Head of Safeguarding

Head of Safeguarding

Closing date: 12pm, Thursday 4 April 2024
Circa £70,000 per annum
Full-time, 35 hours per week
Permanent Contract
Based in London, SW1P
Interviews: First Round: w/c 15 April 2024

Are you ready to make a meaningful impact? Do you have a passion for protecting the vulnerable and ensuring a safe environment for all? If so, we invite you to join our team as our Head of Safeguarding within the Diocese of Westminster.

What you’ll be doing

As our Head of Safeguarding, you'll play a crucial role in leading and managing our Safeguarding Service. You'll be at the forefront of promoting best practices, implementing policies, and ensuring accountability across the Diocese. Your work will involve supporting our staff, advising our committees, and collaborating with external partners to uphold the highest standards of Safeguarding.

Additionally, you will also be responsible for:

- Providing expert advice and guidance to internal stakeholders, committees, and external partners on safeguarding matters.
- Managing and supporting staff within the Safeguarding Service, including recruitment, training, supervision, and performance management.
- Overseeing the co-ordination of Safeguarding activities across the Diocese, including case management, risk assessment, and reporting.
- Collaborating with statutory authorities, agencies, and community organisations to promote effective safeguarding practices and partnership working.
- Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of Safeguarding initiatives, identifying areas for improvement and implementing quality assurance measures.
- Ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and maintaining accurate records of Safeguarding incidents and interventions.
- Representing the Diocese at relevant forums, conferences, and events, advocating for best practice in safeguarding.

This means there’s lots to get involved in – and to be excited about.

What we’re looking for

We're seeking individuals who are passionate, empathetic and committed to safeguarding from a social work, law enforcement or other relevant background. You don't need to have all the answers, but you should have a willingness to learn and grow. Whether you come from a social work background, law enforcement, or another field, if you have a heart for protecting others, we want to hear from you.

The key personal specifications we are looking for in our successful candidate are:

- Compassionate and empathetic approach to working with vulnerable individuals.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport with diverse stakeholders.
- Ethical and principled, with a commitment to upholding the highest standards of Safeguarding.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, while also demonstrating initiative and autonomy.
- Resilient and adaptable, able to navigate challenging situations with professionalism and composure.
- Commitment to ongoing learning and development in the field of Safeguarding.

We welcome applications from those with a Catholic faith, those of other faiths, or none. What we require above all else is that you respect the values we share to help others and support decent and dignified work for all without prejudice.

Why Join Us?

Meaningful Work: Every day, you'll have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those we serve.

Supportive Environment: We value collaboration, empathy, and respect. You'll be part of a supportive team where your ideas are heard and your contributions are valued.

Continuous Learning: We are committed to your professional development. You'll have access to training, resources, and opportunities to grow in your role.

Positive Impact: By joining us, you'll be contributing to a safer, healthier community where everyone can thrive.

Who are we?

We are the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster, a faith-based charity with offices close to Victoria Train and Underground Station and just a short walk from St James Park and Westminster Underground stations.

At the Diocese of Westminster, we believe in the power of community and the importance of Safeguarding every member. We're not only a charity, we are home to the Archbishop of Westminster (Cardinal Vincent Nichols) & our beautiful Westminster Cathedral. We are one of the leading Catholic dioceses in the country, delivering our charitable mission through our network of 208 schools, in which over 90,000 pupils attend daily, 212 parishes and several hundred social justice initiatives. We seek to positively impact the lives of all members of society.

Our core values are Competence, Reliability, Honesty, Perseverance & Love.

Our values are at the centre of everything we do and as such we are looking for a Head of Safeguarding who is able to clearly demonstrate and evidence them.

Application details

Our people are incredibly important to us, and we value and respect diversity in all its forms (seen and unseen). We particularly welcome applications from those from Black and Asian backgrounds, as well as candidates with disabilities and from the communities in which we work. We would like to increase representation of these groups among our staff as we know greater diversity will lead to an even greater impact for our work.

To be considered for the role, please complete an online application. CVs will NOT be considered, therefore, please do not send them. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Please note that you will need to be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this position. You must provide proof of Right to Work in the UK. We reserve the right to remove the vacancy before the closing date.

Equal Opportunities & Living Wage Statement:

The Diocese of Westminster is an Equal Opportunities and accredited Living Wage employer. To be successful, we aspire to be person centred at all times and place human dignity at our centre. We aim at all times to recruit the person who is best suited to the job, and we welcome applications from all communities and underrepresented groups, regardless of race, sexual orientation, disability, faith, age and gender. We guarantee an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria. We strive to take a holistic approach to the development of our people so that we may better serve and empower the mission of our Church as ministered by the parishes, deaneries, schools and communities that we support. Our ambition is to work together to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrating and promoting diversity.

We want people from all walks of life to feel valued for their individuality, thrive in our organisation, share a sense of belonging and demonstrate our values. With this in mind, we positively celebrate Diversity & Inclusion at the Diocese of Westminster and place it at the heart of our aim which is to reflect and connect with the diverse communities that we serve.

This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £70,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: ELCUG0404/CC