Interim Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Location: Bromley, South East London
Contract: Interim Full-Time
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

Our client, a well-established Multi-Academy Trust in Bromley, is seeking an experienced Interim Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to join their leadership team on a full-time interim basis.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced safeguarding professional to lead safeguarding practice across two academy sites, ensuring the highest standards of child protection, compliance and student welfare.

The Opportunity

Reporting into the senior leadership team, you'll take strategic responsibility for safeguarding across both schools while providing operational oversight to safeguarding staff. You'll play a key role in driving a proactive safeguarding culture, ensuring statutory compliance and supporting vulnerable pupils to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading all safeguarding and child protection activity across two academy sites.
• Providing leadership and support to operational safeguarding teams.
• Managing complex safeguarding cases, referrals and multi-agency partnerships.
• Acting as the school's safeguarding expert, advising leaders and staff on legislation and best practice.
• Working closely with Children's Social Care, Police, Health Services, Local Authorities and other external agencies.
• Leading safeguarding audits, quality assurance and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensuring safeguarding records, policies and procedures remain fully compliant with statutory guidance.
• Delivering safeguarding training and promoting a strong safeguarding culture throughout the organization.

About You

We're looking to speak with candidates who have:

• Previous experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or an experienced Deputy DSL ready to step into a lead role.
• Strong knowledge of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Prevent Duty and wider safeguarding legislation.
• Experience managing complex safeguarding cases within an education setting.
• Excellent communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Confidence working with external agencies and multi-disciplinary professionals.
• A calm, professional approach with excellent judgement and decision-making skills.

Current DSL training and an Enhanced DBS are highly desirable.

What's on Offer?

• Competitive daily rate or salary, depending on experience.
• Full-time interim opportunity with an established Multi-Academy Trust.
• The opportunity to make a genuine impact on the lives of vulnerable children and young people.
• Supportive leadership team and collaborative working environment.
• Immediate start available for the right candidate.

If you're an experienced safeguarding professional looking for your next interim challenge, we'd love to hear from you.

We have a policy to respond to all applications within three working days. However, because of the volume of applications, we are sometimes unable to reply to individual enquiries. If we have not contacted you within this specified time your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Philosophy Education is a Recruitment Business and is advertising this vacancy on behalf of one of its clients.