Safeguarding support officer

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.