Job Description

About Us

Oak Grove College - A wonderful place to work

Oak Grove College is a community generic special school providing special education for 269 students with learning difficulties from Year 7 to Year 14. We are part of the Thrive Federation of Schools which also includes Palatine Primary School, Herons Dale School and Cornfield School.



We operate a learning need (family group) based structure, with each group having its designated base in the building. In order to create balanced tutor groups and provide the most appropriate learning and support environment, some students are grouped differently and may be in tutor groups with a wider age range of students (especially those students with SLD & PMLD). For all students we aim to ensure that there are positive social and educational inclusion opportunities.



We see this as essential to our goal of preparing students for being fully part of the community after college.



We are immensely proud of our college and our community. We are committed to providing the very best for young people while they are with us, helping them to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and aspiration to succeed throughout their lives. We have a staff team of about 190 colleagues and we believe in looking after everyone well. We know that our staff team make the college what it is today and are the key to a successful future.



Staff are well supported by the leadership team and are offered opportunities to progress on carefully planned career pathways. We know that each and every one of our staff have a pivotal role to play and we believe in supporting everyone to achieve their potential. Oak Grove College is a rewarding place to work and staff report high levels of job satisfaction.



We know that our staff work hard to do their very best each day for our students and we believe in looking after them well in return. Staff have access to the West Sussex County Council Employee programme. We pay for an extensive health and welfare support service for all our staff which includes physiotherapy, counselling, mindfulness support, menopause support, chronic illness support, weight management and much, much more.



Oak Grove College has convenient road and rail links with good public transport available. It is a 15 minute walk from Durrington-on-Sea train station, there is a bus stop just by the entrance, a large car park for those travelling by car and good pedestrian access for those on foot. West Sussex County Council staff can also obtain 15% staff discount on Southern Rail daily, weekly, monthly and annual tickets and are entitled to a range of other travel discounts and incentives too.



New employees joining Oak Grove College are guaranteed a warm welcome from the whole community. Our motto is that 'Everyone matters, every day counts' and we strongly believe that this should include our entire college community. We look forward to getting to know you better and helping you to play your part in providing the very best to our young people.

Job Details

Salary:

16.37 - 19.66 per hour

Contract Type:

Permanent

Working Pattern:

Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours per week plus 3 weeks in school holidays (2 weeks of which during the summer holiday)

Location:

Worthing

Interviews:

24/09/2025



As a middle leader within the college, you will play a central role in promoting a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all students. You will contribute to staff review and development, ensuring colleagues are fully trained and confident in their safeguarding responsibilities. Working closely with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Deputy DSLs, governors, and wider leadership, you will help shape and implement safeguarding and wellbeing strategies across the college.

Key Responsibilities:

Act as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL), providing direct support to staff, students, and families in safeguarding matters. Lead and support safeguarding training for all staff, ensuring records are accurate and up to date. Be the key link with social care, early help teams, external agencies, actively managing referrals and attending directed CIN, strategy, and MDT meetings. Support transition events, induction events, and PD curriculum delivery, including relationships education and external interventions co-ordinated with Sussex Police. Prepare safeguarding reports for governors and senior leaders and contribute to the development and evaluation of safeguarding policies, risk assessments (including Prevent), and the wider college development plan. Ensure all safeguarding records are securely maintained on CPOMS, oversee daily monitoring of the system, and deliver relevant training for staff. Promote family partnership working, supporting students' social, emotional, and mental health needs, including as a trained Youth Mental Health First Aider. Work with designated colleagues (manual handling, PRICE, nursing, health and safety, finance) to ensure safe practices across the college. Support transition events, induction events, and PD curriculum delivery, including relationships education and external interventions. Lead on promoting safeguarding and wellbeing through newsletters, social media, and community engagement. Manage operational duties such as maintaining the duty rota, meeting and greeting students, supporting duty teams, and acting as a fire warden. Undertake reviews of incidents of concern and contribute to continuous improvement of safeguarding practice.

This role is vital in embedding a culture of safety, wellbeing, and resilience within the college community. You will work proactively with students, families, staff, and external partners to ensure safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do.

What You Need to Succeed

To be successful in this role you will need:

Essential Qualifications

Experience of leading child protection cases Experience of leading teams and working with challenging situations and families Experience of working in a pastoral role to support those with social, emotional, attachment, trauma and mental health needs Working in and leading multi-agency teams Experience of self-review

Desirable Qualifications

Experience of working with families, social care and a range of multi-disciplinary agencies Knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding issues that children looked after may face Training in relation to online safeguarding, safeguarding, and mental health needs in young people and MDT co-operation.

Personal Qualities

The ability to inspire, motivate and support students, staff, families, colleagues and social workers. Evidence of the ability to consult and seek advice and professional support as necessary. Evidence of the ability to listen and communicate effectively, both orally in in writing to a variety of audiences The ability to remain calm and reflective when working in a challenging environment Significant personal development Resilience working under emotionally difficult condition Take part in regular external supervision Flexibility Empathy for young people in care and the perspectives of all those working to improve outcomes for this group.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Evidence of the ability to lead other professionals Evidence of the ability to work co-operatively with multi-disciplinary professional, governors and other agencies Evidence of the ability to promote a positive ethos and pride in the college together with high standards of education, care and behaviour Evidence of the ability to use an evidence-based system to provide therapeutic interview for behaviour and mental health needs Proven abilities to use ICT in the organisation and management of the role Evidence of contributing to college self-review Knowledge of internal IT systems including CPOMS and Bromcom

Further Information

Oak Grove College and West Sussex County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check along with other relevant employment checks, including satisfactory references.

How to Apply

To apply for this role please download the job description and application form below.



Please complete the application form and ensure that you outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the job description).



Once complete please return this to

recruitment@oakgrovecollege.org.uk

Should you have any questions regarding the role or the application please feel free to email us or contact us on

01903 708870

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The reference number for this role is SCHO00877.



Job Reference: SCHO00877