LADO Education Advisor

Role Responsibility

Kent County Council is seeking a passionate and experienced safeguarding professional to join our dynamic LADO Education and Safeguarding Advisory Service. As a LADO and Education Safeguarding Advisor (LEA), you will play a vital role in protecting children and young people across Kent by leading on the management of allegations against professionals and supporting safeguarding excellence in schools, early years settings, and other settings for children.

This is a pivotal role that combines statutory responsibility with strategic influence. You will:

• Be part of a team working in the LADO function for managing allegations about those in the children’s workforce. You will manage a complex caseload of wide ranging matters from a variety of settings.
• Provide expert safeguarding advice, training, safeguarding reviews and oversight to schools and education services.
• Deliver training for Designated Safeguarding Leads and contribute to Kent’s traded services offer by delivering a wide range of training courses and promoting LESAS's quality products e.g. online safety reviews.
• Contribute to quality assurance, audits, and the development of safeguarding frameworks across Kent.
• Represent the Safeguarding Unit in multi-agency forums, Quality Assurance Frameworks and child outcome analysis initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a designated officer under DfE guidance, offering consultation and challenge to employers on safe practice.
• Coordinate responses to serious allegations and liaise with the Press Office and senior managers as needed.
• Respond to Ofsted requests and a variety of enquiries from a wide range of agencies.
• Maintain accurate safeguarding data and contribute to annual reporting and strategic planning.
• Build strong relationships with schools and settings through an area-based outreach model.
• Support the development of Kent’s Practice Framework and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

• A qualified social worker registered with Social Work England.
• Experienced in safeguarding and child protection within education or children’s services.
• Confident in managing complex safeguarding concerns and allegations.
• Skilled in delivering training, consultation, and quality assurance activities.
• A strong communicator with the ability to influence, challenge, and build trust across multi-agency partnerships.
• Committed to professional development and reflective practice.

Benefits

• A supportive and collaborative team environment.
• Opportunities to shape safeguarding practice across Kent.
• Access to high-quality training and continuous professional development.
• Flexible working arrangements and a strong commitment to staff wellbeing.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and registration as a qualified Social Worker with Social Work England.

Contact Details

Susannah Burden, LADO & Education Safeguarding Manager, LESAS.

susannah.burden@kent.gov.uk

+44 300 041 9210

About the Company

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note - if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.