Education Safeguarding Lead

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

• Job Title: Education Safeguarding Lead
• Job Location: 92-96 Westgate Street
• Salary: £49,817- £53,051 per annum
• Hours per Week: 37.00
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Closing Date: 08/11/2026
• Job Requisition Number: 15050
• This post is open to job share

Are you an experienced safeguarding leader who can bring education partners together to protect children and drive lasting improvement?

About the Team & Role

We are looking for an experienced safeguarding professional to lead Gloucestershire County Council’s Education Safeguarding Team. This influential role provides strategic leadership, professional oversight and operational assurance across schools, academies, early years settings and alternative provision.

You will lead the education directorates response to complex and high-risk safeguarding concerns involving education settings, ensuring investigations and improvement activity are robust, timely and effective. You will use audit, performance information and learning from reviews to strengthen practice across the education system.

Working closely with education leaders, Children’s Social Care and safeguarding partners, you will lead education’s contribution to multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, statutory reviews and inspections. You will also manage and develop the Education Safeguarding Team and oversee safeguarding arrangements for children in entertainment and employment.

About You

You will have substantial experience of education safeguarding and a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and the education system. You will have undertaken a Designated Safeguarding Lead role in an appropriate setting or have extensive relevant experience of working with schools, vulnerable children and families.

You will be an accomplished manager who can lead people, services and change, exercise sound professional judgement and provide authoritative advice in complex situations. You will be able to influence senior partners, constructively challenge practice and build effective relationships across organisational boundaries.

Excellent communication, analytical and organisational skills are essential, together with the ability to produce clear reports, deliver training and represent the council confidently at strategic boards, statutory reviews and inspections.

You will be educated to degree level and hold a relevant qualification in education, safeguarding, social care, youth work or teaching.

About Us

At Gloucestershire County Council, we are committed to making a positive difference for children, young people and families. You will join a supportive service that values collaboration, professional curiosity, continuous improvement and the voice and lived experience of children.

In return, we offer:

• Flexible and agile working opportunities, where service needs allow
• Annual leave entitlement in accordance with council terms and conditions
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Career development and qualification opportunities
• A supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme, providing free and confidential support 24 hours a day
• Cycle to Work and Green Car Salary Sacrifice schemes, subject to eligibility and terms and conditions
• Access to employee networks

The role will involve travel across Gloucestershire and may occasionally require work outside normal office hours.

How to Apply

If you have the skills, experience and commitment to lead education safeguarding across Gloucestershire, we would be delighted to receive your application.

Please submit your application and supporting statement by clicking the Apply Now button. Your supporting statement should clearly explain how your knowledge, skills and experience meet the requirements set out in the job profile.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Philip Haslett at philip.haslett@gloucestershire.gov.uk.

Additional Information

To access the Job Profile for this role, please follow the link below:-

Job Profile - Education Safeguarding Lead

Due to the number of applications we received, we are unable to provide feedback at shortlisting stage and reserve the right to close the advert early.

Applications from any Gloucestershire County Council's employees who are currently on the redeployment register or at risk of redundancy will be considered first at shortlisting stage.

The council is not currently able to offer sponsorship in this role. Candidates will need to have a right to work that enables them to commit to at least 6 months' employment. Right to work is not transferable from a sponsored role held with another employer.

Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This position is subject to a DBS check.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.

We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.