Location
City of Westminster

Hours
37 hours per week

Salary
£46,040 per annum

About the Role
Do you want to help strengthen safeguarding across Defence? This is an excellent opportunity to join the Defence Safeguarding Team in an SEO role, contributing to policy development, governance, assurance and improvement activity for safeguarding children and adults at risk across Defence.

Safeguarding in Defence is unique, providing advisory, policy and assurance support across a broad range of safeguarding areas, including overseas commands where statutory safeguarding arrangements may be limited or absent. You will support the development and delivery of effective arrangements to prevent harm, respond to concerns, identify risk and contribute to continuous improvement.

The SO1 Safeguarding will be a focal point for a wide range of safeguarding issues and will support the development of Defence safeguarding arrangements, good practice, policy and training.

Key tasks include:
- Providing safeguarding advice and support to Defence personnel and overseas safeguarding partnerships.
- Assessing complex situations and sensitive information to support robust risk assessment and decision making in line with relevant Defence policy and guidance.
- Maintaining a system to document risks and concerns raised, ensuring appropriate follow up.
- Working with colleagues to strengthen implementation of safeguarding policy and procedures and build skills of Defence personnel and partners.
- Undertaking assurance visits and reviews of individual cases to ensure quality and safety of practice.
- Improving safeguarding quality through lessons identified from case reviews and thematic audits.
- Supporting development of monitoring criteria and systems to evaluate safeguarding across Defence.
- Representing the Safeguarding Team at Defence working groups and forums.
- Leading specialist areas as requested, e.g. Domestic Abuse, under 18 Service Personnel, Training, Prevent.
- Maintaining awareness of safeguarding legislation, guidance and policy within England and devolved administrations.
- Liaising with agencies and organisations to ensure best safeguarding practice.
- Contributing to policy development and delivering awareness raising/training programmes.
- Promoting effective networking at local, national and international levels.
- Engaging in assurance activities which may include planned international and domestic travel.

Experience
- Relevant professional qualification or professional position with significant safeguarding experience.
- Substantial knowledge of Working Together guidance and all relevant legislation, statutory guidance, regulations and guidelines.
- Experience developing policy, procedures or assurance frameworks.
- Successful partnership and multi-agency working.
- Monitoring, analysing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative information to improve outcomes.
- Undertaking formal safeguarding assurance related activity.

About you
- Ability to assess complex and sensitive safeguarding issues.
- Strong communication and influencing skills.
- Leadership qualities and ability to deliver at pace.
- Collaborative approach to working together with diverse teams and partners.
- Awareness of current safeguarding themes and trends.
- Willingness to engage in travel for assurance activities.

Qualifications
- Relevant professional qualification in safeguarding or equivalent experience.

Desirable
- Experience working with Safeguarding Partnerships.
- Experience in Defence or similar large-scale, multi-agency environments.