Deputy Diocesan Safeguarding Officer

The Diocese of Chichester is seeking an experienced and committed safeguarding professional to join our Diocesan Safeguarding Team as Deputy Diocesan Safeguarding Officer.

This is a pivotal leadership role, offering an opportunity to shape and strengthen safeguarding practice across a large and diverse diocese. You will play a key part in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and adults, while supporting parishes, clergy and diocesan colleagues to uphold the highest safeguarding standards.

If you are passionate about safeguarding and want to play a key role in protecting and supporting communities across Sussex, we would love to hear from you.

You Will

• Lead and manage safeguarding casework across the Diocese, ensuring compliance with national Church of England safeguarding standards and statutory guidance
• Provide line management and supervision tothe team ofAssistant Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers
• Oversee triage, riskassessmentand allocation of safeguarding referrals
• Manage complex and high-risk cases, working collaboratively with statutory agencies such as police, socialcareand probation services
• Ensure high-quality case recording, qualityassuranceand continuous improvement of safeguarding practices
• Act as the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer in the absence of the Director of Safeguarding
• Contribute to training, policydevelopmentand the promotion of a strong safeguarding culture

This role involves regular collaboration with clergy, parish safeguarding officers, senior church leaders and external partners across the Diocese.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking a highly skilled safeguarding professional who can demonstrate:

• Significant safeguarding casework experience and strong knowledge of legislation and best practice
• Experience working with victims, survivors and those who pose risk, and partnering with statutory agencies
• Proven ability to embed good safeguarding practice
• Strong leadership, risk assessment and communication skills
• Ability to manage complex cases, quality assure work and maintain confidentiality
• High integrity, resilience and sound judgement
• Reflective, collaborative and committed to equality and inclusion
• Alignment with the values of the Church of England

For full details of the job please see the job description and person specification.

What we offer

• A salary of £49,536per annum
• 28 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays and two privilege days per year.
• Flexi-timeand the opportunity to apply to use the DBF’s remote working policy to work from home for part of the week.
• Membership of the Church Worker’s Pension Scheme with a 15.1% employer contribution and an employee contribution between 0-6%.
• Employee Assistance Programme with access to GP appointments,counsellingand financial and legal support.
• Free parking, and the ride to work scheme and development opportunities.

As an employer, and as a Church House team, our mutual values at work are to be Respectful, Professional, Flexible and Supportive.

The post involves travel across the Diocese and occasional evening/weekend work (with Time Off In Lieu).

Chichester DBF is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment and to comply with the relevant safeguarding policy. Our full safeguarding policy can be found here. This post is subject to a enhanced DBS check.

For an information conversation about the role please contact the Director of Safeguarding (***email_hidden***)

Please apply via Pathways by midnight on 5th July 2026.

Interviews will be held at offices at Church House, Hove on 30th June 2026.