JOB TITLE: National Safeguarding Adviser for the Church of England
LOCATION: Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3NZ
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Director of Central Secretariat and lead Bishop for safeguarding.
RESPONSIBLE FOR: The National Safeguarding team (currently two people plus administrative support but further recruitment is planned and budgeted).
KEY RELATIONSHIPS: National Safeguarding Adviser for the Methodist Church, Members of the Archbishops’ Council and the House of Bishops; Members of the National Safeguarding Panel; key colleagues at Church House and Bishopthorpe and Lambeth Palaces; Bishops and senior staff in the dioceses, especially Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers and Diocesan Secretaries; External stakeholders including safeguarding survivor groups, government departments and other external experts in the safeguarding field.
BACKGROUND: The rising volume of safeguarding policy work at national level relating to children and adults who are vulnerable has led the Church of England to appoint a full-time National Safeguarding Adviser replacing the previous post which was shared jointly with the Methodist Church. Although this is a newly-established full-time Church of England position, the individual appointed will be required to continue with the Covenant working arrangements on safeguarding with the Methodist Church and will need to work closely with the National Safeguarding Adviser for the Methodist Church and their team.
The National Safeguarding Adviser for the Church of England has the lead professional responsibility for the Church’s safeguarding work at national level, ensuring that it has strategic direction. This includes the development of national policies and practice guidance on safeguarding for the dioceses and ensuring that these policies are widely understood and implemented at diocesan and parish level across the Church of England’s 42 dioceses. This involves training, guidance, coordination of casework at national level and auditing processes led by the Safeguarding Adviser and the national team.
The National Safeguarding Adviser needs to have a broad perspective on safeguarding issues in public institutions and wider society and to be able both to advise the Church on how to manage its role within this context and to engage with government and other agencies on the Church’s behalf.. In addition, the National Safeguarding Adviser is required to work closely with colleagues in the Church’s National Institutions to ensure effective reporting on safeguarding matters to the Church’s governing bodies and the sustaining of strong controls and effective risk management.
JOB SUMMARY: To develop and implement national safeguarding policy for the Church of England. Advising the Archbishops’ Council, the House of Bishops and the National Church Institutions, Bishops and senior clergy and staff in the dioceses on safeguarding policy and strategic issues.
To oversee relations with survivors of church-related abuse and to consult with them on the development of policy and practice guidance.
To ensure the continuation of covenant working on safeguarding with the Methodist Church.
To oversee the consistent implementation of national safeguarding policies and practice guidance at every level of the Church through annual business planning, consistent training delivery for all clergy and authorised ministers, and leading a centrally-managed Quality Assurance process with the dioceses.
To ensure the professional effectiveness of the Church’s response to and positioning on the changing external context on safeguarding, including the development of services for victims and survivors of past and current church-related abuse; responding to public enquiries; engaging with relevant department and agencies; influencing public policy developments in the area of safeguarding and liaising with external experts in the safeguarding field.
To ensure clear risk management and reporting at national level on safeguarding matters to the Archbishops’ Council and the House of Bishops.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Leadership of the National Safeguarding Team and senior source of professional advice on safeguarding matters for the Director of Central Secretariat, the Lead Bishop on Safeguarding and other national officers and senior clergy.
2. Responsible for the delivery of the Team’s Business Plan, including safeguarding risk management and reporting at national level, external communications and thought leadership on safeguarding and the development of national safeguarding policy training and practice guidance.
3. Ensuring that the Church’s external communications and positioning on safeguarding matters is professional and effective, working with the Lead Bishop, the Director of Central Secretariat, the National Safeguarding Panel, the Communications Department, the Legal Office and other National Church Institutions (NCI’s.)
4. External stakeholder management on safeguarding matters with the media, government departments, survivor groups, external safeguarding experts and other stakeholders in conjunction with the Lead Bishop, the Director of Central Secretariat and the Communications Office.
5. Staffing or overseeing the staffing of the key bodies of the Church working on safeguarding including the Joint Working Group with the Methodists, the Reference Group, the Communications Committee and the national Safeguarding Panel amongst other groups.
6. Overseeing the Church of England’s response to the UK Government’s Public Enquiry into institutional child abuse.
7. Working with staff at Lambeth Palace and Bishopthorpe and in Dioceses on the handling of cases which are potentially high-profile, relate to senior clergy, are of national significance or cross dioceses, and incorporating learning outcomes into policies and practice guidance.
8. Responsible for ensuring that the covenant working arrangements on safeguarding with the Methodists continue to flourish.
The main duties and responsibilities of your post are outlined in your job description. This list is not exhaustive and is intended to reflect your main tasks and areas of work. Changes may occur over time and you will be expected to agree any reasonable changes to your job description that are commensurate with your banding and in line with the general nature of your post. You will be consulted about any changes to your job description before these are implemented.
PERSON SPECIFICATION:
Essential
Education:
· Degree level or equivalent.
