Birmingham is a young city and a great city of opportunities, for children and young people to grow, excel and prosper. In our newly formed Education and Skills Directorate, we've a strong Education Early Help and Safeguarding service. The Education Safeguarding Service is the strategic single point of contact for all schools and Education services regarding safeguarding issues. This Local Authority offer is aimed at ensuring that all Schools and Education Services in Birmingham are effectively supported to fulfil their Duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, in line with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE). The service works closely with the Birmingham Children Safeguarding Partnership and the Children's Trust to develop good early help and safeguarding practice. The service also positively engages with private  and voluntary sector providers to support them understand the Local context and to  ensure consistency, relevance, and sufficiency. In addition to fulfilling the Local Authority’s statutory safeguarding duty to support schools, the service has a comprehensive traded offer of school improvement regarding safeguarding policies and practice.

This is an exciting opportunity  for you to actively contribute to the  development,  brokerage and delivery  of strong safeguarding  support services for schools.  All in all, you will have the determination and the passion to drive forward safeguarding good practice working together with  multi-disciplinary partners to ensure that children and young people in Birmingham are safe and develop resilience.

In ensuring these outcomes for Birmingham’s children,  we are equipping them not just to flourish and succeed in later life,  but also to actively contribute now as citizens to life in Birmingham and their local communities.

The purpose of the role is to develop and deliver Birmingham City Council’s safeguarding offer to schools aimed at ensuring that all schools and education settings are effectively supported to fulfil their duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, in line with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2020) and Working Together to Safeguard Children (WTSC 2020).

The Schools & Education Settings Safeguarding Support Officer will:

• Act as Birmingham City Council’s first point of contact for all schools and education services regarding safeguarding issues to provide advice, support and challenge to ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and practice are in place

• Work closely with Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership and Birmingham Children's Trust to develop an effective Early Help and safeguarding practice offer • Contribute to the statutory and traded offer of school safeguarding improvement regarding policy, procedure and practice

• Positively engage and collaborate with the private, voluntary and independent sector to ensure understanding of the local context of delivery and local safeguarding arrangements • Signpost schools and settings to appropriate internal and external partners for support

• Investigate safeguarding complaints as allocated by the Principal Officer Safeguarding/ Team Manager/Head of Service.

The post holder will represent Education Safeguarding within the dynamic safeguarding system to provide an education perspective to a range of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, assessing notifications and referrals regarding children and families.

Educated to A level or equivalent or Level 4 NVQ standard in relevant field e.g.  Social Care, Education Welfare, Youth Work , Early Years, or Teaching (including further education).

Evidence of continued professional development to update skills and knowledge. Experience of working within the education system, social care, child care and similarly regulated activities under the safeguarding legislative framework. Working with children, young people and families and Multi-agency work. Knowledge and understanding, school attendance, childcare and applied family law. Working with schools, including work as a Teaching Assistant, Pastoral Support, Mentor, Attendance and other Education welfare related issues. Experience of working with vulnerable children and families within the education welfare, safeguarding and pastoral support context. Have a track record of making a difference for vulnerable children and young people

Ability to:

Work independently to prioritise and manage time and workload effectively. Demonstrates good practice in casework and community-based interventions. Communicate clearly, concisely and logically both verbally and in writing. Build and sustain strong relationships with multi-disciplinary professionals at all levels in statutory, private, voluntary and independent sector organisations. Understand the links between complex safeguarding issues; identify inconsistencies, gaps , overlaps and errors in reasoning. Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way Demonstrate commitment to the value of education and social inclusion. Commitment to teamwork and an understanding of own role as a team member. Ability to travel across the City to carry out the duties of the post.

Demonstrate an organised and professional approach in attitude, manner and appearance.

Demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Be creative, solution focused,

Demonstrate analytical skills and interest in developing own skills.

For informal enquiries, please contact: Micho Moyo -Head of Service -Education Safeguarding  ;Mobile 07548713610; E-mail: micho.h.moyo@birmingham.gov.uk

At Birmingham City Council (BCC), we are committed to creating an environment and culture that promotes equality, diversity and inclusion; making sure BCC is a place for people to be their best, authentic selves.

We are building up our vibrant staff networks for peer-led support, with safe spaces for those who need it and offer access to our talent programmes to support everyone in reaching their aspirations and fulfilling their potential.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those with caring responsibilities and flexible working options will be considered.

**Previous applicants need not apply**

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be undertaken

Right to work in the UK documentation will be fully checked for all applicants.  All non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) may require a Certificate of Sponsorship from Birmingham City Council and must have an approved visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) before any employment offer can be confirmed. Unless they are an EEA or Swiss citizen or their family members, already living in the UK by 31 December 2020, then they will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) instead.

Supporting documents
Job Description & Person Specification