Safeguarding

[AutumnalRose]

Does anyone work in safeguarding? It's something I've always been really interested in, so I was wondering how you all got into the job role?

What do you mean by safeguarding? I'm a social worker, which requires a degree. There is school safeguarding, who are experienced members of the school team, often heads of department or deputy heads of the school if primary. There is also adult safeguarding which is also social work based. What kind of safeguarding are you interested in?

Our school designated safeguarding lead is an ex police officer.

We have a school safeguarding lead who got into the job from being a family support worker for social services and then a contact supervisor.

School safeguarding

The safeguarding leads at any school I’ve taught in have been the head teacher and deputy head. Are you a teacher already?

In one of the schools I work in, a TA did training in ELSA and then moved across to a home school link worker role, where she did more training and had supervision from more experienced home school link workers, she then did safeguarding lead training, and acted as a deputy dsl with the Head and Deputy supporting her. She did more safeguarding training and then became a DSL at another school.

But generally it's a teacher who has done additional training or a social worker moved sideways.

Safeguarding is usually part of or an extension to existing roles so it all depends what you do now.

No. But I have been a TA

I work in the NHS. But I used to be a TA. I'd like to progress into a family support work role.

This isn’t something that a TA would do in most primaries-it’s hugely important and always members of SLT.

Maybe in a secondary, though-I have much less experience in how their safeguarding roles work.

We have an attendance and safeguarding lead who would be your level of qualification, and then is line managed by the actual DSL who is SLT.

The case load of school nurses is mostly safeguarding.

Look on your local council website for family support roles. They are frequently advertised not just for schools, but employed by the council as "early help" as well.