Head of Safeguarding

The Ruskin Mill Trust Group is a substantial special needs educational provider offering day and residential services for children, young people and adults aged between 6-25.  The Trust has been in operation for over 30 years. Our provisions are located from Durham to Pembrokeshire, via Sheffield, the West Midlands and Gloucestershire. We use a distinctive Practical Skills Therapeutic Education approach, grounded in the approach of Rudolf Steiner and developed over three decades

TRUST HEAD OF SAFEGUARDING, Children and Adults

Salary: £57,114.00 to £61,028.00 per annum

Located in any of our sites, however, there will be a full expectation to travel to the others sites on a regular basis and as required.

Applications are invited for this critical role in leading the development of a robust culture of safeguarding practice across the Trust, providing operational, strategic and corporate direction including complex professional advice on matters relating to safeguarding.  

The successful applicant will lead on collaborative working practices across both agency and geographical boundaries, with providers of health and social care and other partner agencies, to provide a seamless approach to safeguarding, including ensuring that national and local recommendations from emergent safeguarding work are implemented across the Trust.

Ruskin Mill Trust Group are on a journey of change.  You will not embark on this journey alone, but will be fully supported by the executive team and principals that really do understand the challenges of safeguarding and ensuring a seamless approach to safeguarding is a key outcome. 

Joining our leadership team and working as part of the new Co-Chief Executive’s operational team, you will be instrumental in ensuring quality safeguarding for all our children and adults.  You will be strategic in nature, but with an operational focus, you will work closely with professionals and partner organisations, and you will be able to set the pace and tone of progress in delivering a comprehensive and seamless safeguarding function. You will also enjoy the opportunity to work across the Trust and beyond safeguarding and to have a wider influence and a real chance to develop your career.

To be successful you will have a current proven track record in safeguarding and understand the complexities around children and adults from both an operational and strategic perspective.  You should also exhibit a clear evidence of interpersonal skills; a lot of the responsibilities you will take on in this role requires an exceptional level of team effort, so you must be able to build strong working relationships with your colleagues throughout the Trust and other key stakeholders. You must have a demonstrable record of successful partnership with other staff in this field in order to achieve the aims of the Trust.

Proven organisational and analytical abilities are expected. You should be able to combine your workload in demanding situations. No two days are the same in this role, so if you are looking for variety, this may be the post for you.

In addition, you will:

• Have a degree in education or health care or social care or related subject
• Formal qualification/ course related to specialist field of Safeguarding or equivalent experience along with safeguarding supervision training/ experience
• Have strong relationship management capability with multiple stakeholders in a diverse, complex entrepreneurial and geographical spread organisation
• Be confident to challenge the status quo and be a positive disruptor to drive organisational behavioural change in safeguarding. Have a can do, supportive attitude underpinned by a coaching and mentoring methodology
• Need to demonstrate an absolute commitment to improving outcomes for children, young people and adults an intelligent grasp of our current operating context as a baseline for delivering a high quality safeguarding service.

For an informal discussion, please contact  Ian Turner, Director of People and Employee Engagement on 07812 234333.

An Interactive induction is provided with the opportunity to try out crafts/student experience

Ruskin Mill Trust Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced check. Ruskin Mill Trust is committed to becoming an equal opportunities employer.

Closing date: Midday on Friday, 31st August 2018

Please note: We reserve the right to close this advertisement sooner should a suitable candidate be found.

To request an application pack, please visit our website www.rmt.org/jobs or contact Rebecca Delo, Human Resources Advisor, Department of Human Resources, Ruskin Mill Trust Group, Glasshouse College, Wollaston Road, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 4HE or please email recruitment@ghc.rmt.org to whom completed applications should be returned.

We do not accept CVS.