Job Title:: Trust Safeguarding Lead 

Regular travel to all academies will be required.

About the role:

This is a pivotal Trust wide role, responsible for shaping and strengthening safeguarding practice across all academies. The Trust Safeguarding Lead will deliver the Trust’s safeguarding strategy, provide robust assurance and expert guidance to ensure that safeguarding systems are not only fully compliant but consistently effective and responsive to risk. Working closely with Education Directors, Headteachers and DSLs, the postholder will drive a culture of vigilance, accountability and continuous improvement, using data and professional insight to identify priorities and secure impact at scale. The role combines strategic influence with hands on support leading reviews, developing staff expertise, supporting academies, and working with external agencies ensuring that every child across the Trust is safe, supported, and able to thrive. This post would suit an experienced senior leader or an LA safeguarding  lead. This post is a full-time post and involves national travel.

Our ideal candidate

The ideal candidate will be a highly credible and experienced safeguarding leader with a strong track record of operating at senior level, bringing both strategic insight and operational expertise. They will have deep knowledge of statutory safeguarding frameworks, including Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children, alongside significant experience of managing complex cases and working effectively within multi-agency systems. They will be a confident and influential professional, able to challenge, support and inspire senior leaders and DSLs to continually strengthen practice. Highly analytical and solutions-focused, they will use data and safeguarding intelligence to identify risk, drive improvement, and ensure robust, consistent provision across multiple settings. Above all, they will be values-driven, emotionally resilient, and unwavering in their commitment to protecting children and securing the best possible outcomes for vulnerable pupils.

The successful candidate

The successful candidate will need to have demonstrated their personal attributes (contained within the person specification) and how these will be used to enable positive and collaborative relationships with all stakeholders. You will be expected to engage confidently and professionally with a range of regional and national colleagues as well as academy staff and ambassadors.

What are we about?

Join a trust that is going places! 

At E-ACT, we believe every child deserves opportunity. Our ‘Opening Minds, Opening Doors’ strategy breaks down barriers and builds pathways to success; driven by purposeful leadership, collaboration, and innovation. We champion diversity, encourage a people-first culture, and ensure every voice is heard.

We are proud to lead system-wide change both locally and national - providing sector-wide support while transforming futures. Our achievements are recognised through winning MAT of the Year 2023 at the MAT Excellence Awards and National School Awards, and also the TES Trust Leadership Award 2024. E-ACT is recognised for shaping bold educational outcomes. Most recently, two of our Birmingham academies were selected by the Department for Education as RISE Regional Hubs, in recognition of their outstanding work on inclusion and behaviour, a testament to the impact of our people-first culture and relentless drive for excellence.

With 38 academies and over 25,000 pupils, our dedicated staff make excellence possible. We prioritise wellbeing, tackle workload, and continuously raise the bar. We don’t just educate, we inspire ambition and empower every child to thrive.

Want to be a part of something extraordinary? Find out more at www.e-act.org.uk   

Benefits: 

Financial and Lifestyle

We offer a strong financial package including access to defined benefit pension schemes (LGPS or TPS), life cover at three times pensionable pay, and 31 days of annual leave for year-round employees. Staff can also benefit from the Cycle to Work scheme, promoting healthy and sustainable commuting. 

Professional Growth and Development

We invest heavily in staff development through tailored INSET days and high-quality CPD opportunities. Teaching staff benefit from automatic TLR progression, a structured 9-point pay scale (M1 to UPS3), and full TLR payments for part-time colleagues fulfilling full responsibilities. 

Culture and Wellbeing

Our people-first culture values every colleague. We support wellbeing through the Wisdom app and a free Employee Assistance Programme offering counselling and financial advice. Collaboration is at the heart of our Trust, encouraging shared learning and collective success. 

Please look at our 'Work for Us' page and Recruitment Pack for more information.

How to apply:

Please read the supporting documentation carefully before completing your application. 

E-ACT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.

 E-ACT is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.