County Safeguarding Officer

Job Description

Job Title:            County Safeguarding Officer   

Reports to:        Managing Director, Middlesex in the Community

Location:            Middlesex Indoor Cricket School, N3 2TA (travel across the county may be required to carry out aspects of the role)

Contract Term: Permanent, Full time (some flexible working hours may be required to carry out aspects of the role)

Salary:                £35,000

Purpose of the Job:

This role provides an exciting opportunity to work with a leading first-class county based in the centre of London. Middlesex in the Community (MITC) and Middlesex Cricket (MCCC) have made great strides recently to promote a positive safeguarding culture across Middlesex. Our work is being expanded and requires more resource to adequately cover both recreational and professional cricket. Our challenge is to excel in both the preventative and reactive safeguarding, health and well-being space, focusing not only on our case management but expanding our community outreach offer to our cricketing network.

Main duties:

⁃                     First point of contact for all safeguarding incidents and reports across Middlesex, leading investigations and offering support where required - assessing, recording and reporting all cases including low level concerns using ECB systems.

⁃                     Embed a positive safety, well-being and listening culture, across both the professional and recreational game, in line with MITC/MCCC safeguarding and well-being policies.

⁃                     Promote equity, equality, diversity and inclusion, working with the MCCC EDI lead and in accordance with MITC/MCCC EDI policies, where all involved feel safe, secure and can thrive in an environment where they can be the best version of themselves.

⁃                     Comply with MITC/MCCC confidentiality code, code of conduct, and data protection policies, maintaining confidence as is professionally appropriate.

⁃                     Ensure compliance with the County Partnership Agreement (CPA) minimum standards as well as strive for “leading organisation” status within the CPA standards for safeguarding - as part of this, regularly update the ECB reporting system Smartsheet.

⁃                     Liaison with The Cricket Regulator (including appointed County Safeguarding Advisor), statutory agencies and relevant support agencies as required to ensure internal or external concerns are investigated swiftly and appropriately.

⁃                     Responsibility for monitoring and evaluation of all Policies, Procedures and Practices, updating in line with legislation, statutory guidance and ECB direction.

⁃                     Monitor compliance/mandatory safeguarding qualifications for the MITC/MCCC workforce (whether paid or voluntary), including DBS, and inform stakeholders of the requirement to update these qualifications, as necessary; maintain and update the single central register for club/CCB volunteers and staff.

⁃                     Create a positive, people-centred environment across all aspects of our business, with a particular focus on children, young people and vulnerable adults.

⁃                     Provide regular training within the professional game, pathways, and to the recreational club network through briefings, workshops, cluster groups, drop-in clinics and individual calls.

⁃                     Facilitate annual safeguarding training for Board Members, staff and relevant workforce, as well as deliver company induction.

⁃                     Support and provide guidance to Middlesex Club Safeguarding Officers to achieve ECB safeguarding standards, ensuring compliance standards are maintained, and proactive safeguarding actions are implemented.

⁃                     Drive compliance with safer recruitment practices throughout the county and cascade safer recruitment messaging and practices to club level.

⁃                     Maintain oversight of the risk assessment process for the county.

⁃                     Undertake County Event Safeguarding Officer (ESO) duties where applicable, contributing to Event Safety Plans and acting as ESO where required.

⁃                     Act as safeguarding officer for Middlesex-affiliated leagues, both Junior and Senior.

⁃                     Proactively develop a visible, confident, well-informed safeguarding reporting culture at local Club level, supported by a clear understanding of who and how to report concerns.

⁃                     Deliver reports to Board Safeguarding Lead for both MITC/MCCC Board meetings, to promote discussion and challenge at Board level around safeguarding.

⁃                     Create clear referral pathway for sharing, reporting and recording concerns, in line with ECB policies, and adhered to by all staff.

⁃                     Undertake any additional responsibilities as dictated by MITC/MCCC.

⁃                     Any ad-hoc duties as required

Person Specification (some of which can be developed in-post):

⁃                     Professional experience of safeguarding through relevant work-based management (emergency services, social work, education) with thorough understanding of current relevant legislation, best practice and national framework for safeguarding and promoting child welfare.

⁃                     Thorough understanding of The Cricket Regulator’s roles and responsibilities to safeguard all cricketers, including relevant ECB policy documents.

⁃                     Thorough understanding of local arrangements for managing safeguarding, and reporting concerns, with highly developed investigative skills to assess, record and report concerns.

⁃                     Experience of both building relationships with various stakeholders (internal and external) and working to high levels of confidentiality.

⁃                     Good communication, interpersonal and organisational skills, to prioritise competing workloads and priorities effectively.

⁃                     Ability to challenge poor practice and effect change within a cricketing environment.

⁃                     Ability to strike an appropriate balance between proactive community outreach activity, and reactive investigative work.

⁃                     Willingness to undertake professional development based on own personal needs, as well as from the outcome of internal appraisal processes.

⁃                     An enhanced DBS check with Children’s Barred List check is required for this role.

The successful candidate will also be offered the opportunity to complete the Lime Culture Safeguarding Lead Programme after completing the required length of service.

To Apply

Please forward your CV and an accompanying Cover Letter, stating your suitability for the role, to recruitment@middlesexccc.com. Please note that you will be required to complete and return a Safer Recruitment Application Form if you are shortlisted and invited to interview.

The closing date for applications is 12pm on Thursday 9^th of January 2025. Interviews will be held in either the week commencing 20^th or 27^th of January 2025.

Please note that due to the volume of applications the Club receives, we are unable to provide specific feedback on unsuccessful applications. All applicants must have Right to Work in the UK, sponsorship for overseas employees cannot be provided for this role.

MITC and MCCC are committed to safeguarding and protecting the children, young people and adults at risk that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a process of vetting, including the disclosure of criminal records and the seeking of references. We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practice across our services.

MITC and MCCC are equal opportunity employers and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment.

MITC and MCCC will ensure that all existing and potential employees receive equal consideration, and is committed to the elimination of unlawful or unfair discrimination on the grounds of the Equality Act 2010.

MITC and MCCC aim for its work force, at all levels, to reflect the composition of the City’s population. To achieve this MITC/ MCCC will take active and positive steps to eliminate discrimination, reduce the effects of past discrimination and to promote equality in employment.