Louise Holbrook
Bourne,Lincolnshire
Summary
Dedicated safeguarding professional with experience monitoring and reporting safeguarding concerns, developing and implementing effective safeguarding policies, and training staff and volunteers on safeguarding procedures. Personable, skilled in maintaining confidential records, and working collaboratively with stakeholders including local authorities, police, and healthcare providers to ensure the safety and wellbeing of individuals.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
25
25
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Safeguarding officer/DDSL
Bourne Grammar School
2023.11 - 2026.05
- maintaining and developing effective safeguarding systems-My Concern, SENSO and School policies;
- responding to safeguarding concerns from the outset and taking the necessary steps both in the short and long term to: protect children from maltreatment; prevent the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development; ensure that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and take action to enable all children to have the best outcomes;
- attending all strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings;
- establishing and maintaining clear systems of communication across the School to ensure all staff groups are adequately and appropriately supported and trained in safeguarding and child protection;
- provide safeguarding CPD/update to staff, volunteers and new staff on inset/training days and throughout the year if necessary;
- helping to ensure that the School meets its statutory obligations with regard to safeguarding;
- create/update early help assessments, complete referrals to outside agencies if appropriate, stand as LP in agency meetings;
- working together with Leadership team, Heads and Deputy Heads of Year in behaviour investigations and conducting behaviour investigations when required, including interviews with students and contact with parents;
- working closely with Attendance officer, highlighting and tracking attendance concerns and conducting attendance meetings;
- acting as Lead Professional running EBSA programmes for school refusers;
- undertake safeguarding and attendance welfare visits;
- working closely with SENDCo to remove barriers from learning for SEND students and their families;
- regularly meet with Heads of Year and other members of the Pastoral Faculty to discuss and share concerns/progress/individual pupils;
- be a visible presence around the school on a daily basis including before school, after school, break and lunchtime duties;
- produce regular safeguarding reports for Leaders and School Trustees and deliver updates via meetings;
- delivery assemblies to pupils on a range of Safeguarding topics.
Deputy Head of Year
City of Peterborough Academy
2022.07 - 2023.11
- contribute to the development and improvement of the safeguarding/pastoral support;
- be involved in the general supervision of pupils;
- support pupils’ progress and development through one-to-one and group work;
- identify all barriers to pupils’ progress and development and to work with pupils, parents and carers and actively encourage and facilitate cooperation within the school;
- create and implement action plans in areas of concern, e.g. attendance, behaviour, achievement and attainment;
- listening to and helping pupils resolve a range of issues that are creating barriers to learning;
- undertake home visits to identify barriers to achievement in school;
- meet with external agencies and follow processes as appropriate, act as LP in TAF/CIN/CP meetings
- support pupils working with external agencies, complete referrals and have knowledge of the range of activities, services, courses, organisations and individuals that could provide additional support;
- work in collaboration with the Senior Assistant Headteacher and SLT on all areas of the pastoral provision.
NEET Advisor/Young People’s Worker
Cambridgeshire County Council
2020.10 - 2022.07
- engaging with young people and their families to develop holistic assessments of strengths and needs, including the development of a shared understanding with young people and families of the above;
- use specialist assessment and screening tools to inform holistic assessments around specific issues and needs (for example Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation, Neglect, Domestic Abuse);
- use contextual safeguarding approaches to reduce risks around Antisocial Behaviour and Child Exploitation;
- develop Family Plans in partnership with the young person and their family that addresses the needs identified in the assessment, and that engage the young person and their family in the process of change;
- ensure the Family Plans reflect and utilise available community-based resources and services to achieve success and support sustainability of change;
- actively review progress made in relation to Family Plans (in accordance with practice standards);
- ensure that all work is recorded in accordance with Case Recording guidance;
- provide individual interventions with a caseload of young people, acting as the Lead Professional where appropriate;
- engaging with young people on a 1:1 basis, developing and maintaining supportive and empowering relationships founded on mutual respect and trust to support them to reach the outcomes identified in their Early Help Plan;
- ensure that the young person’s voice is sought, listened to and their lived experiences are integrated into the Family Plan;
- delivery of direct intervention work outside of normal office hours where required;
- deliver evidence-based targeted work in accordance with the Targeted Support Groupwork Specification;
- through intervention, promote and facilitate the family’s understanding of parenting teens and factors impacting on them;
- support the reduction of the cohort of young people who are NEET/Unknown by pro-actively contributing to the Annual Activity Survey and the September Guarantee;
- support young people to engage in participation work;
- deliver evidence-based interventions in support of young people and their families including co-delivering Triple P parenting programmes;
- work effectively with professional networks around young people and support practitioners within community-based services to participate meaningfully within the Team Around the Family (TAF) environment;
- where appropriate to act as Lead Professional and to chair TAF Meetings on behalf of the network;
- support the smooth transition of young people and families between services through involvement in handover arrangements as appropriate.
HLTA
Bourne Abbey Primary Academy
2010.02 - 2020.10
- plan, prepare, and deliver learning activities for individuals, small groups, and whole classes;
- lead whole-class sessions during a teacher's planning and preparation time (PPA);
- adapt teaching methods to meet diverse pupil needs;
- assess and monitor pupils' progress, recording and reporting on their achievements;
- provide targeted support to individual students and groups to facilitate understanding;
- promote the inclusion of all pupils and encourage cooperative learning;
- support pupils' social and emotional well-being with targeted programmes;
- work with teachers on lesson planning and the preparation of learning resources;
- maintain pupil records and data, producing reports as required;
- contribute to the development of school policies and procedures;
- supervise groups of pupils on excursions or during other school events;
- support with other duties, such as playground or lunch duties.
Education
Parkstone Grammar School
Poole, Dorset 1968.09 - 1992.07
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
The Open University
2020.10 -
NVQ Level 4 - Early Intervention Work
Skills for Justice
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire 2021.09 - 2022.07
Skills
- Active listening
- Resilience
- Team player
- Knowledge of safeguarding processes and legislation
- Drive to support vulnerable individuals
- Self motivated
Affiliations
- Reading
- Walking
- Socialising with friends
- Running
Timeline
Safeguarding officer/DDSL
Bourne Grammar School
2023.11 - 2026.05
Deputy Head of Year
City of Peterborough Academy
2022.07 - 2023.11
NVQ Level 4 - Early Intervention Work
Skills for Justice
2021.09 - 2022.07
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
The Open University
2020.10 -
NEET Advisor/Young People’s Worker
Cambridgeshire County Council
2020.10 - 2022.07
HLTA
Bourne Abbey Primary Academy
2010.02 - 2020.10
Parkstone Grammar School
1968.09 - 1992.07