Safeguarding Lead

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the development and delivery of long- and short-term safeguarding strategies that maintains, embeds and improves the Club’s safeguarding provision, and continuously provides the highest standards for safeguarding children and adults at risk.

• Lead on the development, implementation and regular review of safeguarding policies, and good practice guidelines, and ensure they continuously meet statutory and football authority requirements.

• Act as the Club’s lead source of safeguarding, expertise, advice and support.

• Meet regularly and work closely with the Club Strategic Safeguarding Lead (SSL – the responsible Board member) to provide updates and reflect/innovate on safeguarding practice.

• Provide for the Board reports including a clear safeguarding implementation plan which links to any success criteria identified in the Club’s safeguarding strategy, has SMART objectives and is adequately resourced.

• Provide support and guidance to all operations of the Club and Luton Town Community Trust with new initiatives, projects and events which have safeguarding implications including drafting and/or approving the safeguarding arrangements in all partnership working.

• Act as Prevent Lead and Coordinator for the Club.

• Work to embed a culture of strong safeguarding awareness, engagement and working practices, and where all staff understand their individual responsibilities to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable groups.

• Ensure that the Club provides distinct codes of conduct and behaviour expectations to employees, workers, players, parents, carers.

• Work closely with the HR team, and Heads of Departments, to develop and implement safer recruitment and induction practices.

• Provide support, guidance, and direction to staff in respect of all safeguarding incidents, concerns or allegations and ensure full evaluation of any lessons learnt.

• Provide guidance on, review and approve safeguarding risk assessments; support staff to develop and embed bespoke safeguarding risk assessments across all activities.

• Create opportunities for active feedback and dialogue with staff, players and parents on the review and evaluation of safeguarding arrangements.

• Ensure effective safer recruitment practice and act as the Lead Disclosure Officer to oversee and manage all administration systems such as the vetting and checking of all Club and Luton Town Community Trust employees and workers including conducting well-planned and efficient suitability risk assessments.

• Work with the Director of HR to ensure the single central records for the Club and Community Trust are accurate and maintained in accordance with data protection legislation.

• Manage and ensure the provision of safeguarding inductions for all Club and Community Trust staff and volunteers.

• Ensure relevant hiring managers, and those individuals involved in onboarding new members of staff, are fully trained on Safer Recruitment practices.

• Provide regular reviews of safer recruitment practice, evolving and innovating practice as required.

• Maintain accurate, confidential and up-to-date records on all safeguarding incidents, concerns and allegations.

• Provide regular insight, anonymised reports and updates to the Club Board and operational management groups, that highlight concerns, allegations, patterns and trends.

• Create and deliver the seasonal workforce development plan across all worker groups; assess effectiveness of training and ensure continuous improvement of all training sourced and delivered.

• Support all relevant employees and workers with training, coaching and guidance to enable them to respond appropriately to concerns about welfare of safety of vulnerable groups.

• Ensure all employees and workers receive regular and relevant training in line with their level of role, responsibility and engagement with children, young people and/or adults at risk.

• Ensure that up-to-date records are kept of all safeguarding and related training, and training that requires regular updating is scheduled.

• Proactively identify and mitigate safeguarding risks to individuals and to the organisation.

• Lead members of staff in managing safeguarding incidents, concerns and allegations.

• Effectively manage any safeguarding incidents or concerns and to implement and manage the Club’s reporting and recording procedures for safeguarding including the case management system for the Club and Luton Town FC Community Trust.

• Develop processes for the safeguarding team and relevant individuals to refer cases or incidents to local authorities or relevant agencies; liaise with the necessary local authority departments, police, local children and adults social care departments, local Safeguarding Children partnership and other external bodies as necessary on all safeguarding children and adults at risk matters.

• Report and refer child protection and/or poor practice matters in line with policy guidance advised by the FA and the Premier League.

• Ensure all Designated Safeguarding Officers are appropriately trained, supported, regularly supervised, and facilitate regular safeguarding team meetings.

• Lead and provide direction to Safeguarding Officers through regular individual support meetings including the APCSO, W&GPCSO, and Trust safeguarding officer the opportunity to reflect upon their roles and safeguarding experiences.

• Provide support to the Safeguarding Manager for the Community Trust and provide supervision in accordance with Premier League Standards.

• Run the monthly Operational Safeguarding meeting, ensuring the flow of communication and action from and to those meetings.

• Ensure compliance with all statutory obligations under relevant legislation, rules, regulations, standards, and guidance as laid down by the football authorities under which the organisation is bound (i.e., the Premier League and the FA).

• Develop and maintain relationships with statutory and football authorities (such as the Police, Local Authorities, NSPCC, the Premier League, the Football League, and the FA).

• Act as the first point of contact for staff, volunteers, parents, children, young people and adults at risk where concerns about welfare, poor practice or abuse are identified.

• Act as the club’s principal point of contact with the appropriate League and the FA on all matters relating to safeguarding.

• Take the lead in any relevant audit of activities process, ensuring effective access for auditors to required information and interviews, and providing robust summaries of all required practice and evidence as required.

• Contribute proactively to pre- and post-match meetings to provide risk assessment and effective communication with all relevant match day teams.

• Work as part of the Control Room team at all First Team home matches to oversee safeguarding incidents, allocation of support and resolution.

• Work closely with the Head of Stadium Safety and Security & Safeguarding Manager in relation to post-match incident review, follow up, referral and sanction as required.

• Provide cover for Designated Safeguarding Officers at Academy as required.

• Ensure continued professional development by regularly attending relevant training and keeping up to date with current safeguarding issues and risks as well as changes to legislation, statutory guidance, and best practice.
  
  

MAIN JOB REQUIREMENTS AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education/Qualifications/Training:

ESSENTIAL 

• Solid previous experience in a senior safeguarding role, managing a team of designated safeguarding officers, ideally within sport.

• Experience in developing a strategic safeguarding vision and aligned operation.

• Experience in developing and monitoring strategic risk assessments.

• Experience leading the development and implementation of cohesive safeguarding policies and practices.

• Experience leading cross-departmental meetings and managing senior stakeholders.

• Experience of safeguarding case work and investigations, together with excellent report writing skills and managing organisational responses.

• Experience in sourcing and delivering safeguarding training.

• Experience and confidence in using systems, analysing data and creating engaging reports.

• Excellent and proactive communication skills (written and verbal), with the ability and credibility to interact effectively with a range of audiences

• Ability to build key stakeholder relationships both internally and externally.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality in sensitive situations.

• A self-starting work ethic, with the ability to continuously innovate and collaborate.

• A natural leader of people and experience in growing a thriving team.

• Really well organised, with the ability to manage multiple projects and processes concurrently.

• A previous track record, and a desire, to continuously improve process.

• A commitment to ongoing personal professional development, and supporting development in others.

• Knowledge and understanding of current safeguarding legislation, guidance, good/best practice and policies in respect of children and adults at risk.
  
  

Additional Information:

• This a Full-Time role, including Match Days, for which you will receive time off in lieu.

• Applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK