About Landon School Landon School is a newly established independent special day school that opened in October 2024, dedicated to supporting children aged 5-11 with autism and severe learning difficulties. Our vision is simple yet powerful: Safe, Happy, Learning. We believe that every child can maximize their potential regardless of their starting point, and we are committed to creating a nurturing environment where pupils are valued for who they are and challenged to achieve their very best.
We operate with exceptional staff-to-pupil ratios (1:2) and provide highly individualized, play-based learning through three distinct curriculum pathways tailored to different developmental needs. Every pupil has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and we work in close partnership with families and a multi-disciplinary team of teachers, therapists, and support staff to provide holistic support.
As a new school, we are building something special-a place where children feel safe, respected, and inspired to succeed. This is an exciting opportunity to join us at the beginning of our journey and help shape how we support families, promote excellent attendance, and embed outstanding safeguarding practice.
Job Title Family Liaison, Attendance Officer and Safeguarding Officer (Designated Safeguarding Lead) Job Purpose To act as a key link between school, families, and the wider community, promoting positive relationships that support children's educational outcomes and wellbeing. As the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), you will hold overall responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, ensuring that all children are protected from harm and that staff maintain the highest standards of safeguarding practice.
The role combines strategic safeguarding leadership with family liaison responsibilities and attendance monitoring, working proactively and collaboratively with families to remove barriers to learning and ensure all pupils can access their right to education in a safe environment.
Understanding that our pupils have complex needs including autism and severe learning difficulties, you will take a compassionate, individualized, and partnership-focused approach to both safeguarding and attendance, recognizing that barriers are to be overcome together rather than challenges to be met with compliance measures. You will work closely with the Headteacher and collaborate with our multi-disciplinary team to ensure every child is safe, supported, and able to engage with their education.
Key Responsibilities Safeguarding Leadership and Management (Designated Safeguarding Lead) Strategic Leadership
- Serve as the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) with overall responsibility for safeguarding and child protection
- Develop, implement, and review the school's safeguarding policies and procedures in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children
- Ensure the school meets all statutory safeguarding requirements and maintains compliance with regulatory standards
- Lead the development of a safeguarding culture where children's welfare is prioritized and all staff understand their responsibilities
- Chair the weekly safeguarding meetings, setting agendas, reviewing cases, and ensuring appropriate actions are taken
- Provide strategic oversight of all safeguarding matters and report regularly to the Headteacher and Advisory Board on safeguarding activities, trends, and areas for development
- Maintain strategic oversight of the Single Central Record and ensure all safer recruitment practices are followed
Operational Safeguarding Management
- Act as the first point of contact for all safeguarding concerns raised by staff, parents, external agencies, or pupils
- Receive, triage, and assess all safeguarding concerns and disclosures, determining appropriate levels of response
- Make referrals to Children's Services (Child Protection/Child in Need) and other statutory agencies including police when necessary
- Liaise with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) regarding allegations against staff or volunteers
- Coordinate responses to safeguarding concerns, ensuring appropriate support is provided to children and families
- Maintain comprehensive, confidential safeguarding records using CPOMS or equivalent systems, ensuring compliance with GDPR and data protection legislation
- Monitor children subject to Child Protection Plans, Child in Need Plans, Early Help Assessments, or Looked After status
- Oversee the quality and effectiveness of safeguarding interventions and ensure appropriate escalation when needed
- Ensure appropriate information sharing with external agencies while maintaining confidentiality where required
Multi-Agency Safeguarding
- Represent the school at Child Protection Conferences, Child in Need meetings, Core Groups, and Strategy Meetings
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with Children's Services, Early Help services, Police, Health professionals, Educational Welfare Officers, and other safeguarding partners
- Coordinate multi-agency safeguarding plans and ensure effective communication between agencies
- Attend and contribute to Local Safeguarding Partnership meetings and strategic safeguarding forums
- Lead on Early Help assessments and Team Around the Family (TAF) processes when appropriate
- Advocate for children within multi-agency contexts and ensure the school's safeguarding practice is robustly represented
Training and Staff Development
- Ensure all staff receive appropriate safeguarding induction and annual refresher training in line with statutory requirements
- Deliver safeguarding training to all staff, governors, and volunteers, ensuring everyone understands their responsibilities
- Provide regular safeguarding updates to staff through briefings, bulletins, and team meetings
- Support staff who have concerns about a child or who receive disclosures
- Ensure Deputy DSLs (if appointed) receive appropriate training and supervision
- Keep personal DSL training up to date (renewed every two years minimum) and maintain knowledge of current safeguarding issues, legislation, and best practice
- Promote understanding of safeguarding issues specific to autism, learning disabilities, and communication difficulties
Specific Safeguarding Considerations for SEND Context
- Understand that children with autism and severe learning difficulties may be more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation
- Recognize that communication difficulties may mean children cannot readily report concerns or that signs of abuse may present differently
- Ensure safeguarding approaches are adapted to meet the communication needs of non-verbal or minimally verbal children
- Work with staff to identify behavioral changes or signs of distress that may indicate safeguarding concerns in children who cannot verbally disclose
- Promote understanding of how autism-specific behaviors should not mask potential safeguarding indicators
- Consider the additional safeguarding risks relating to intimate care, physical intervention, and complex medical needs
Attendance Monitoring and Support Attendance Management
- Monitor daily attendance and identify patterns of absence or lateness, understanding that irregular attendance may signal barriers related to autism, anxiety, sensory needs, medical appointments, family challenges, or safeguarding concerns
- Make first-day contact with families when children are absent without explanation, using a warm, supportive tone focused on understanding rather than compliance
- Conduct or support home visits when appropriate to understand barriers and develop attendance improvement strategies collaboratively
- Maintain accurate attendance records on the school's management information system and produce reports for senior leadership
- Work with families to develop individualized attendance action plans that recognize each child's unique needs and circumstances
- Liaise with Local Authority Educational Welfare Services and other statutory agencies regarding persistent absence when required
- Support families to access transport arrangements, morning routine strategies, or other practical solutions that enable attendance
- Recognize when attendance concerns may indicate safeguarding issues and elevate appropriately
Early Intervention and Barrier Removal
- Identify early warning signs of attendance concerns and intervene promptly with supportive contact
- Work in partnership with families to understand underlying causes of absence, which may include anxiety about transitions, sensory overwhelm, changes in routine, medical needs, or family circumstances
- Provide practical assistance and problem-solving support to overcome barriers, working collaboratively rather than prescriptively
- Collaborate with teachers, therapists, and support staff to identify and address school-based factors that may impact attendance (e.g., sensory environment, transition support, peer relationships)
- Support the development of strategies such as visual timetables, social stories, transition plans, and phased returns that help anxious or reluctant learners engage with school
Family Liaison and Engagement Building Relationships
- Develop and maintain positive, trusting relationships with families, particularly those who may be hard to engage or experiencing significant difficulties
- Act as an accessible . click apply for full job details