Vacancies

Senior Education Safeguarding Advisor

Job Introduction

About Us

We are looking to recruit a Senior Education Safeguarding Advisor in the Education Safeguarding Advisory Team (ESAT). The purpose of the position is to lead an increased capacity within ESAT. To lead on developing the existing offer from ESAT and to increase support and improve practice within wider settings outside of schools and colleges, including all Early Years settings, Childminders and Alternative Provision.

Although this is a county wide role, each advisor will be linked to a Family Hub as the Hubs are developed. This will support working relationships in areas between settings and multi-agency partners. The Senior will support and oversee these arrangements.

The team sits within the LADO and ESAT service. ESAT, although a separate team, works closely with LADO to ensure appropriate allegation management processes in education settings.

About the Role

The Senior Education Safeguarding Advisor will lead the team.

The aims of the Education Safeguarding Advisory Team:

To work with educational settings including childminders, pre-schools, nurseries, schools, colleges and Alternative Provisions to ensure they are effectively fulfilling their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding children.

To support settings to keep children safe and promote their welfare as required by the Early Years Foundation Stage, Section 175 and 157 of the Education Act, Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard children.

To build relationships with settings to support safeguarding practice through advice and guidance, auditing, advisory reviews, training, learning events.

To respond to emerging needs and build networks with other providers if and when need arises, for example Language schools, Post 16 provisions, Higher Education settings.

Develop policies and practice guidance for settings, to develop and deliver safeguarding training packages for staff and volunteers including Governors, to train, support and supervise Designated Safeguarding Leads.

To ensure education safeguarding representation for OSCP sub-groups, multi-agency forums and case reviews.

To support settings through Rapid Review, CSPR, CDOP processes and identify and take forward learning for the setting and the wider sector.

To quality assure safeguarding practice through the creation, collection and reporting of safeguarding audits as required through the Section 175/157.

About you

Are you are a skilled leader and safeguarding professional? Do you have significant safeguarding experience in a School, Early Years setting or Children's services? Are you able to lead a team? Can you support and advise other practitioners in their safeguarding practice and processes? Are you looking for a new challenge?

Are you:

Able to lead a team
Highly organised, self‑motivated and able to work autonomously.
Committed to restorative, relational and solution‑focused practice.
Able to work flexibly, sometimes in the evenings or at weekends.
A car user with business insurance (due to travel across the county).

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact the LADO and ESAT service manager- jo.lloyd@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Interview date will be the 8th of May 2026, face to face in County Hall, Oxford. Successful candidates will be notified of interview by the 1st of May 2026.

Rewards and benefits

A good to outstanding Ofsted rating
Regular training opportunities
A flexible, agile organisation
A generous local government pension scheme
30 days annual leave plus bank holidays
Culture of flexible working
Technology to support agile working where role permits
Option to ‘buy’ additional holiday
24/7 access to Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%
Enhanced family friendly policies
Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact us at: jo.lloyd@oxfordshire.gov.uk

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