The Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) is seeking to appoint an experienced and highly motivated Head of Safeguarding / Designated Liaison Person (DLP) to provide strategic leadership for safeguarding across the Province in Ireland.

Safeguarding is central to our mission and values. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of safeguarding practice, supporting those who have been harmed, strengthening prevention, and fostering a culture of accountability, transparency and continuous improvement.

This is a senior leadership position reporting directly with dual reporting to the Provincial and a designated line manager, working closely with the Leadership Team, Trustees, statutory agencies and the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI).

The successful candidate will lead the ongoing development and implementation of our safeguarding strategy and policies, oversee the management of safeguarding concerns and risk, ensure compliance with civil, canonical and organisational standards, and provide expert advice on safeguarding governance. The role also includes responsibility for delivering safeguarding training, supporting local communities and ministries, leading audit and quality assurance processes, and contributing to leading the continued development of the Spiritans’ restorative programme for survivors.  The successful candidate will lead and model a trauma-informed approach to the management of safeguarding allegations and concerns, including meeting with victims and survivors and ensuring that their experiences and needs are responded to with sensitivity, compassion, and respect.

Job Description of Head of Safeguarding / Designated Liaison Person (DLP)

General Role:

• Act as the Head of Safeguarding / Designated Liaison Person for Congregation of the Holy Spirit
• Fulfil the duties outlined in the National, Church and Spiritan Child Safeguarding Policies.
• Act as a Project Lead for the Spiritan Restorative Programme

Strategic leadership and operating model

• Lead the safeguarding strategy, annual delivery plan and continuous improvement agenda for the Spiritan Province
• Implement the future-state safeguarding structure and embed the new generic safeguarding model across child and adult concerns.
• Review the operating model for intake, triage, escalation, case oversight, training, audit, vetting interfaces.

Restorative Programme Project Lead

• Monitor each respondent’s compliance in accordance with their permanent management/safety plan/covenant of care and in conjunction with their Superior and Provincial and the established monitoring panel.
• Attend meetings with the Provincial as required to discuss the ongoing management of cases and risks.
• Manage and attend the regular meetings of the Safeguarding Management Committee.
• Manage the restorative programme, working co-operatively with Spiritan Leadership and advisors. This includes the development of a project plan with relevant KPIs and monitoring framework.

Safeguarding framework and policy development and implementation

• Lead development and implementation of a comprehensive safeguarding policy and procedures framework, including definitions, thresholds, roles, escalation routes and case-handling standards. 
• Review connected policies, codes and procedures to ensure safeguarding language and responsibilities are explicit and aligned across the organisation, including disciplinary, dignity at work, grievance, protected disclosures, communications, event operations and employment-related policies. 
• Supervise and support the implementation of the wider safeguarding strategy, which includes preventative safeguarding. 

Ensure all training requirements are met for members of the congregation, employees and associates of the Congregation.

Essential Experience: 

Ideally, the candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Senior-level experience in some of the following areas; safeguarding, child protection, adult safeguarding, welfare, social care, regulatory, compliance or an equivalent field.
• Strong experience of managing complex safeguarding concerns, triage, risk assessment, referrals and protective measures.
• Demonstrable experience of developing and implementing safeguarding policy, procedures, governance frameworks or equivalent control frameworks across a complex organisation.
• Experience of advising executive leadership, Trustees, Boards or committees on sensitive risk matters.
• Experience of line management and leading high-trust teams handling sensitive casework.
• Experience of working with statutory agencies or multi-agency safeguarding structures.

Desirable experience:

• Experience working in faith-based organisations, public-sector, non-profit, or similarly regulated environments.
• Master’s qualification in a relevant field.
• Experience supporting external audits, forensic reviews, or regulatory investigations.

Garda Vetting: 

The position is subject to satisfactory outcome of the Garda Vetting process.

Location: 

The position will be based Kimmage Manor, Whitehall Road, Dublin 12 

Hours 

Full Time, 35 Hours per week.

Salary Range:

HSE equivalent Pay Scale, dependent on experience/professional background

Health 

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of 

undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would 

indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service. 

Character 

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character.