Education Lead, Families First Programme

Posting date:	14 November 2025
Salary:	£79,066 to £92,251 per year
Additional salary information:	Competitive
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	28 November 2025
Location:	Northampton, NN1 1ED
Company:	Northamptonshire Children's Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	Ref/77/7607

Summary

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, we are working to transform how we support and protect children and families and education is at the heart of that change.

As Families First Programme Education Lead, you will champion the role of education as a key safeguarding partner and ensure schools and education settings are fully engaged in the design and delivery of the Families First Programme.

This is a unique opportunity to shape how education works alongside children’s social care, family help services and safeguarding partners helping to define how education becomes recognised as the fourth safeguarding partner.

You will work with leaders across education, health, and social care to ensure the sector’s voice is heard, represented and embedded at every stage of testing, trialling, and implementing the new Families First model.

If you are passionate about safeguarding, collaboration, and driving meaningful system reform, this role offers the chance to make a lasting difference for children and families across Northamptonshire.

We welcome the opportunity to speak to any interested candidates so please feel free to email: Lara.Timms@ncrust.co.uk and they can agree a mutually agreeable time to call you

Our benefits

We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.

We really value our workforce and offer you a great benefits package including:

• 28 days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days, after 5 years
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
• Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits
• A permanent, supportive and inclusive management team where you will be empowered to make good professional decisions
• Extensive Learning & Development and career development opportunities
• Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

What will you be doing?

• Championing education’s role by leading and coordinating the involvement of schools and education settings in the Families First Programme.
• Building strong networks and establishing effective links across all phases and settings so information, ideas and insights can be shared across the sector.
• Driving collaboration and creating opportunities for education colleagues to engage in and contribute to multi-agency safeguarding teams.
• Shaping system reform by testing and trialling new ways for education to work as a safeguarding partner within all four Families First pillars.
• Promoting shared values by ensuring consistent, effective and trusted information sharing across agencies.
• Strengthening practice by supporting schools with bespoke training and guidance on safeguarding within the Families First framework.
• Influencing policy and working with senior partners to shape multi-agency safeguarding policy and practice across Northamptonshire.
• Leading innovation and connecting education with wider projects such as Family Hubs and CYPMHT to strengthen support and access for children and families.
• Representing Northamptonshire, engaging with national pathfinders, sharing learning and contributing to the national conversation on reform.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.

About you

You are an experienced senior education leader with a deep understanding of safeguarding, collaboration and the role of education in protecting children. You will bring credibility, strategic insight and the confidence to influence at all levels.

You will have:

• A degree-level qualification (or equivalent).
• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and relevant Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training.
• Substantial experience as a senior leader and DSL in an education setting.
• A strong understanding of multi-agency safeguarding, early intervention, and child protection systems.
• The ability to communicate and influence with clarity from school leaders to senior partners across sectors.
• Proven experience in developing policy, delivering learning and development and working collaboratively across agencies.
• Excellent organisational and analytical skills, with the ability to prioritise, problem-solve and drive improvement.

Additional safeguarding qualifications or management experience would be an advantage.

Above all you will bring passion, partnership and purpose helping to shape a system where education plays a central role in safeguarding and supporting children to achieve their best.

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All appointments are subject to enhanced DBS clearance and other pre-employment checks.

Ready to Make a Difference?

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a pioneering programme that will shape the future of safeguarding and education in Northamptonshire. We are looking for someone who can start immediately and bring energy, expertise, and vision to this important role.

If you are ready to make an impact, apply as soon as possible we will be reviewing applications as they come in.

When applying please ensure your supporting statement covers how you fulfil the essential criteria set out in the person specification as this will be used for shortlisting. You will need to provide a full employment history including any gaps since leaving full time education

About us

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of all we do – in every decision we make and every action we take. Our mission is driven by the unwavering commitment to achieving the best outcomes for them. The Trust is wholly owned and funded but operationally independent from the Councils.

Our workforce are our most valuable asset and are pivotal to making the services and support we offer to children, young people and families who need us to be the absolute best we can be.

We value our colleagues and empower them to be able to do the best job of their lives every single day, working in a culture of support and kindness where achievements are celebrated and creativity is very much welcomed.

At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation.  We are a disability confident employer and have a commitment to care leavers who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria.

Join our dedicated team and be a part of an organisation where your work makes a real difference.