Safeguarding Case Officer

Working at the RFU means being part of the ‘bigger picture’ at England Rugby: to be rooted in our purpose, which is to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union & develop the sport for future generations. If our purpose resonates with you, and you recognise the value that sport can bring to people’s lives, we’d love to work with you. An opportunity has arisen for a Safeguarding Case Officer to join our Safeguarding team on a permanent basis.

Job Title : Safeguarding Case Officer

Department : Legal and Governance

Reports to : Safeguarding Case Manager

Direct report(s) : N/A

Salary Banding : £38,000 per annum

Job Level : Implement

Location : This role is contractually based at Allianz Stadium, offering some flexibility to work from home three days a week by agreement

Employment Type : Permanent

Working Hours : This is a full-time role, covering 35hrs per week

Application Information:

• Please submit an anonymised CV (i.e. remove personal details).
• The closing date for applications Tuesday 10th February at 5pm.

The Role:

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk in the sport. Everyone involved in rugby union is entitled to feel safe and protected from any form of abuse and neglect and have the right to take part in sport in a safe, positive, and enjoyable environment. An opportunity has arisen for a permanent Safeguarding Case Officer to join our safeguarding team, contributing to the effective delivery of our reactive safeguarding work.

The role of the Safeguarding Case Officer is to conduct the investigation of safeguarding incidents, complaints and poor practice concerns reported to the RFU in relation to both children and adults. This work may be undertaken in conjunction with other RFU departments as required.

As part of this investigative role, they will act as a point of contact for external safeguarding partners such as the Police, Children’s Services and Local Authority Designated Officers. The Safeguarding Case Officer will therefore also be expected to represent the RFU at Strategy and other multi-agency meetings.

The postholder will be responsible for completing high quality investigations regarding those participating in rugby union. This will include interviewing witnesses to incidents and allegations including those subject to the allegation. This will require the preparation of relevant reports and detailed evidence files, some of which will be presented to the RFU Referral Management Group. The postholder will be required to undertake other tasks that will support the wider, proactive work of the Safeguarding Team.

The post holder will be expected to manage a caseload to ensure efficient and timely completion of safeguarding investigations.

Integral to the work of the Safeguarding Case Officer is the ability to offer sound, proportionate safeguarding advice to both internal and external stakeholders, including our Club Safeguarding Officers, Constituent Body Safeguarding Managers and RFU Staff.

We would be particularly interested to hear from those with a recent statutory safeguarding background, or those with experience of safeguarding in sport.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Conducting high quality investigations into safeguarding referrals and manage a caseload efficiently with reference to RFU Safeguarding Policy, RFU Safeguarding/Disciplinary Regulations and statutory guidance.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

The skills and attributes outlined in this description are not exhaustive and we welcome candidates who can bring different relevant experiences to the role.

Essential:

• To be able to evidence recent considerable experience in undertaking high quality safeguarding investigations or safeguarding assessments within a statutory, sports environment or other regulatory function.
• Skills in interviewing children, witnesses to incidents and those subject to allegations.
• A professional background in safeguarding, or experience of safeguarding investigation in sport, in either case including the ability to work in a multi-agency environment.
• Knowledge of relevant safeguarding legislation, the ability to evidence contemporary best practice and a commitment to continued professional development in this area.
• The ability to make proportionate, reasoned, and justifiable decisions in safeguarding cases and to be confident in making recommendations in relation to desired safeguarding outcomes.
• The ability to assess and analyse a variety of evidence with strong attention to detail.

Desirable:

• A relevant professional qualification or equivalent (for example, social work, health, education, law, policing, etc.) with current registration where applicable.
• Experience of training delivery and the production of safeguarding resources.

Additional Information:

• This post may involve the management and supervision of volunteers who are engaged in regulated activity. In accordance with Safer Recruitment obligations, and in line with RFU policy, successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service Check.
• Personal circumstances must allow the candidate to work extended hours on occasion during times of peak activity including evenings and weekends. Although based at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, this role on occasion will require travel to other parts of England.
• We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If there is anything we could do to support you through your application or to provide the best environment for your interviews, including assistance or adjustment, please reach out to recruitment@rfu.com.
• During your application, we will ask questions about your identity. This information is considered highly confidential and will not be seen by hiring managers. You can find out more about why we ask these questions here.