Safeguarding Manager -Cultural Engagement

British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service. This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.

The Team:

The Global Safeguarding Team work together with business delivery units to manage and mitigate safeguarding risks across the organisation.

This role is specifically focused to support the Cultural Engagement (CE) business unit and has a dotted line to the Cultural Engagement Operations team. CE brings together our work in arts, education, English & School Education and research. With a workforce of approximately 1000 globally and an income in 2023/24 of over £230 million, CE delivers impact through research and insight, sector engagement, policy dialogue and a mixed portfolio of commercial and non-commercial work globally.

The purpose of the CE Operations function is to set and support an operating environment that enables CE to efficiently deliver the CE global business plan. It focuses on enabling teams to embed ways of working, good practice, continual improvement and to demonstrate compliance.

The Role:

As Safeguarding Manager, you will lead the implementation of the British Council safeguarding framework and resources across all Cultural Engagement programme delivery and ensure practice is aligned with the global Safeguarding policy and strategy.

As part of this, you will lead the development of fit for purpose resources that can be practically and usefully embedded within the Cultural engagement project/programme lifecycle.

The role is to provide proactive safeguarding advice, consultation and as required, direction and assistance across Cultural Engagement global delivery, ensuring that British Council Safeguarding policies, procedures, tools/resources and protocols are appropriately embedded and adhered to within all activities and programmes.

The role is to promote a positive and proactive organisational safeguarding culture which creates a safe environment for children and adults who come into contact with the British Council. You will ensure the management control and data system is effectively managed and data shared and used intelligently to manage risk., Embed and manage the overall framework and resources which provide guidance and support for CE programme managers so that they can confidently use them across the programme lifecycle to:

• ensure safeguarding due diligence as per requirements of the FCDO - with special referenced to PSEAH - Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment


• embed safeguarding into programme design and bids to clients.


• Initiate and deliver programmes safely by reducing risk and assisting with the management of any incidents in a professional way linked to agreed global safeguarding risk thresholds.


• Close programmes and conduct lessons learnt to inform new programme design.


• Manage and lead a safeguarding community of practice of experienced programme managers who support the development and maintenance of the safeguarding framework and resources to ensure it responds to the various needs of different sectors, clients and geographies.


• Provide support and advice to a wide range of Cultural Engagement stakeholders, including regional/country portfolio and , program and safeguarding leads, as required in relation to British Council activity and risk management, ensuring Safeguarding requirements are understood, measure compliance, share best practice; ensure alignment of approaches and where appropriate co-ordinate messaging in line with the wider corporate and global safeguarding team.


• Based on the British Council global safeguarding case management policy, provide support and guidance to global cultural engagement staff to report and manage incident-based risks.


There will also be collaboration with an extended team consisting of Cultural Engagement teams covering Risk, Internal Communications, Media, Employee Relations and Reward, Contract Management and Legal.


• Experience of working in an international development context and in an international (matrix) organization


• A sound knowledge of international safeguarding standards and service delivery within statutory and non-statutory settings


• Experience of creating, managing and implementing safeguarding frameworks and tools for project and programme management


• Delivering effective safeguarding engagement and learning initiatives
  
  We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.


We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021-22 we reached 650 million people., The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with.

We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989.

Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council's Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.