Volunteer Safeguarding Advocate for an ATLP School - Local Governance opportunity

What will you be doing?

The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership is seeking to appoint four dedicated, self-motivated and talented advocates for each of its 22 schools within the Trust. Each individual will have specific responsibilities in one of the following areas: Safeguarding, Vulnerable Children, Community engagement, Support and Challenge. The Safeguarding advocate will seek to answer the following lines of enquiry in support of the work of the Board of Trustees:

Are children happy and safe at school?   Are staff provided with relevant training to ensure there is a culture of safeguarding?   Do leaders act promptly when matters are raised.   Is the ATLP safeguarding policy working at school level? What, if any, additional support or training is needed at individual school level? 

In order to do so, Safeguarding Advocates will work with one school, or across a group of schools to build an effective relationship and support the school/s local DSL. The following schools are currently seeking Safeguarding Advocates to contribute to their governance: 

Greysbrooke Primary School (Shenstone) Brookvale Primary School (Erdington) William MacGregor Primary School (Tamworth) The Bridge School (Lichfield) Deykin Avenue Primary (Erdington) Paget Primary (Erdington) Dunstall Park Primary School (Tamworth - new school opening September 2024!)

What are we looking for?

A commitment to maintaining the ethos and values of the ATLP to work to ensure that all ATLP schools can meet the needs of their communities A commitment to high standards of probity and the ability to operate in accordance with the ATLP Governance Handbook, Code of Conduct, the Nolan Principles and legislative requirements Strong verbal & written communication skills Relationship building skills Awareness of local community interests and objectives Experience/ability to work in an advisory role within a framework of collective decision-making in the best interests of a school/s and Trust Analytical and problem solving skills A commitment to equality and diversity

What difference will you make?

In joining the ATLP as an advocate, you may liaise and directly represent a single school, or a group of schools. Each school in the ATLP is unique and serves a distinct community. Advocates in each role will come together regularly in the form of advocate committees, where each advocate will represent the unique voice of their school/s and communities with trustees and executives to be included and considered in decision-making processes and forums. This is a shift away from traditional local governance in schools, and seeks to help the ATLP retain a balance of strong community ethos and a proactive engagement with local voice, alongside the ATLP organisational identity.