Safeguarding Adviser

Safeguarding Adviser (Gender-Based Violence Operational Lead), Part time 17.5 hours per week, Permanent

Edinburgh Napier is committed to providing a safe and protected university environment where all students are supported to fulfil their potential. We are looking for a Safeguarding Adviser (Gender-Based Violence Operational Lead) to join a small, dynamic Safeguarding Team, a part of our Wellbeing and Inclusion department at Edinburgh Napier University. The Safeguarding team provides high quality, professional services to support students who may be at risk of harm, exploitation or who are experiencing complex welfare issues, including students who have experienced, or are at risk of, Gender-Based Violence.

The Safeguarding Adviser (Gender-Based Violence Operational Lead) will provide advice, guidance and support to both staff and students on a range of complex safeguarding issues, with a particular focus on to enable management and mitigation of risk.

For further information on the area, please click here.

Our Benefits

We are committed to providing a wide range of benefits including:

• Minimum of 41 days annual leave (including 10 fixed holidays at Easter and Christmas) and the option to purchase additional annual leave
• Employer pension contributions of 20.8%
• A wide range of learning and development opportunities
• Opportunity to join our staff inclusion and support networks
• Access to our benefits platform Vivup which includes huge range of discounts across the UK’s major retailers, health care discounts and Cycle to Work (click here  for more info)
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Flexible hybrid working

The role

It is a challenging but highly rewarding role where the main focus of the work will be on supporting students to manage their own risk through implementing practical interventions, making referrals to specialist services and partnership work with both internal and external colleagues, including NHS services, Social Care Direct, Police Scotland and Third Sector organisations. The role also has a strategic and capacity building element supporting the delivery of the university’s Joint Strategy Preventing and tackling Gender Based Violence, Racial Discrimination, Harassment and Hate Incidents.

The Safeguarding Adviser (Gender-Based Violence Operational Lead) will:

• Work as part of the Safeguarding Team to case manage students who may be at risk of harm, exploitation or who are experiencing complex welfare issues, including students who have experienced, or are at risk of, Gender Based Violence, maintaining records in line with GDPR requirements.
• Liaise with university schools, professional services and external agencies to ensure an appropriate and timely response and duty of care towards students identified as being at risk.
• Be responsible for responding to reports made through the Report and Support  portal, and for the maintenance and monitoring of the system. 
• Support the Student Safeguarding and Equality Manager in the implementation of the university’s Joint Strategy Preventing and Tackling Gender Based Violence, Racial Discrimination, Harassment and Hate Incidents

This is an integral role within the team and will be primarily based at the Sighthill campus although regular travel to our other campuses will be required.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a degree-qualified (or equivalent professional experience) professional with experience in safeguarding, mental health, gender-based violence and / or student support You will have:

• Experience of working in a customer-focused environment and knowledge of safeguarding, risk assessment and risk management, and gender-based violence issues.
• Well-developed communication and organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to maintain accurate records.
• Excellent listening and effective communication skills, including the ability to work comfortably with diverse populations and with people from all areas and levels of the University.
• The ability to work collaboratively and independently, with minimal supervision.
• The ability to handle sensitive and confidential issues.

For more information, click here  for the full role description.

Additional Information

• Closing date: 4 February
• Interview date: TBA
• Salary: £36,024 - £44,263 pro-rata

Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG) 

This post is subject to registration with the Protection of Vulnerable Groups scheme, for regulated work with children and/or protected adults as appropriate. Employment in this post is conditional on the successful post holder being able to obtain/holding PVG scheme membership. The successful candidate will not be permitted to commence employment until this has been confirmed.

Information provided will be kept confidential and individuals will not be discriminated against unnecessarily due to non-relevant offending background. If you require further information on the PVG scheme, please visit Disclosure Scotland PVG scheme .

The University is committed to inclusion, demonstrated through our work in respect of our diversity awards and accreditations and holds Disability Confident, Carer Positive and Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champion status.  More details can be found here .