Director of Safeguarding

Job Title: Director of Safeguarding

Reports to: General Secretary

Team: Safeguarding

Directorate: Safeguarding

Location: London Diocesan House, 36 Causton Street

Requirements: Enhanced DBS Required

Job Purpose

The Director of Safeguarding is the senior safeguarding leader in the Diocese of London, responsible for providing strategic leadership, professional oversight and assurance across all safeguarding activity.

The postholder will lead the Diocese in fostering a proactive safeguarding culture, ensuring the highest standards of safeguarding practice, compliance and accountability throughout diocesan structures, parishes and associated church bodies.

As the accredited Diocesan Safeguarding Officer (DSO), the postholder has operational independence from the Bishops in the management of safeguarding casework and allegations in accordance with the Canons of the Church of England, National Safeguarding Standards and House of Bishops guidance.

Whilst retaining oversight and decision-making responsibility for the most complex and high-risk safeguarding matters, the Director's primary focus is strategic leadership, organisational development, governance, service improvement and the effective leadership of the Diocesan Safeguarding Team (DST).

About the London Diocese Fund (LDF) and the Diocese of London

The Diocese of London is the group of Church of England organisations located in London, north of the River Thames. It is overseen by the Bishop of London and is made up of parishes, schools, chaplaincies, missional communities, and other organisations across 18 Boroughs.

The London Diocesan Fund (LDF) is the main charity that supports the work of the Diocese as a whole by generating income, providing a wide range of services and paying and housing its clergy.

Our Mission, Values, Ambitions and Priorities

Mission: To support, serve and resource all parts of the Diocese of London in enabling every Londoner to encounter the love of God in Christ.

Values: Confident, Compassionate, Creative, Connected

Ambitions: Confident Disciples, Compassionate Communities, Creative Growth.

Priorities: Growing Younger, Safer Churches, Striving for Racial Justice - to reach every Londoner, we need to reflect the diversity of our city and be a welcoming, safe place.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement

The Diocese of London is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents our context and wider community. We are aware that those of Global Majority Heritage/United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (GMH/UKME), women, and disabled people are currently under-represented among our clergy and workforce, and we particularly encourage applications from those in these groups with the relevant skills and experience that will increase this representation.

Safeguarding Statement

The Diocese of London is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Job Scope

Direct and indirect reports: Safer Churches Programme Manager and staff Casework Lead (Deputy DSO) and staff

Budget responsibilities: Yes

Revenue responsibilities: No

Key Relationships:

• Bishop of London; Area and Suffragan Bishops
• General Secretary and LDF Director roles
• Archdeacons
• Independent Chair, Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel (DSAP) & DSAP members
• Regional Safeguarding Lead and the National Safeguarding Team
• Statutory agencies
• Survivor-support organisations and representatives
• Clergy and Parish Safeguarding Officers
• Diocesan Registrars (legal advisers)
• Bishop's Council (LDF Trustees)
• Chair, Audit and Risk Committee

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Culture:

• Lead the Diocese's safeguarding strategy, embedding a preventative, accountable and learning-focused culture across diocesan life.
• Champion Safer Churches, ensuring the voices and experiences of victims and survivors shape policy, practice and improvement.
• Provide expert advice, assurance and constructive challenge to senior leaders and governance bodies, ensuring policy alignment and effective implementation of review recommendations.

Operational Oversight (DSO Function):

• Fulfil the statutory and canonical DSO function, maintaining professional independence in safeguarding case management and decision-making.
• Retain oversight of the most complex and high-risk cases, ensuring effective, trauma-informed responses to concerns, allegations and disclosures.
• Maintain robust case management, risk assessment, quality assurance and learning systems, supported by supervision, performance measures and professional standards.

Governance, Assurance and Compliance:

• Provide clear safeguarding assurance to diocesan governance structures through reporting, performance monitoring and scrutiny.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements, Church of England safeguarding policy and national safeguarding standards.
• Lead preparation for audits and external reviews, overseeing implementation of recommendations and organisational learning.

Stakeholder Management and Partnerships:

• Build trusted safeguarding partnerships with statutory agencies, the National Safeguarding Team, survivor organisations and relevant church bodies and religious communities.
• Act as the Diocese's principal safeguarding representative with external agencies and professional networks.
• Bridge safeguarding practice, senior clergy and diocesan leadership to support constructive dialogue and resolution of concerns.

Leadership and Management:

• Play a full part in the leadership and management of the Diocese as a member of the Bishop of London's Senior Staff Team and the Senior Management Group of the LDF and other related teams.
• Lead, manage and supervise safeguarding managers and the wider team, promoting integrity, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the Diocesan Safeguarding Team is effectively structured, resourced and supported to meet current and future demand.
• Hold budget responsibility and promote workforce wellbeing, resilience, supervision and professional development.

Training and Organisational Development:

• Oversee implementation of the national safeguarding learning framework and diocesan safeguarding learning strategy.
• Ensure safeguarding training remains current, effective and aligned with statutory and national requirements.
• Promote organisational learning from reviews, audits, complaints and survivor feedback to strengthen practice and service improvement.