Job Title: Regional Safeguarding Lead

Location: South West region. Regular travel to academies in this region and some national travel as required

Join us in Opening Minds, Opening Doors!

We are seeking an experienced and highly credible Regional Safeguarding Lead who will act as the lead safeguarding professional across the region for all academies, including primary, secondary and special settings. This is a high-profile, field-based role, working closely with Headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and senior leaders to provide assurance, challenge and support, ensuring safeguarding practice is robust, compliant and consistently effective across every phase and context.

You will play a pivotal role in protecting vulnerable pupils, strengthening safeguarding culture and driving improvement at scale across the region.

Key responsibilities:

Provide safeguarding assurance across academies through regular visits, testing systems, culture and practice against statutory and Trust expectations.
Hold Headteachers and DSLs to account for safeguarding compliance, quality and continuous improvement.
Identify, escalate and manage safeguarding risks, ensuring timely action and appropriate senior oversight.
Use safeguarding, attendance and vulnerability data to spot patterns, hotspots and emerging risks, translating intelligence into effective action.
Lead and deliver high-quality safeguarding training, support DSL development and model best practice across the region.

Pay range: SCP 39 - 43 (£50,269 - £54,495)

Qualifications and Skills:

Significant experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, ideally at senior leadership level, with responsibility for complex cases.
Expert knowledge of KCSIE, Working Together to Safeguard Children and safeguarding compliance across multi-academy settings.
Proven experience of safeguarding assurance, audits and quality improvement across more than one school or organisation.
Strong ability to deliver professional challenge, influence senior leaders and work effectively with multi-agency partners.
High levels of resilience, professional credibility and judgement, with the confidence to make and defend difficult safeguarding decisions.

What are we about?

Join a trust that is going places!

At E-ACT, we believe every child deserves opportunity. Our 'Opening Minds, Opening Doors' strategy breaks down barriers and builds pathways to success; driven by purposeful leadership, collaboration, and innovation. We champion diversity, encourage a people-first culture, and ensure every voice is heard.

We are proud to lead system-wide change both locally and national - providing sector-wide support while transforming futures. Our achievements are recognised through winning MAT of the Year 2023 at the MAT Excellence Awards and National School Awards, and also the TES Trust Leadership Award 2024. E-ACT is recognised for shaping bold educational outcomes. Most recently, two of our Birmingham academies were selected by the Department for Education as RISE Regional Hubs, in recognition of their outstanding work on inclusion and behaviour, a testament to the impact of our people-first culture and relentless drive for excellence.

With 37 academies and over 25,000 pupils, our dedicated staff make excellence possible. We prioritise wellbeing, tackle workload, and continuously raise the bar. We don't just educate, we inspire ambition and empower every child to thrive.

Want to be a part of something extraordinary? Find out more at www.e-act.org.uk

Benefits:

Financial and Lifestyle

We offer a strong financial package including access to defined benefit pension schemes (LGPS or TPS), life cover at three times pensionable pay, and 31 days of annual leave for year-round employees. Staff can also benefit from the Cycle to Work scheme, promoting healthy and sustainable commuting.

Professional Growth and Development

We invest heavily in staff development through tailored INSET days and high-quality CPD opportunities. Teaching staff benefit from automatic TLR progression, a structured 9-point pay scale (M1 to UPS3), and full TLR payments for part-time colleagues fulfilling full responsibilities.

Culture and Wellbeing

Our people-first culture values every colleague. We support wellbeing through the Wisdom app and a free Employee Assistance Programme offering counselling and financial advice. Collaboration is at the heart of our Trust, encouraging shared learning and collective success.

Please look at our 'Work for Us' page and Recruitment Pack for more information.

How to apply:

Please read the supporting documentation carefully before completing your application.

E-ACT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.

E-ACT is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

E-ACT National Team - Bristol Hub jobs

Regional Safeguarding Lead - South West