[Hiring] Designated Safeguarding Lead and Senior Manager of Student Wellbeing @Faria Online Schools

Role Description

The successful candidate will be the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for Wolsey Hall Oxford and Wolsey Hall for Schools, holding overall responsibility for safeguarding practice, escalation, and compliance. In addition, as Senior Manager: Student Wellbeing and Community, the role provides senior operational leadership for student wellbeing, community engagement, and the alignment of student support systems.

Operating within a large-scale online education environment serving students and families internationally, the role ensures that safeguarding arrangements, student support systems, and wellbeing frameworks are applied consistently and robustly across Wolsey Hall Oxford and Wolsey Hall for Schools. The role acts as the senior escalation point for safeguarding and high-risk student cases and includes line management responsibility for Wolsey Hall Secondary Student Support Managers. This is a senior operational leadership role, reporting directly to the Director of Schools, and is critical to protecting students, staff, and organisational integrity.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) across all phases of Wolsey Hall Oxford and Wolsey Hall for Schools.
• Develop, maintain, and monitor safeguarding policies, procedures, training programmes, administration, and escalation frameworks.
• Ensure safeguarding practice remains compliant with statutory requirements and inspection expectations.
• Oversee safeguarding concerns, threshold decisions, referral processes, and liaison with external agencies.
• Maintain oversight of safeguarding themes, patterns, and emerging risks to inform preventative and strategic action.
• Apply safeguarding principles confidently within an online and international education context, recognising cultural and contextual differences while maintaining consistent standards.
• Provide professional advice and guidance to staff and safeguarding deputies.
• Collaborate with the DSLs of our sister school, Pamoja, and be part of the Faria Online Schools Safeguarding team.
• Work with Directors of Schools to embed safeguarding and wellbeing considerations into decision-making and provide professional challenge where safeguarding risk is identified.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex, high risk, or sensitive safeguarding and student welfare situations across Wolsey Hall Oxford and Wolsey Hall for Schools.
• Provide professional oversight and guidance on safeguarding adjacent matters, supporting staff to make appropriate decisions within statutory and organisational frameworks.
• Offer guidance and support to staff managing emotionally demanding, complex, or safeguarding related situations, promoting safe and consistent practice.
• Champion a culture of safety, wellbeing, inclusion, and belonging across Wolsey Hall.
• Act as a visible and trusted senior figure for students, families, and staff in safeguarding and wellbeing matters.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with parents and guardians, and schools, providing regular communication and opportunities for feedback.
• Act as Parent Liaison for new families wishing to connect with existing families.
• Lead the development of the Wolsey Hall Community, promoting safe engagement and positive relationships.
• Oversee the Secondary Student Forum, working closely with moderators to ensure a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for students.
• Present regular online webinars and informational sessions for prospective and current homeschooled students and their parents, providing them with tools and strategies to enhance the homeschooling experience.
• Line manage Managers of Student Support (Secondary).
• Provide support and guidance to Managers of Student Support (Secondary) as required on a day-to-day basis.
• Ensure Secondary student support activity aligns fully with safeguarding expectations, thresholds, and Wolsey Hall frameworks.

Qualifications

• Significant professional experience in safeguarding children and young people, including acting as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or in an equivalent senior safeguarding role.
• Proven experience leading safeguarding practice at organisational or multi-team level.
• Strong working knowledge of UK safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, and best practice.
• Experience line managing managers or senior practitioners within student support, pastoral, or safeguarding functions.
• High level of professional judgement and confidence in managing complex, sensitive, or high-risk safeguarding situations.
• Excellent communication skills and credibility to work effectively with senior leaders, external agencies, and families.
• Ability to operate effectively in a remote / online education environment, maintaining visibility and trust.

Requirements

• Experience of safeguarding in an international or global education context, including working with students and families outside the UK.
• Experience applying safeguarding principles across diverse cultural, legal, or geographical contexts.
• Familiarity with safeguarding considerations specific to online, distance learning, or non-site-based education settings.

Safeguarding Statement

We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We place the highest priority on ensuring that only those who are suitable to work with children are recruited to our organisation. We adopt robust safeguarding procedures and safer recruitment practices to deter and prevent unsuitable individuals from working with children.

All appointments are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check (with children’s barred list), three references (including current employer), and verification of identity, qualifications and employment history. In line with statutory guidance, an online search, including social media, will be carried out on shortlisted candidates as part of our due diligence to assess suitability for the role. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and amendments, and all convictions must be declared where appropriate.

To be considered for this position, please apply with an up-to-date CV and a covering letter. Please note that the Company reserves the right to close the application process once a suitable candidate has been appointed.