Designated Safeguarding Lead

Overall purpose:

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is a member of the School's Senior Leadership Team and takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the institution, supported by a safeguarding team comprised of two Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads, and four counselors. The role holder ensures that safeguarding is embedded into all aspects of school culture, leads on multi-agency collaboration, manages child protection referrals, and provides strategic guidance to colleagues, trustees, and external agencies. The DSL has management oversight of a Safeguarding Administrative Assistant and the School Nursing team.

A full job description is available on the School website.

Essential qualifications/experience

• Substantial experience working directly with children and young people in an educational or social care setting
• Certified Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training (or willingness to complete prior to start date)
• Comprehensive working knowledge of KCSIE, Working Together to Safeguard Children, EYFS statutory framework, data protection laws, and local multi-agency thresholds
• Strong analytical, record-keeping, and crisis-management skills under pressure.
• Ability to assimilate and communicate complex information succinctly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing
• Well-developed interpersonal skills that inspire trust, confidence and credibility with all constituencies
• Evidence of a commitment to continuous professional development, demonstrated by appropriate professional memberships, conference attendance, and presentations
• Strong leadership, decision-making, and a commitment to collaboration
• A proven commitment to support diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and how it relates to safeguarding matters

Desirable qualifications/experience

• Experience managing multi-agency referrals and attending child protection conferences
• Advanced qualifications in child welfare, social work, or educational leadership
• Experience managing digital safeguarding software (CPOMS, My Concern, etc)

The American School in London is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all trustees, employees and volunteers to share this commitment. All new appointments will be subject to appropriate checks: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS enhanced), Disqualification by Association Self-Declaration, Declaration of Criminal Record, checks against the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) Prohibition List (Teacher Status Checks) including Identity, Address, Date of Birth, a Full Employment History, Right to Work in the UK, overseas checks where applicable, references (one with current or most recent employer, where appropriate) and original documentation of Qualifications (where appropriate). For positions into Senior Management a Prohibition from Management Check will also be undertaken.

All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. You may be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service before your appointment is confirmed.