Laura Louise Cross

Assist parishes in addressing safeguarding concerns and complying with relevant legislation and policy.

• Supported collaboration between clergy, statutory agencies, and survivors to implement safeguarding best practices for children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• Facilitate training sessions and provided resources to improve safeguarding practices and ensure adherence to safeguarding standards.
• Monitor risk and helped to establish safeguarding measures to protect vulnerable individuals.

A Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) oversees and manages allegations against adults working with children to ensure safeguarding, fairness, and timely investigation.

The LADO is responsible for managing allegations or concerns about adults who work or volunteer with children, including paid staff, casual workers, agency staff, and self-employed individuals.

• Oversight of investigations: The LADO does not conduct investigations directly but ensures that investigations by employers, police, social care, or regulatory bodies are thorough, timely, and fair.
• Coordination and advice: They provide guidance to employers, voluntary organisations, and regulated activity providers on safeguarding procedures, disciplinary actions, and referrals to regulatory bodies such as the DBS, Ofsted, or the Teacher Regulation Agency.
• Monitoring progress: The LADO tracks the progress of cases to ensure they are handled efficiently while maintaining confidentiality.
• Safeguarding focus: They ensure the voice of the child or young person is considered where appropriate and that outcomes are communicated to relevant parties.

Managed team of 11 staff across various roles.

Assisted in developing extended services within schools with dedicated budget.

Supported 9 extended services staff, including study support coordinator and advisors, to deliver 'catch up and stretch' provisions at Bluebirds Study Centre.

Oversaw contract for charities providing Sure Start 0-19 services, ensuring compliance and quality through monitoring visits.

• Supervised two children's centre development workers in service delivery.
• Collaborated with partner agencies to enhance service provision for families in need.

My role was to identify suitable locations for Children's Centre capital projects, working with partners to identify premises and undertaking consultations with the community on what services were needed within the Barrow in Furness Area. The role involved the development of close working relationships between the council and the existing Providers of Children's Centres Services which included 'Sure Start Barrow', Hindpool and Bram Longstaff Nursery Schools and Newbarns Primary School.

Working relationships developed with statutory agencies and third sector organisations involved in the development of 0-19 service delivery in the Barrow in Furness area. Involved in the contract management and audit of provision by providers.

Facilitated outreach services for families within Solway Plain.
Supported families in need of early intervention and partnerships with statutory agencies.
Coordinated a bank of volunteers to deliver a home visiting service to families based on their specific needs.
Supervised and trained volunteers.
Established collaborations with key agencies in the local area, including statutory bodies.

Setting up a volunteer service for a new Barnardos project within Wigton, serving the Solway plain. The volunteers would be involved in a wide variety of projects, including school holiday provision, breakfast clubs. home visiting service, food parcel delivery, Christmas hamper delivery.

Developing a Training programme for all volunteers to undertake.

Undertaking supervision with each volunteer involved in our work with families.

The identification of work placements for disabled undergraduates and post graduates.