Castle School Education Trust Β· Bristol
Job title : Trust Safeguarding Lead
Contract type : Permanent
Salary : L7-L11
Hours : 0.6 FTE. 3 days per week (onsite working across all 20 schools)
Start date : 1st September or 1st January
Are you a visionary safeguarding expert ready to shape the safety culture across a network of 20 schools? We are looking for a Trust Safeguarding Lead to join us in a pivotal leadership role.
About the Role
The Trust Safeguarding Lead will shape the safeguarding culture across our 20 schools. Reporting to the Director of Inclusion, this leadership role ensures safeguarding is integrated into the trustβs wider inclusion strategy rather than operating as a separate silo. You will serve as the safeguarding expert, providing direction to DSLs and leaders and representing the trust in multi-agency settings.
The focus of this role is to move beyond basic compliance to establish a consistent, proactive culture of safety. You will provide the leadership team and Trustees with data-driven reporting on risk and protection across the organisation.
Key Responsibilities:
Establish and align trust-wide safeguarding policies and frameworks with statutory guidance, ensuring absolute operational consistency across all 20 schools.
Serve as the primary consultant for complex, high-threshold cases and provide hands-on, on-site leadership to school teams during critical incidents.
Lead rigorous audits of Single Central Records (SCRs) and child protection files, spending time on-site to evaluate the live safeguarding culture.
Build and facilitate a high-performing Trust Safeguarding Network for DSLs to share practices, while designing and delivering professional training for all staff tiers.
Act as the main conduit to external agencies (such as the LADO and Police), confidently challenging thresholds when necessary and delivering data-driven risk briefings to the trust board.
About You
We are looking for a resilient and collaborative leader who can translate the trust's strategic goals into operational reality within our schools. You will have the professional courage to hold Headteachers to account, alongside the emotional stability and empathy required to support frontline staff through challenging times.
Qualifications & Experience:
Qualified to teach in the UK and educated to degree level.
Designated safeguarding training completed at an advanced level.
Significant experience as a Lead DSL or as a senior leader with safeguarding oversight in a school setting.
Proven track record of managing or influencing safeguarding practices across a group of schools or within a Local Authority.
Exceptional knowledge of Single Central Record (SCR) requirements and file auditing to a standard of absolute excellence.
Skills & Attributes:
Ability to turn safeguarding trends into evaluative briefings for leaders.
Ability to build relationships and establish credibility with Headteachers and school st