Red Snapper Recruitment are recruiting for a Head of Safeguarding and Partnerships.
Red Snapper Recruitment are recruiting for a Head of Safeguarding and Partnerships.
The Head of Safeguarding & Partnerships will act as a member of our senior leadership team utilising their skills in supporting the CEO and executive directors to ensure that clients are empowered, encouraged, and enabled to lead satisfying healthy lives.
The Head of Safeguarding & Partnerships will develop effective policies, procedures, controls, processes and systems to prevent, detect and investigate potential safeguarding issues. The successful candidate will have the skills and experience necessary to support teams in implementing and adhering to safeguarding best practice.
Location: Leeds
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £50k – £60k depending on experience
Main Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership and organisational oversight for safeguarding across all services, ensuring a strong safeguarding culture and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
- Act as the designated Safeguarding Lead, maintaining effective safeguarding policies, procedures and escalations pathways.
- Ensure safeguarding practice aligns with relevant legislation, guidance and regulatory frameworks, including local authority and multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
- Lead on serious incidents, safeguarding concerns and investigations ensuring timely reporting, robust responses and organisational learning.
- Develop, maintain and strengthen strategic partnerships with local authorities, commissioners, health services, Police and third sector organisations.
- Represent the organisation at safeguarding boards, partnership forums and multi-agency meetings.
- Oversee partnership agreements, memoranda of understanding and service level agreements.
- Provide expert advice, guidance and support to senior leaders and operational teams on safeguarding and partnership matters.
- Ensure staff receive appropriate safeguarding, training, supervision and support and that competency is regularly reviewed.
- Monitor safeguarding performance, trends and risks using data and audits to drive continuous improvement.
- Lead reviews of safeguarding policies and partnership agreements following incidents, inspections or changes in legislation.
- Promote information sharing and effective communication with partners in line with data protection and safeguarding requirements.
- Contribute to the organisational strategy, risk management and quality assurance, ensuring safeguarding and partnership risks are identified and mitigated.
- Deputise for the Director of Operations in their absence.
- Direct line management of Safeguarding & Wellbeing Managers and the out of hours team.
Person Specification
Education
- Degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience in social work, Police, health, housing, public services, education or a related field.
- Recognised safeguarding qualification or evidence of advanced safeguarding training (e.g. designated safeguarding lead or equivalent).
- Relevant professional qualifications related to partnership working, leadership or service management.
- Specialist training in Safeguarding Arena (desirable)
- Ongoing commitment to continuous professional development in safeguarding legislation and multi-agency working.
Knowledge & Experience
- Extensive knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and best practice including multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and thresholds.
- Proven experience of acting as a designated safeguarding lead or in a senior safeguarding leadership role within a regulated or complex service environment.
- Strong understanding of partnership working within public, private and third sector contexts including local authorities, commissioners and statutory agencies.
- Demonstrable experience of managing safeguarding concerns, serious incidents and investigations including liaison with external agencies and regulators.
- Experience of developing, implementing and reviewing safeguarding policies, procedures and governance frameworks.
- In-depth knowledge of information sharing, data protection and confidentiality requirements in safeguarding and partnerships context.
- Proven ability to build, maintain and influence effective strategic partnerships that deliver positive outcomes.
- Experience of representing an organisation at safeguarding boards, partnerships forums and multi-agency meetings.
- Strong understanding of risk management, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
- Experience of delivering or overseeing safeguarding training, supervision and professional development.
- Ability to analyse safeguarding data, trends and performance indicators to inform strategic decision-making.
- Experience of working within regulated services such as supported housing, social care, Police or related sectors.
Skills & Abilities
- Emotionally intelligent
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate findings effectively.
Ability to:
- Use own initiative.
- Remain calm, yet assertive in challenging work situations and support service users in crisis situations.
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
- Ability to use a computer effectively, including the use of MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Internet Explorer.
- An understanding of the issues facing victims of modern slavery, human trafficking, domestic abuse, forced marriage and refugees.
- Knowledge of housing, welfare benefits and community care legislation.
- Awareness of issues which might affect the management of clients in shared housing.
Ability to:
- use a database and keep accurate electronic records of support work, including the review and management of incidents within the organisation.
- empathise with clients in a non-judgemental manner.
Attitude & Behaviours
Demonstrate:
- a professional attitude.
- reliability and responsibility.
- a willingness and ability to work flexibly.
- a commitment to working to improve the quality of life of vulnerable individuals.
- a willingness to lifelong learning and continued professional development.
- use of own initiative and willingness to help others when needed.
- an ability to support and train colleagues, to be able to identify different ways of learning to suit mentees and to be their critical friend.
If this role is not for you but you do know somebody who would be interested, please refer them. We have a referral bonus scheme and will pay £75, in retail vouchers of your choice, for referrals who are not already known to us.
Due to the high volume of applications received, if you do not hear from us within 7 working days, I am afraid your application has been unsuccessful.
RSR is a public safety & enterprise security recruitment specialist.
We assist public safety employers find the right talent.
We assist all employers when they want to source public safety and enterprise security skills and experience.
Red Snapper Recruitment is a member of the Red Snapper Group.
The Red Snapper Group acts as an employment agency (permanent) and as an employment business (temporary) – a free and confidential service to candidates.
The Red Snapper Recruitment Group is an equal opportunities employer.
