SEO Safeguarding

Job summary

Do you want to help strengthen safeguarding across Defence? This is an excellent opportunity to join the Defence Safeguarding Team in an SEO role, contributing to policy development, governance, assurance and improvement activity for safeguarding children and adults at risk across Defence.

Safeguarding in Defence is unlike safeguarding in any other organisation. The team provides advisory, policy and assurance support across a broad range of safeguarding areas, including matters affecting overseas commands in environments where statutory safeguarding arrangements may be limited or absent. You will support the development and delivery of effective arrangements to prevent harm, respond to concerns, identify risk and contribute to continuous improvement.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The SO1 Safeguarding will be a focal point for a wide range of safeguarding issues and will support the development of Defence safeguarding arrangements, good practice, policy and training.

Key tasks include:

• Providing safeguarding advice and support to Defence personnel and overseas safeguarding partnerships.
• Assessing complex situations and sensitive information and support robust risk assessment and decision making in line with relevant Defence policy and guidance.
• Maintain a system to document risks and concerns raised, ensuring that appropriate follow up is conducted.
• Work with colleagues in the Safeguarding Team to strengthen the implementation of safeguarding policy and procedures and to build the skills of Defence personnel and partners in managing concerns.
• Undertake assurance visits and reviews of individual cases to ensure quality and safety of practice.
• Improve the quality of safeguarding across Defence through the implementation of lessons identified from case reviews and thematic audits.
• Support and contribute to the development of monitoring criteria and systems, which will enable evaluation of safeguarding across Defence.
• Represent the Safeguarding Team at Defence working groups and forums.
• Take the lead for a specialist area for the Safeguarding Team as requested, e.g. Domestic Abuse, under 18 Service Personnel, Training, Prevent.
• Be fully conversant with, and maintain an awareness of, safeguarding legislation, guidance and policy both within England and the devolved administrations.
• Liaise with a wide range of agencies and organisations, interpreting legislation, guidance and policy and ensuring best safeguarding practice.
• Contribute to policy development.
• Be current in relation to themes and trends in safeguarding, able to provide information, advice and guidance on a wide range of safeguarding related topics.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of awareness raising/training programmes as required.
• Promote effective networking at local, national and international levels.
• Engage in the formal programme of assurance activity which may include planned international and domestic travel

Person specification

Essential

• Relevant professional qualification or professional position with significant experience in a safeguarding capacity.
• Substantial knowledge and experience of Working Together guidance on safeguarding responsibilities and all other relevant legislation, statutory guidance, regulations and guidelines.
• Demonstrable experience of developing policy, procedures or assurance frameworks.
• Demonstrable experience of successful partnership and multi-agency working.
• Demonstrable experience of monitoring, analysing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative information to improve outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience of undertaking formal safeguarding assurance related activity.

Desirable

• Experience of working with Safeguarding Partnerships.
• Experience in Defence or similar large-scale, multi-agency environments

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

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