Care services
Safeguarding support officer
Support statutory safeguarding responsibilities and demonstrate how organisations work to protect an individual’s health, wellbeing and human rights. Enable individuals to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
Summary
This occupation is found in a range of public, private, and voluntary sector organisations to support statutory safeguarding responsibilities to be fulfilled and demonstrate how organisations work to protect an individual’s health, wellbeing and human rights; enabling individuals to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. These include Education and Training Providers, Health and Social Care Providers, Police Support Staff, Fire and Rescue Services, Housing organisations, Charities and the Voluntary Sector, Religious Organisations and Professional Sports Organisations. Safeguarding support officers have an emphasis on preventative safeguarding and cooperate with different organisations to support in making informed decisions in the safeguarding of children and adults. Safeguarding support officers will be skilled in recognising and responding to emerging safeguarding needs, initiating and advocating early intervention when a problem first arises. Safeguarding support officers will be knowledgeable in multi-agency early help strategies, referral pathways and key legislation and processes to help prevent children, young people and adults with care and support needs being referred into safeguarding services. The safeguarding support officer will be able to support staff in developing professional curiosity and how to ask the right questions to gain the information needed to complete any risk assessments. Safeguarding support officers ensure that wellbeing is promoted, having regard to the individual’s views, wishes, feelings and cultural influences in deciding on any action and recognising vulnerable individuals are less likely to identify abuse or report it.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to work alongside designated safeguarding leads to support and enable their employing organisation to safeguard the vulnerable populations they work with. A safeguarding support officer will be the first point of contact when there is a safeguarding concern, conducting initial risk assessments, triaging, and signposting to the most appropriate person within their organisation or external agency if appropriate. The safeguarding support officer will maintain accurate and up to date documentation of any decisions and advice given, ensuring information is accurately recorded and that documentation is safely stored and shared appropriately, proportionately and securely according to national and organisational policy.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with staff and volunteers in their organisation, service users and members of the public as the first point of contact for raising safeguarding concerns. Safeguarding support officers will also interact externally with investigative statutory agencies. A safeguarding support officer will report into the designated lead for safeguarding within their organisation.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for responding and triaging, initial safeguarding concerns. This will include investigating the concern, seeking advice as needed and signposting and or referring to the most appropriate person or organisation. Safeguarding support officers will assist practitioners to collate and assess information and intelligence to prepare an accurate account of the safeguarding concerns to ensure a high-quality referral is made to ensure that the most appropriate action is taken to safeguard the vulnerable persons. Safeguarding support officers will also be responsible for recognising and responding to early signs of abuse and neglect in vulnerable children, young people and adults and supporting staff within their employing organisation to report concerns about the safety of individuals working alongside external organisations and agencies to adhere to safeguarding best practice principles.
Typical job titles include
- Safeguarding advisor | Safeguarding assistant | Safeguarding coordinator
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Principles of safeguarding and how to respond to safeguarding concerns within own scope of practice and organisational protocol.
K2:
Methods for person-centred communication.
K3:
How to offer safeguarding advice based on legislation, working in remit of own role.
K4:
The priority and recommended course of action of different safeguarding concerns based on local and national guidance.
K5:
Ways of tailoring responses to safeguarding cases to suit the individuals views, feelings and cultural influences.
K6:
When and how to escalate complex cases to senior staff in line with local policy and procedures.
K7:
Local policy and procedures relating to safeguarding allegations against staff, including whistleblowing, and how to report allegations whilst maintaining confidentiality.
K8:
Ways to use, record and store paper based, digital data and information securely, in line with local and national policies and procedures.
K9:
When and how to share data and information in a safeguarding context, in line with local and national policy and procedures.
K10:
Data sources available to inform safeguarding decisions, in line with local policy and procedures.
K11:
Ways to maintain accurate and up to date safeguarding logs and registers through the use of digital and paper systems in line with local and national policy and procedures.
K12:
Local safeguarding escalation pathways.
K13:
Types of concerns and mechanisms for reporting incidents.
K14:
Referral processes and local well-being services for individuals and staff.
K15:
How to make a comprehensive and accurate referral to children or adult social care.
K16:
Safeguarding legislation, local and national policies, procedures and codes of conduct that apply to own role.
K17:
How to link safeguarding theory to practice.
K18:
Ways to support the management of safeguarding caseloads working together within the wider team.
