Safeguarding & Welfare Officer

We are seeking a highly skilled safeguarding and welfare practitioner to join our Safeguarding & Welfare team; the team are responsible for ensuring effective safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all students. Our purpose is to create an environment where students feel safe and can achieve their full potential.

The successful candidate will be able:

  • To support in the day to day operational safeguarding and welfare provision for the college
  • To effectively advise, coach and influence safeguarding and welfare referrals at all levels for students that attend the college
  • To ensure all staff know how to raise safeguarding concerns and understand the symptoms of abuse & neglect
  • To safeguard, support and implement effective individual action plans for students that have Complex Safeguarding concerns including Forced Marriage, So-Called Honour Based Violence, Domestic Violence, Peer on Peer abuse and Youth Violence,
  • To represent the college and participate in appropriate external networking meetings and training sessions including strategy discussions and multi-agency meetings
  • To contribute to the continuous development of college systems to improve their effectiveness and efficiency to ensure effective safeguarding
  • To build and develop contact and working relationships with multi-agency teams across the Borough and wider networks.

This is a very important role.

Rebecca Hirst, our Designated Safeguarding Lead, says “Here at Oldham College we believe all students deserve a rewarding educational experience that can create opportunities, change lives and lead to an exciting future. We are passionate about ensuring each student feels safe so that they can achieve their full potential. Our excellent team of safeguarding and welfare officers is ready to expand and add another skilled safeguarding practitioner to our growing team to continuously promote our safeguarding and prevent agenda, have a whole college approach to emotional and mental wellbeing in a trauma informed way.”

Further details including a Person Specification are included within the attached Job Description.

Joining our Journey:

When you join our college, our colleagues have access to numerous benefits and facilities:  

  • Generous Pension Scheme  
  • Generous Pension Scheme  
  • Fantastic Staff Benefits and Rewards platform
  • Very generous holiday entitlement (32 days + Bank Holidays+ 2 weeks at Christmas)
  • Employee Assistance Scheme
  • Enhanced Maternity/Paternity provision
  • Staff Development days/week (Jan, July, Aug)
  • Free confidential counselling service
  • Staff recognition awards
  • Subsidised car parking
  • On-site Day Nursery
  • On-site hair and beauty salon offering staff discounts

Oldham College is a medium sized general further education college, with a turnover of almost £25m. It has one main campus in the centre of town, and this in the third phases of a £40m redevelopment which began in 2012.   Higher education is taught on a second, dedicated campus, a short walk away.   The College delivers a full range of work related education and training, including 16-18 programmes of study, T levels, apprenticeships, adult learning and higher education.  It has over 5000 full-time students and 600 undergraduates.   

The College is in the top quartile for 16-18 programmes of study and English GCSE resits, and in apprenticeship provision, but is the second highest performing provider Greater Manchester. The quality of its higher education provision is better than many established universities. 

If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable laws, a pre-employment screening could include, employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the role.

Oldham College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.

Any appointments will be subject to enhanced DBS checks and a check of the DfE Barred List

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation Act 1974. It is an offence to apply for the role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children and vulnerable adults.

For further information about the role please visit the vacancies section of our website via the apply link.