About The Service
The Senior Policy Officer role is based within our Strategic Safeguarding Team within Cardiff Council.
The Strategic Safeguarding team exist to facilitate cross-department and city collaboration to deliver on our safeguarding priorities, provide a platform for innovation through the delivery of priority improvement projects, identifying and sharing effective practice and supporting data-led practice through high quality analysis and insight reports.
To support successful delivery since the expansion of the team’s programme of work, we are seeking to grow the team and require a motivated Senior Policy Officer to join our team and contribute to our team’s work to improve the outcomes and experience for children and adults at risk in the Welsh capital.
This is a very exciting time to join the team as we work to develop new and innovate ways to ensure children and young people are safe in our city and the Local Authority and its partners fulfil their Safeguarding responsibilities to keep young people and vulnerable adults safe from harm.
About the job
The Strategic Safeguarding team have a varied and exciting programme of work, delivering research, joint projects, and policy advocacy to support Cardiff Council, children’s services and support safeguarding within the city.
You’ll work as part of the Strategic Safeguarding area, to co-ordinate the implementation and delivery of our key objectives in order to achieve our safeguarding duties as an authority.
Part of the role will involve supporting our migration and asylum team to increase safeguarding awareness and embed robust safeguarding mechanisms across this area of work. A knowledge of immigration policy would be advantageous. This will involve developing policies, procedures and toolkits to support practitioners working in this area, developing and delivering training and acting as the Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP) for this service, in line with our Corporate Safeguarding working arrangements.
The positions will involve you playing a key role to:
• Develop clear mechanisms to improve, embed and monitor safeguarding self-evaluation processes. Supporting service areas across the council to address identified gaps and areas for improvement relating to their corporate safeguarding responsibilities for both children and vulnerable adults.
• Capture priorities and develop and articulate the strategic direction of the local authority and partners to respond to key issues through a contextual safeguarding approach.
• Develop ways to monitor and evaluate progress.
• Maintain and develop relationships with a diverse network of stakeholders
• Develop ways to ensure the voice and lived experience of children young people and vulnerable adults is systematically embedded strategy development and implementation
What We Are Looking For From You
This is an opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic candidate with an interest in this area of work.
Your positive can-do attitude, passion for delivering the best outcomes for vulnerable children and young people and adults and ability to organise your work effectively are more important than prior experience in a similar role.
We would however like to see that you are familiar with project work, the public sector and role of Children’s and Adults Services and local government (although you do not need prior experience working within the public sector) and your ability to produce high quality written work.
The successful candidate will also be able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and be able to effectively prioritise their work.
Our team have a strong commitment to personal development, and you will be encouraged to participate in relevant training, build your skills and enhance your expertise to succeed in this role and achieve your career aspirations.
We welcome applications from a range of professional backgrounds including those looking to transfer from the private and voluntary sectors.
Additional information
This post is temporary until 31st March 2026.
Internal candidates who wish to apply for this position on a secondment basis must obtain approval prior to application using Form SEC1 (4.C.081).Requests may only be approved by the relevant Director/ Assistant Director/ Chief Officer or senior nominated officer graded no lower than OM2 or in the case of schools based staff the Headteacher / Governing Body.
Due to our current interim working arrangements, we are unable to provide recruitment packs through the post. We also cannot accept application forms by post.
This vacancy is suitable for post share.
Please note the Council does not accept CV’s. When completing the supporting information section of your application, please ensure you refer to the below located on our website:
Important information you need read in order to complete your application:-
• Application Guidance
• Applying for jobs with us
• Behavioural Competency Framework Additional Information:-
• Employee Charter
• Recruitment of Ex-Offenders
• Privacy Notice
Please contact Rebecca Brockway rebecca.brockway2@cardiff.gov.uk if you have any questions about the role.
We welcome applications in both English and Welsh. Applications received in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than English applications.
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