Resign over safeguarding

[Oculusopen]

Name changed as friends know my usual user name.

I am one of 4 leaders in a business. The nature of the business requires strong safeguarding in place as we work with vulnerable people. I have no experience or career interest in safeguarding. I was recruited for my own area of expertise.

One of my direct reports has taken a new role in safeguarding. His previous duties were not safeguarding related. He is still reporting to me.

I have told the md (my line manager) that I am uncomfortable with this arrangement. However his view is that the other leaders have more people reporting to them and I have “capacity”.

Safeguarding is important and issues come up weekly. I just don’t want to do it.

WIBU to resign over this?

I may have missed the point here but if you work with vulnerable people and you don’t want to know about Safeguarding then yes, I think you should resign. What are you objecting to?

Will the business be prepared to send you on a safeguarding course?

I was hired in a leadership position to offer finance leadership. I am not in a customer facing role.

I am out of my depth with safeguarding.

They probably would. I feel a short course is not enough. Safeguarding is a huge responsibility.

Look elsewhere. This is how it starts, they change your job with no extra pay for more responsibility. When something safeguarding gets missed you will get blamed being line manager.

Who did the safeguarding b4? Can you swap with a colleague? Is there someone more suitable?

it might be that you are expected to do it, do u have jd/contract?
if you really don’t want to do it, then u can resign, you don’t need a reason.

I don't think it's an issue. Regardless of who he reports to, the overall responsibility for safeguarding falls to the DSL.

I have lots of safeguarding experience. No, I don't think the DSL should be line managed by finance. Is he even the actual DSL or is that what they are asking from you?

I assumed one of the other 3 was the DSL...

However his view is that the other leaders have more people reporting to them and I have “capacity”.
False equivalence. You are employed for your finance expertise; the number of direct reports is not a factor in this.
Ask that the new-role person is transferred to a different manager.

You are correct in what you are doing.
As you say safeguarding is a massive responsibility and so have a dedicated and fully trained person in charge of it.

If something went wrong you could get in to massive trouble.

This is very true - but I’m not sure why someone who has no interest in safeguarding would even apply for a job where safeguarding is front and centre!

That's ridiculous! The OP works in finance. I'm sure she could work in a Guinness Factory and be a teetotaler if she wanted to.

OP didn’t, they’re responsible for finance, not safeguarding.

I dont think you need to resign. I think you just need to tell the organisation your not qualified or contracted to manage this aspect of the job.
However if its a small organisation I'd expect all the senor management to be versed in safeguarding.

@ReframeFeelings @Berga

My direct report is the newly appointed DSL and he now reports to me on safeguarding matters. I just don’t know enough about safeguarding.

I have worked in other roles where I had no direct input in the product/service. My expertise is in finance.

I don’t blame you, this is a ridiculous situation- why has this person been given the role in the first place if they don’t have the skillset? Who was responsible for safeguarding before?

The number of direct reports isn’t the issue here, I agree it’s about people with the correct knowledge having oversight of the right areas of the organisation.

Do you have a board you could escalate this to? Or if your organisation is regulated in some way is there an external body you could approach for advice?

Who made the decision to give them this role when they’re not qualified for it?

But safeguarding matters end at the DSL within a company. There is no "higher up" apart from police and social services which DSL should lease with if necessary.

OK. You need to refuse to manage this aspect of his work. I don't think you need to resign over this.

If he’s the DSL then there shouldn’t be a higher safeguarding person. He is it.

Are you sure they’re expecting you to line manage him on that and not just be his line manager generally?

Somebody who already reports to the OP now has safeguarding responsibilities. It sounds to me like there will be several people who will be safeguarding trained of which he will be one of them and there will be a DSL who is directly responsible for all safeguarding matters. If this is the case the OP will not be responsible at all for that area of his management I would assume.

No @ReframeFeelings this is not the situation read the OP's posts above.

I have worked in Safeguarding- I understand how you feel because it is a very difficult job. You can make a stand on this- it’s not appropriate due to the nature of safeguarding and should be done by someone with experience of safeguarding.
However, there is a process for managing safeguarding - essentially much of it is out of the hands of people doing it. As long as you ( and the DSL) knows the process you can do this.
I have always found people to be fucking terrified nervous of anything safeguarding so your anxiety is understandable. I would suggest 1. you ensure the DSL is trained to the highest spec available 2. You ensure they can speak to you regulary 3. You get more than basic training 4. You have arrangements in place for DSL absences- eg deputy DSL x 2 at least 4. You use a secure computer system for reporting and recording.5. Outside and regular supervision for the DSL.