The Church of England
Head of Safeguarding Diocesan Safeguarding Officer (DSO)
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Job Description
Job Title
Head of Safeguarding
Contract/Salary
35 hours per week, permanent contract with a salary of £70,000pa
Reports to
Diocesan Secretary
Accountable to
The Diocesan Bishop who has overall responsibility for safeguarding in the Diocese
Management of
The Diocesan Safeguarding Team
Location
Westminster, London, with regular international travel across the Diocese and flexibility to work across time zones.
Requirements
- Enhanced DBS check
- Right to work checks
- Three references
Benefits
- 25 days holiday plus 8 public/bank holidays
- Church Worker pension scheme
The Head of Safeguarding, designated as the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer (DSO), provides senior professional leadership for safeguarding across the Diocese in Europe, which operates across more than 30 countries and a wide range of legal and cultural contexts. English is the working language of the Diocese.
The postholder provides professional leadership and oversight of safeguarding relating to children, young people and vulnerable adults and plays a leading role in developing the Diocese's safeguarding strategy, working in dialogue with the Bishop and those responsible for diocesan governance.
The Diocese is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and the postholder is expected to uphold and promote that commitment.
The role operates within Church of England safeguarding requirements and the relevant legal and regulatory frameworks of the countries in which the Diocese works. Particular care will be required when managing cross border safeguarding, information sharing and differing data protection requirements and cultures.
The postholder will be sympathetic to the vision and mission of the Diocese as well as the aims and Christian ethos of the Church of England. Whilst the post does not carry an occupational requirement for the postholder to be a practising Christian, they will be working in an environment where prayer and worship provide the context for gatherings and meetings.
Role profile
The Head of Safeguarding is the Diocese's senior professional safeguarding lead, responsible for providing strategic direction, operational oversight and expert advice across all areas of safeguarding.
Working closely with the Bishop, Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) and senior leadership, the postholder will help ensure that safeguarding responsibilities are met effectively and that safeguarding remains central to governance, decision making and diocesan life.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic leadership and governance
- Support the Bishop in discharging overall responsibility for safeguarding by leading the enhancement and delivery of the diocesan safeguarding strategy and priorities.
- Shape and Lead delivery of safeguarding operational plans to fulfil the Church of England's National Safeguarding Standards within the Diocese's multi-jurisdictional context.
- Act as the principal strategic safeguarding adviser to the Bishop, Diocesan Secretary and Archdeacons, providing expert advice, support and constructive challenge.
- Provide regular assurance to the Bishop, Trustees of the DBF, and the lead Safeguarding Trustee on safeguarding risks, resourcing, compliance, culture, quality and strategic priorities.
- Provide comprehensive quarterly reports to the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Committee (DSAC) and work closely with the Independent Chair of DSAC to enable effective scrutiny and objective challenge.
- Ensure safeguarding risks are identified, evaluated and appropriately reflected in the diocesan Risk Register, with clear ownership and tracking of agreed mitigations.
- Regularly report to Diocesan Synod, new and existing governance bodies and contribute as a full member of the Bishop's Staff Meeting.
- Act as collaborative, engaged and supportive senior colleague within the senior team of the DBF
- Embed safeguarding governance and accountability across archdeaconries and chaplaincies, working with senior clergy and local leaders to strengthen ownership and practice.
- Maintain strong links with the National Safeguarding Team and any successor national safeguarding body, and with other dioceses; ensure the particular needs of an international and cross-border diocese are understood and represented in national forums.
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Professional Safeguarding Leadership (as Diocesan Safeguarding Officer)
- Exercise the functions of the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer in accordance with Church Canons, Safeguarding Codes of Practice and other national Church safeguarding requirements.
- Hold professional oversight of safeguarding concerns and allegations across the Diocese, including determining safeguarding thresholds, routes and escalation.
- Ensure sensitive, timely and trauma informed responses to disclosures and safeguarding concerns ensure appropriate leadership and delegation of casework to DST Colleagues.
- Convene or ensure appropriate leadership of Safeguarding Case Management Groups; oversee referrals to statutory or relevant local safeguarding authorities, risk assessments, safeguarding agreements, safety/support plans and other safeguarding actions required by national Codes, Regulations and relevant local law.
- Ensure effective case recording, information sharing, professional escalation, access to local legal support and effective use of the National Safeguarding Casework Management System (NSCMS).
- Liaise with the Registrar on the legal or ecclesiastical dimensions of safeguarding matters including information sharing, clergy conduct interfaces and complex cross-jurisdictional issues.
Safeguarding team and chaplaincy network
- Lead, support and develop the diocesan Safeguarding Team, ensuring appropriate professional supervision, development and wellbeing.
- Participate in professional supervision and quality assurance arrangements with the National Safeguarding Team in line with the Church Canons.
- Ensure the team has clear priorities and sufficient capacity to respond effectively to safeguarding risk across the Diocese.
- Provide professional leadership to the wider network of voluntary Chaplaincy Safeguarding Officers, supporting their effective recruitment, induction, training and engagement.
- Build confidence and capability amongst clergy, church officers and others with safeguarding responsibilities.
- Lead safeguarding resource and budget planning, ensuring that staffing, systems, training and specialist support are proportionate to safeguarding risk and the geographical complexity of the Diocese.
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Quality assurance, policy and audit
- Review, update and develop diocesan safeguarding policy and practice ensuring compliance with Church of England safeguarding requirements, relevant local legislation and that policy, guidance and communications are clear and accessible for the communities served by the Diocese.
- Lead safeguarding quality assurance arrangements and ensure that learning from audits and reviews leads to demonstrable improvement.
- Coordinate the Diocese's preparation for external safeguarding audits, including INEQE, ensuring the right documentation, evidence, project governance, operational delivery and stakeholder engagement.
- Ensure safeguarding practice reviews and organisational learning are undertaken and learning is translated into improved policy, practice and training and governance;
- Ensure appropriate standards of safeguarding data management, confidentiality and information governance across the Diocese and that accurate data is available and used for decision making.
- Ensure safer recruitment code of practice is followed and that arrangements for international background checks are appropriate.
Culture, and relationships
- Promote a culture in which safeguarding is understood as a shared responsibility and concerns are raised and responded to openly and appropriately.
- Ensure the experience and voice of victims and survivors informs safeguarding strategy, learning, quality improvement and organisational culture in appropriate, safe and trauma-informed ways.
- Maintain appropriate professional relationships with people directly affected by safeguarding concerns, including victims and survivors, respondents and their supporters, responding with sensitivity, respect and clarity.
- Promote effective partnership working with relevant local safeguarding authorities appropriate to the different legal jurisdictions in diocese.
- Build safeguarding confidence and capability among chaplains, licensed ministers, churchwardens, volunteers and others with safeguarding responsibilities across the Diocese.
- Develop constructive working relationships with chaplaincies, safeguarding agencies and Church of England safeguarding colleagues.
- Recognise and respond sensitively to the different legal, cultural and organisational contexts in which the Diocese operates.
- Represent the Diocese on relevant safeguarding networks and groups where appropriate and practicable.
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