Academy Designated Safeguarding Officer

Our Academy Safeguarding Officer plays a vital role in embedding a positive, proactive safeguarding culture across the Academy. The position ensures our commitment to the highest standards of care, creating a safe, supportive and inspiring environment for all young players, staff and visitors. This role is central to fulfilling our legal and regulatory safeguarding responsibilities, delivering the Academy’s preventative safeguarding strategy and responding effectively to day-to-day safeguarding matters.

It also drives continuous improvement by identifying and implementing initiatives that strengthen safeguarding practices and enhance the overall Academy experience.

• Serve as the Academy’s source of safeguarding expertise, providing guidance, support and advice.
• Ensure full compliance with statutory safeguarding legislation and adherence to League and governing body regulations.
• Lead the delivery of the Academy’s safeguarding strategy, embedding a preventative and proactive approach.
• Implement safeguarding policies and processes to ensure staff respond appropriately to concerns.
• Deliver safeguarding training and workshops for staff, players, and parents.
• Manage safeguarding practice across the Academy, ensuring the highest standards are consistently maintained.
• Lead safeguarding audits to ensure compliance with League and external body requirements, meeting or exceeding expectations.
• Monitor Academy activities to identify areas requiring safeguarding best practice principles.
• Provide expert advice and intervention on safeguarding issues, minimising risks and supporting the effective management of concerns.
• Receive, investigate and escape safeguarding concerns in line with Club, FA, League and statutory agency protocols with support of the Head of Safeguarding.
• Maintain accurate, confidential records of safeguarding incidents, concerns and allegations, ensuring all referrals are logged and followed up.
• Collaborate with HR and managers to uphold safer recruitment and induction practices, including reference checks and DBS clearances.
• Ensure quality assurance across all safeguarding activities, both internal and through external partnerships.
• Build and sustain strong working relationships within internal colleagues and external safeguarding stakeholders.
• Act as the Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) for U9s – U16s training sessions and fixtures.

The Person:

• Strong safeguarding background, able to show a commitment to excellent safeguarding practice.
• Demonstrate experience of implementing effective policies, practices and procedures, bringing these to life to create a positive safeguarding culture.
• Experience of effective case management and investigating safeguarding concerns, disclosures, allegations and incidents.
• Able to work collaboratively both internally and externally, including statutory agencies and partners.
• Well organised, able to prioritise workload whilst being flexible and able to cope with the unexpected.
• Calm and approachable who can deal with sensitive matters in a professional manner.

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic individual who will have a visible and impactful presence to enhance a positive safeguarding and fan experience culture across the Club. You will have a demonstrable background in safeguarding and a successful track record of making a positive difference. You will have an understanding of managing safeguarding issues across the community and/or sports sectors, along with a creative flair to enhance our fan experience.

You will have a proactive, person-centred approach and the ability to work well with others to support, guide and advise colleagues to achieve positive outcomes. You will be approachable with excellent communication and interpersonal skills and will be able to adapt your style to the audience. This role has a broad reach and we are looking for someone with the ability to work alongside elite sporting colleagues, our communities, parents and young people with cooperative and successful outcomes.

With your excellent planning and organisational skills, you will be able to effectively manage and deliver a diverse workload…