For children with complex, challenging needs, the level of care and education must go above and beyond and that’s what drives us here at Witherslack Group. With our high staff-to-child ratio and in-house clinical teams, we’re proud to have won a reputation for excellence. Our aspirational homes, schools and ethos help us achieve the best possible outcomes. Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are a huge part of making sure our children and young people’s needs are fully recognised and comprehensively met.

As a Designated Safeguarding Lead you will take responsibility for safeguarding within the school, this means that on a daily basis you will be liaising with statutory and non-statutory agencies, parents/carers and staff on matters of wellbeing , child protection and safeguarding and will be a great source of support, advice and expertise in the team.

Lavender Lodge school resides within an 18th Century building in the heart of Mitcham. Our pupils come from many different boroughs to attend our school and are lucky to experience ‘a life changing love of learning.’ We are proud of our pupils and our dedicated team and pupils leave us with a sense of achievement. Having joined the Witherslack Group family in 2022, Lavender Lodge School is an independent specialist day school providing high-quality education, based in South London. The school meets the needs of pupils with a primary diagnosis of autism and additional needs such as ADHD, speech and language difficulties, sensory issues and associated behavioural difficulties. We were recently recognised as Good by Ofsted .

For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the education sector. With us, you’ll get to bring learning to life and make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get: Training: A full induction and on the job training Holiday: You’ll work hard at WG, so you’ll be rewarded with full school holidays Flexible benefits: meaning you can increase/decrease benefits such as life insurance – check out our benefits here Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities – check out our schools here A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time Contributory pension scheme – matched up to 5%

Our young people and their families come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds and with different needs – and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage and inspire our young people to be themselves. As well as having at least 3 years’ experience in a Designated Safeguarding Lead role, we will also look for: Comprehensive portfolio of CPD related to Safeguarding and Child Protection. Full UK driving licence

At Witherslack Group, inclusion is part of who we are. As a specialist provider of education and care for children and young people with special educational needs, we understand the importance of embracing individuality and championing difference- especially when it comes to neurodiversity. We celebrate diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and the unique strengths that each person brings to our community.

By building a diverse and inclusive team, we’re better able to support the children, young people and families we serve and ensure every member of our team can thrive, grow, and be their authentic self.

The Witherslack Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost) and an online search. We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.

To view our ex-offenders policy please click here .

To view our Child Protection Policy, please visit the 'Parents and Carers' section of this School/Learning centre. You can find all our Schools here .

Special Education / Careers in Care / Careers in Special Education / Working with Children / SEMH / SEN / ASD