Safeguarding Officer

Job Description: 

Main duties and responsibilities

Directorate of Student Life and Library Services

The Directorate provides support services across five locations for De Montfort University staff, students and visitors, serving a community of approximately 28,000 users. The Kimberlin Library operates 24/7, delivering a range of support services throughout the week. The Student Welfare team leads wellbeing initiatives, including Healthy DMU, to help students and apprentices thrive academically and personally. This is an exciting time to join the Directorate as it continues to enhance services and facilities to improve the student experience.

The Role

At De Montfort University (DMU), we believe that every student and apprentice should reach their full potential. We are looking for a temporary Safeguarding Officer to take a leading role in our approach to safeguarding, ensuring that our practice meets expectations set by Ofsted, the Office for Students (OfS) and other key bodies. This is a student-focused and strategic role while combines casework with policy focus, cross-department collaboration and staff development. You'll be part of a multidisciplinary welfare team that works proactively and responsively to ensure students and apprentices can thrive as part of Healthy DMU our university wide approach to wellbeing.

Your work will support DMU’s Safeguarding strategy, with particular focus on meeting Ofsted and OfS regulatory expectations, including triangulation of evidence from staff, students and employers. You will be required to take a central role in managing serious and urgent student welfare cases, including those involving safeguarding concerns, sexual or domestic violence, harassment and Prevent-related matters. You will provide expert guidance to academic staff, students and placement employers on welfare processes, helping to embed safeguarding practices across the student experience and curriculum. You will provide support and training to colleagues across the university, developing materials with our Student Welfare Training and Development Officer to ensure consistent standards of knowledge and practice. You will monitor case outcomes and support continual service improvement based on data, student voice and sector best practice. You will be required to build and maintaining external relationships with agencies including police, social services and safeguarding boards to ensure effective partnership working and appropriate escalation. You will be required to keep accurate records and regularly compile detailed reports as part of the role.

You will support strategic welfare projects and contribute to the development of institutional policy, under the direction of the Wellbeing Manager and the Operational Lead for Safeguarding. The role may include line management responsibility for adviser staff within the No Space for Hate and Mandala Project student services.

We require a sound understanding of safeguarding legislation and frameworks, including Ofsted and OfS expectations. Experience of managing serious and complex welfare and safeguarding cases within an education, health, or social care setting is required preferably as a Designated Safeguarding Lead or similar formal role. You will need a collaborative approach and be able to build strong internal and external partnerships, influence change, and act with professionalism. You will need to demonstrate the ability to support the development of policy and create inclusive training or communications.  A commitment to equality, inclusion, and sustainability is required in every aspect of your work.

To view the job description and person specification, please click here

Contact

To arrange an informal conversation about the role, please contact: jodi.smith@dmu.ac.uk or lara.poole@dmu.ac.uk

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