a Basic level DBS check prior to commencement in role.

For a copy of the full Job Description click here Safeguarding Manager (DSL) Sept 2024 FINAL_  and download the document

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.