K19:
The safeguarding process from when a safeguarding concern is raised to the end outcome.
K20:
Different communication styles and approaches to suit the needs of individuals views, feelings and cultural influences.
K21:
Principles of reflective practice and peer support related to safeguarding cases and concerns within scope of own role.
K22:
Published local and national safeguarding reviews and how they can be applied to practice.
K23:
Legislative safeguarding training requirements and how to deliver training content to stakeholders using different teaching and learning approaches.
K24:
Principles of safeguarding inspections, reviews and audits.
K25:
Methods of collating evidence to prepare for external safeguarding inspections, reviews and audits.
K26:
How to interpret the results of inspections, reviews and audits to apply feedback to practice.
K27:
The importance of continuous professional development and identifying and evaluating own learning and development needs.
K28:
Models of safeguarding supervision and how to prepare and access supervision.
K29:
How safeguarding can impact on own wellbeing and personal safety.
K30:
Principles in supporting colleagues to follow safeguarding policy and procedures.
K31:
Principles of safeguarding culture, safeguarding supervision and compassionate care.
Technical Educational Products
- ST1030: Safeguarding support officer (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC1030
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £33,430 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 2469 Welfare professionals n.e.c.
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 2469/99 Welfare professionals n.e.c.
S1:
Identify and respond to safeguarding concerns within role and responsibilities.
S2:
Use person-centred communication.
S3:
Use safeguarding legislation and organisational policies and procedures to advise colleagues on safeguarding matters.
S4:
Triage and prioritise safeguarding concerns.
S5:
Recommend courses of action in relation to safeguarding concerns.
S6:
Tailor safeguarding responses to suit the individuals views, feelings and cultural influences.
S7:
Escalate cases to senior staff in accordance with local policy and procedures.
S8:
Report allegations about staff in line with local policies and procedures, whilst maintaining confidentiality.
S9:
Use, record and store paper based and digital data and information securely and in line with local and national policies and procedures.
S10:
Share data and information in a safeguarding context in line with local and national policy and procedures.
S11:
Collate and use data to create reports to inform safeguarding meetings, processes and audits.
S12:
Maintain accurate and up-to-date safeguarding logs and registers through the use of digital or paper systems in line with local and national policy and procedures.
S13:
Identify when decisions are not in an individuals best interest and escalate concerns within scope of own role using the local safeguarding escalation pathway.
S14:
Recognise and report incidents to own organisation.
S15:
Provide emotional and practical support to internal and external stakeholders during safeguarding work.
S16:
Support and supervise internal and external stakeholders to make multi-agency referrals.
S17:
Apply safeguarding legislation, local and national policies, procedures and codes of conduct to safeguarding practice within own role.
S18:
Apply safeguarding theory to practice.
S19:
Work together within the wider team to plan and manage safeguarding caseloads.
S20:
Comply with the safeguarding process when a safeguarding concern is raised in line with organisational policy.
S21:
Use communication styles and approaches to suit the needs of individuals.
S22:
Reflect on own performance within a group environment with other colleagues to inform best safeguarding practice.
S23:
Embed lessons learned from local and national safeguarding reviews to practice.
S24:
Assist with the delivery of safeguarding training to stakeholders in accordance with safeguarding training frameworks to ensure stakeholders achieve desired learning outcomes.
S25:
Collate evidence to prepare for external safeguarding inspections, reviews and audits.
S26:
Apply feedback from safeguarding inspections, reviews and audits to improve safeguarding practice.
S27:
Participate in training and continuous professional development activities and evaluate the impact of learning on own practice.
S28:
To seek advice and support from senior staff to preserve own wellbeing and personal safety when required.
Technical Educational Products
- ST1030: Safeguarding support officer (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC1030
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £33,430 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 2469 Welfare professionals n.e.c.
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 2469/99 Welfare professionals n.e.c.
B1:
Treat people fairly and with dignity and respect.
B2:
Be caring and compassionate.
B3:
Show discretion and empathy whilst maintaining confidentiality.
B4:
Be adaptable and consistent.
B5:
Be self-aware, resilient and objective.
B6:
Show honesty and integrity.
B7:
Be professional and courteous.
Technical Educational Products
- ST1030: Safeguarding support officer (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC1030
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £33,430 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 2469 Welfare professionals n.e.c.
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 2469/99 Welfare professionals n.e.c.