schools safeguarding jobs

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (Berkshire)

New Meaning Training Centre: NMT Berkshire (Reading)

Type: Full time, Permanent, All-year-round

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Schedule: Monday to Friday 08:30–16:30

Salary: £24,784.50 - £40,000 (Negotiable and based on experience)

Job References: CENBERDDSL072601

Introduction

Safeguarding is rarely about a single incident. More often, it's about noticing the details that others might miss, asking the right questions, and making sure concerns are acted on before risks become greater.

We're looking for a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) to join New Meaning Training's Central Team, based in Berkshire and supporting safeguarding practice across our two Reading sites. This is a key role within our growing safeguarding structure, helping to ensure that learners, colleagues and external partners can access timely advice, guidance and support when safeguarding concerns arise.

Working under the direction of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), you'll support colleagues with safeguarding advice and guidance, work with teams to ensure safeguarding records are accurate, factual and of a consistently high standard, handle external referrals and multi-agency liaison, and help strengthen safeguarding confidence across local teams. You'll be an important link between site teams and the central safeguarding function, helping to ensure concerns are identified, recorded and responded to appropriately while playing a key role in standardising safeguarding practice and approaches across the business.

This role requires someone who combines strong safeguarding knowledge with excellent professional judgement and relationship-building skills. You'll need to be able to support colleagues through complex situations, challenge where necessary, and always keep the welfare of learners at the centre of your decision making.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a key point of contact for safeguarding concerns across your allocated sites, ensuring concerns are recorded, managed and escalated appropriately.
• Support the Designated Safeguarding Lead with the day-to-day implementation of safeguarding procedures and processes.
• Provide advice, guidance and practical support to colleagues on safeguarding matters.
• Submit safeguarding referrals to external agencies under the guidance of the DSL, ensuring accurate records and appropriate documentation are maintained.
• Maintain high-quality safeguarding records, ensuring information is accurate, secure, up to date and shared appropriately.
• Support colleagues to recognise, record and report safeguarding concerns in line with NMT policies and statutory guidance.
• Help strengthen safeguarding practice across sites by promoting consistency, confidence and accountability.
• Contribute to safeguarding meetings, case discussions, reviews and follow-up actions.
• Identify emerging risks, safeguarding themes and areas where additional support or training may be required.
• Support attendance monitoring where safeguarding concerns may be present.
• Promote awareness of safeguarding, online safety, Prevent Duty responsibilities and learner welfare across the organisation.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of thematic safeguarding education for learners.
• Engage in safeguarding supervision, training and CPD to ensure knowledge remains current and effective.

You will have

Essential

• A minimum of three years' relevant safeguarding experience.
• GCSE Maths and English (Grade 5/C or above, or equivalent).
• DSL Level 5 qualification, maintained in line with required renewal periods.
• Up-to-date Prevent Duty training.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, guidance and best practice, including Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children.
• Experience managing safeguarding concerns, maintaining safeguarding records and working with external agencies.
• Excellent judgement and the ability to respond calmly and professionally in sensitive situations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to build positive, professional relationships with colleagues, learners, families and external partners.
• High levels of confidentiality, integrity and professional discretion.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Confidence using Microsoft 365 and digital systems for record keeping and communication.

Desirable

• Experience working with young people with SEND and SEMH needs.
• Experience within education, alternative provision, further education or youth services.
• Mental Health First Aid qualification.
• Experience delivering safeguarding training, briefings or awareness sessions.
• Experience supporting quality assurance and continuous improvement within safeguarding.

Personal Qualities

• Compassionate, empathetic and learner-centred.
• Professionally curious and able to recognise when something may not be right.
• Calm, resilient and solution-focused.
• Collaborative and approachable.
• Able to challenge appropriately when safeguarding standards need to be upheld.
• Committed to continuous improvement and safeguarding excellence.

Safeguarding

New Meaning Training is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and adhere to our safeguarding and professional conduct policies.

• Checks: This post involves regulated activity and is subject to an Enhanced DBS check (including a Children’s Barred List check) and satisfactory professional references.
• Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA): This role is exempt from the ROA 1974. Applicants must disclose all convictions and cautions that are not ‘protected’ under the Exceptions Order 1975 (as amended 2013 and 2020). For guidance on which offences are ‘filtered’ and do not need to be disclosed, please refer to the DBS filtering guide.

About us

New Meaning Training offers education with a difference.

We work with young people aged 16–25 who haven’t always had a straightforward experience of education. Some have been misunderstood, some have disengaged, and some are still working out where they fit. What they find here is something steadier — a place where there’s time to settle in, where expectations are clear, and where they’re not judged on what’s gone before.

We now operate across six centres in High Wycombe (our HQ), Milton Keynes, Aylesbury, Reading, Stratford-upon-Avon and Nuneaton, supporting around 320 learners in the 2026–2027 academic year. Across all centres, we offer a growing range of “Introduction to” programmes, with several new courses launching this September. These courses — spanning areas such as Motor Mechanics, Construction, Hair & Beauty, Creative Arts, Computing, Sport, Retail and Hospitality — are designed to give young people the chance to try things out properly, build practical skills, and start to see what they might be good at. Everything is grounded in learning through doing, with a focus on making education feel possible from the start.

Each of our centres has its own rhythm, but there’s a shared way of working across the organisation. Teams are close-knit, supportive, and practical — people step in for each other, share ideas, and keep things moving on days that don’t go to plan (which happens). There’s a steady sense that everyone’s working towards the same thing.

There are also moments that don’t feel like a typical education setting at all. From wellbeing activities to calm, flexible approaches to the day, we create an environment where young people can feel settled enough to take part. It’s not a headline feature — it just reflects the kind of place this is.

Alongside our centre-based provision, we run a Transition Support programme for young people with an EHCP who are not yet ready for that environment. This sits separately from our main delivery and is designed to help them move towards their next step at a pace that works for them.

Most of the young people we work with are referred through schools, PRUs and SEND services. That means we’re always balancing two things — creating an experience where young people feel understood, while also delivering something clear, structured and trusted by the professionals around them.

We don’t expect things to change overnight. We focus on helping things feel possible again — and building from there.

Why work for New Meaning Training?

Generous annual leave

• 20 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Up to 10 additional “gifted” days off each year (taken during learner holiday periods)
• Annual leave increases with length of service, up to a maximum of 24 days

Pension

• Auto enrolment into The People’s Pension
• 5% employee contribution with 3% employer contribution

Blue Light Card

• Access to hundreds of national discounts (retail, food, travel, days out)
• Admin fee fully reimbursed by NMT

Service recognition

• Additional annual leave as a thank you for long service
• Gift rewards at key milestones (e.g. 5 and 10 years)

Wellbeing benefits

• Annual flu vaccination voucher (paid for by NMT)
• Birthday gift voucher to celebrate your day

Sustainable travel schemes

• Cycle to Work scheme (salary sacrifice)
• Electric Vehicle scheme via Octopus Energy (salary sacrifice)

Pay: £24,784.50-£40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Company events
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free flu jabs
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Sick pay
• Store discount

Experience:

• safeguarding: 3 years (required)

Work Location: In person