· Relevant professional qualification in safeguarding or equivalent (for example: social work, health, teaching, law, police etc.) with current registration where applicable.
· Level 4 or above training[1] or equivalent in child or adult protection with ability to demonstrate transferrable knowledge across the client groups.
Skills/Aptitudes:
· Understanding of the broader safeguarding field including its social and political context, and how it relates to the church context.
· Up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding guidance and the management of cases of concern.
· Competency in developing and implementing safeguarding procedures, policies and practices.
· Good IT skills and good record-keeping skills.
· Proven ability to think and write clearly, analytically, strategically and creatively.
· Proven ability to communicate orally, including presentation skills.
· Ability to provide reflective leadership and motivation to a small team within a larger organisation.
· Demonstrable ability to be part of and contribute to a wider multi-disciplinary team as part of a large national organisation and to work collegially with specialist and non specialist colleagues.
Knowledge/Experience:
· Experience of working on safeguarding issues with policy-makers, media and other external stakeholders at local and/or national level in a setting of public scrutiny.
· Senior practitioner/manager experience in safeguarding working with children, young people or adults who are vulnerable.
· The ability to demonstrate transferrable knowledge across the client groups.
· Senior practitioner/manager experience of working with victims or survivors of abuse.
· Experience of arranging and presenting at training events.
Personal Attributes:
· Confidence and ability to work with senior people at a national level, including senior Church leaders, politicians and other stakeholders.
· Well developed inter-personal skills and oral presentational ability as evidenced through previous representational experience.
· Able to maintain the highest standards of confidentiality and work sensitively with those affected by safeguarding issues.
· In sympathy with the mission of the Church of England.
Circumstances:
· The job is based in Central London and requires regular and frequent physical presence at Church House.
· The post holder needs to be willing to be away from home overnight sometimes and be flexible to do some evening and weekend work.
Desirable
Education:
· Level 5[2] training in child or adult protection or equivalent with ability to demonstrate transferrable knowledge across the client groups.
Knowledge/Experience:
· Experience of working on safeguarding issues at national as well as regional level.
· Experience of implementing safeguarding practice in the church context.
· Experience of training adults.
· Media experience and/or experience of representation on safeguarding matters at national government level.
· Understanding of Church of England safeguarding policies
· Understanding of Church of England national structures and governance.
GENERAL CONDITIONS:
Diversity
We understand the benefits of employing individuals from a range of backgrounds, with diverse cultures and talents. We aim to create a workforce that:
· values difference in others and respects the dignity and worth of each individual
· reflects the diversity of the nation that the Church of England exists to serve
· fosters a climate of creativity, tolerance and diversity that will help all staff to develop to their full potential.
We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and ensuring that all employees, job applicants, customers and other persons with whom we deal are treated fairly and are not subjected to discrimination. We want to ensure that we not only observe the relevant legislation but also do whatever is necessary to provide genuine equality of opportunity. We expect all of our employees to be treated and to treat others with respect. Our aim is to provide a working environment free from harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form which may affect the dignity of the individual.
Standards of Behaviour and Conduct
Staff are expected to act at all times with due consideration for others and in a manner befitting their position as employees of the Church and as professionals, whatever their job.
Health and Safety Responsibilities
The NCIs take Health and Safety at work very seriously and require their staff to familiarise themselves with, and follow, their policy.
Confidentiality
Staff must not pass on to unauthorised persons, any information obtained in the course of their duties without the permission of their Head of Department.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Salary: Competitive.
Pension Contributions: Non-clergy staff will be admitted to the Church Administrators Pension Fund (CAPF, DC Section). Clergy already in the Church of England Funded Pensions Scheme (CEFPS) will have the option of either remaining in this scheme or joining the CAPF scheme.
There is no contracting – out certificate under the Pension Schemes Act 1993 in force for this employment in relation to the CAPF and CEFPS. Both CAPF and CEFPS members are contracted-in to the State Second Pension.
The NCIs have an income protection insurance arrangement. To be eligible for cover under this policy an employee must be a member of the CAPF DC section. Please note that insurance cover is not necessarily automatic and that underwriting may be required by the schemes in some instances. Cover will be subject to any terms and conditions laid down by the insurance company.
Hours of Duty: Normal hours of work are 35 per week, Monday to Friday with an hour’s unpaid break for lunch. Some evening and weekend work will be required.
Annual Leave: 30 days paid leave per leave year. This is exclusive of public holidays and additional holidays approved by your employer. The leave year runs from 1st January to 31st December.
Season Ticket Loan: Staff are eligible to apply for an interest-free travel season ticket loan for their journey to and from work.
Contract: The post is offered on an open-ended contract, subject to a six-month probationary period.
Closing date for receipt of applications: 19th October 2014
Please note, if you have not heard from us within 3 days of the interview date, you have been unsuccessful in your application.
Interviews: 27th October 2014
1
[1] Level 4: Named professionals with at least 3 years’ experience who can give advice to others.
[2] Level 5: Designated professionals – takes a strategic and professional lead in an organisation.