Care- Experienced Safeguarding Officer

What skills and experience we're looking for

Do you believe every young person deserves someone in their corner? We’re looking for a compassionate and tenacious Care-Experienced Safeguarding Officer to champion our Looked After Children and Care Leavers, ensuring their voices are heard and they have the support they need to thrive.

Working across our Hadlow and Tonbridge campuses, you’ll manage a caseload, act as a Designated Member of Staff, support Personal Education Plan meetings, help learners access statutory entitlements, and work with Virtual Schools, social workers and other partners to provide effective safeguarding and welfare support.

You’ll build trusted relationships with care-experienced learners, advocating for their education, wellbeing and future progression into training, apprenticeships or employment.

The successful candidate will hold a Level 3 safeguarding qualification or equivalent, with strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, DfE guidance and the needs of Looked After Children and Care Leavers. You’ll have excellent communication, organisation and IT skills, sound judgement when handling sensitive information, and a calm, empathetic and resilient approach. An enhanced DBS, including barred list check, is required, along with the ability to travel between campuses and access to a car during working hours.

What the college offers its staff

In addition to a competitive salary, you can expect the following benefits at

NKC

• Enrolment onto the People’s Partnership pension scheme (as part of the staff of North Kent College Business Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of North Kent College).
• Access to free parking and a number of onsite facilities, including gyms, restaurants and coffee shops.
• CPD days and access to several discount memberships through being an employee at a College.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.