Summary
WE ARE SEEKING A SAFEGUARDING LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT FACILITATOR
About the Department/Role
The Church of England is continually striving to improve its safeguarding practices. The 2020 report by IICSA on the Church highlighted failures in respect of child sexual abuse and, more broadly, the challenges facing the Church to get safeguarding right.
The Church's aspiration is that safeguarding is not experienced and approached as a matter of administrative compliance. Rather, it should be what the Church is - something that flows from its core beliefs and values, part of its DNA.
The Church has made important and positive strides over recent years. There is, however, still much to be done to keep children and vulnerable adults safe, and to promote their well-being. The Church is a complex collection of different bodies. Most of the safeguarding work is carried out locally within the 42 dioceses and cathedrals in England. This work is supported centrally by a National Safeguarding Team (NST).
The NST itself comprises three departments: Casework, Programmes and Administration, and Learning and Development, which provides high-quality safeguarding learning, policy, and guidance to those working, paid or unpaid, licensed or lay, in the Church of England. This role will be pivotal to delivering learning and development.
What you'll be doing
In this vital role, you'll join a dynamic team committed to nurturing high-quality safeguarding practice throughout the Church. You'll work alongside our two National Safeguarding Learning and Development Managers, delivering engaging in-person and online training for senior leaders, diocesan staff, and safeguarding officers.
Main responsibilities
- Deliver national learning events, including SLSP, with a focus on systemic theory and leadership development.
- Facilitate sensitive conversations around safeguarding culture, ensuring a safe and reflective learning environment.
- Evaluate the impact of training, contribute to continuous learning improvements, and support new pathway development.
- Organise and lead professional development programmes for Safeguarding Officers and Trainers.
Key role requirements
- This is a homeworking role; however, this position requires the post holder to frequently travel across England, visiting Dioceses and Cathedrals, including overnight stays and occasional weekend commitments.
- A basic DBS check will be required as part of our pre-employment checks.
About You
The Church of England is for everyone, and we want to reflect the diversity of the community the Church serves across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to recruiting disabled people. We offer interviews to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
You will need to be/have:
- A skilled facilitator of adult learning with strong interpersonal engagement.
- Proven experience in safeguarding practice and training delivery.
- A deep understanding of adult learning theories and group dynamics.
- Emotionally intelligent and able to manage distressing content empathetically.
- Strong communication and relationship-building abilities.
- Confident, principled, and politically astute-able to influence across all levels
- A relevant facilitation/training qualification or substantial experience.
- A qualification and/or considerable experience in safeguarding.
Please refer to the Job Description for more information about the role and person specification.
What we offer
Your Salary
- A salary of £59,248 per annum, plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of your salary.
Your Benefits
- 25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 days within 5 years) plus eight bank holidays and three additional days (pro-rated if working part-time).
- We welcome all flexible working arrangement requests. This is looked at in a case-by-case scenario and if this fits within the department's needs. We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
- We offer many services and initiatives under our Family Friendly Programme, some of these include enhanced Maternity Leave initiative, Adoption Leave, Paternity Leave, & Shared Parental Leave. Structured induction programme and access to a range of development opportunities including apprenticeships.
- Automatic enrolment and access to Medicash (one of the UK's leading health cash plan providers), providing you with many services including reimbursements of routine dental treatment, optical, specialist consultations, and therapy treatments. Unlimited access to virtual GP & Private prescription service and health & Stress related helplines.
- Access to Occupational Health, and an Employee Assistance Programme
- Access to the Department of Education Restaurant and Westminster Abbey with a plus-one guest.
- Apply for eligibility for an Eyecare voucher.
- Opportunity to join the Civil Service Sports & Social Club, and get involved in a range of staff networks, groups and societies.
ABOUT NATIONAL CHURCH INSTITUTIONS
The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.
We Include. You Belong.
Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.
Living out our values in all that we do, we:
- Strive for Excellence
- Show Compassion
- Respect others
- Collaborate
- Act with Integrity
We believe our commitment to belonging and inclusion fuels our progress and drives us forward. The NCIs are a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people who share our values. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience we're looking for then we would like to hear from you.
Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK to be considered for the role.
Desired Skills and Experience
Essential
Skills/Aptitudes:
Able to organise and deliver learning opportunities to diverse groups and using diverse mediums
Able to skilfully facilitate groups in a way that ensures maximum engagement by participants and promotes a rich dialogue.
Able to facilitate groups in a way which encourages self-reflexivity.
Able to respond to any distress participants might experience.
Able to build trusting relationships with others quickly.
Able to challenge constructively.
Able to adjust approaches to work with the dynamics of groups.
Able to work as part of a team.
Able to communicate complex ideas succinctly and clearly.
Knowledge/Experience:
Knowledge and experience of safeguarding in a professional context
Experience of facilitating learning opportunities.
Knowledge of different learning theories, styles and approaches to learning for adults.
Personal Attributes:
Able to inspire the trust, confidence and commitment of others.
Personal authority, gravitas and confidence - able to influence and persuade at all levels and with a range of stakeholders.
Relational: expert in valuing and managing relationships with others as the means of delivering change. Emotionally intelligent.
Politically astute - understanding, and managing successfully, organisational politics.
Principled - strong value base and commitment to doing the right thing.
Brave - willing to challenge others (including those with power) constructively and to be self-reflexive, welcoming feedback.
In sympathy with the aims of the Church of England
Education / Professional qualifications:
This role requires a relevant training/facilitation qualification or demonstrable significant relevant experience, alongside a qualification and/or considerable experience in safeguarding.
Desirable
Understanding of Church of England national structures and policies.
Knowledge of national safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and policy (e.g. Children Acts, Care Act, Working Together, criminal justice legislation).
Knowledge of latest research and developments in adult learning.
Experience of engaging with adults who have experienced abuse / trauma.
