Job summary
Head of Safeguarding
37.5 hours per week
Permanent
Salary: £62,215 - £72,293 per annum
Closing Date: 29th June 2025
Interview Date: 15th July 2025
**This post may close early due to high numbers of applications, so you are advised to apply promptly.**
All correspondence for this vacancy will be sent by email; please check your account regularly including your Junk and SPAM areas.
A great and friendly place to work, so bring your passion, commitment and expertise and enjoy the opportunities to make a difference every day.
#JoinTeamEliot
The post holder will serve as a specialist safeguarding advisor, providing expert guidance on the care, treatment, and delivery of services for adults, children, and young people at risk of harm, including those in maternity services. They will champion a 'Think Family' approach and lead the Trust's safeguarding agenda by ensuring policies align with current legislation and best practice.
This role includes line management of a safeguarding team and administrative staff, as well as representing the Trust at external safeguarding boards and partnerships. Key responsibilities include leading on areas such as Mental Capacity, Best Interests, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), PREVENT, Violence Against Women and Girls, MARAC, exploitation, Children in Care, safeguarding reviews, and domestic abuse-related deaths.
Main duties of the job
- Provide safeguarding specialist knowledge, expert advice and guidance to the Trust regarding statutory safeguarding responsibilities.
- In conjunction with learning and development, coordinate an agreed programme of safeguarding training across the Trust.
- Lead on the dissemination and implementation of learning across the Trust from Serious Case Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews and other significant incidents in which there are safeguarding Adults or Children's concerns.
- Ensure that the Trust exercises its responsibilities regarding the Multiagency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) process in relation to domestic abuse and other service developments in the field of domestic abuse.
- To provide robust, effective leadership and line management to the Named Nurses and Administrators within the safeguarding teams. Ensuring that the teams operate in accordance with Trust values and delivers services to the highest possible standards.
- Ensure services are delivered in line with overall Trust and Division plans and objectives and within statutory and national policy direction for best practice.
- Ensure that successful initiatives and best practice are shared with all relevant GEH teams across the county and with local partners.
- Be an excellent role model and exercise good effective leadership to the team.
About us
Here at George Eliot our vision to'excel at patient care' takes centre stage. An ever evolving clinically-led acute service provider we are on a journey to continually provide high quality, safe and responsive services delivered by inspiring, friendly and compassionate staff who share our corporate values which underpin everything we do. Our values are not just words on a piece of paper, they bond us together, reflect our ambition and shape who we are:
Effective Open Communication
excellence and safety in everything we do
Challenge but support
Expect respect and dignity
Local health that inspires confidence
Benefits: On-site nursery, 27 days minimum annual leave plus bank holidays, cycle to work scheme, flexible working, in house training and development, buying and selling of annual leave, subsidised restaurant, tranquillity garden and generous subsidised on-site parking.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Adult and Child Safeguarding Lead will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of relevant elements of quality and safety within national guidance and legislation. This will be met through provision of policy, governance and service development around safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults across the organisation.
The post holder will in conjunction with the Director of Nursing develop the strategy for safeguarding both adults and children across the Trust ensure that all statutory requirements are met.
The post holder will be responsible for the operational management of the Safeguarding Teams across the organisation.
The post holder will link with external statutory partners, representing GEH in this capacity across the region.
The scope of the post includes accountability for delivery of a high-quality safeguarding service with development and implementation of effective systems and processes which are evidence based. The role requires collaborative working to develop effective inter-disciplinary and inter-agency relationships with all partner agencies in order to minimise the risks to these vulnerable groups.
The individual must maintain expertise, knowledge and professional leadership to the Trust regarding statutory responsibilities towards safeguarding and work closely with the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer to discharge their duty as the Trusts Executive Lead for Safeguarding.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Adult and Child Safeguarding Lead will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of relevant elements of quality and safety within national guidance and legislation. This will be met through provision of policy, governance and service development around safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults across the organisation.
The post holder will in conjunction with the Director of Nursing develop the strategy for safeguarding both adults and children across the Trust ensure that all statutory requirements are met.
The post holder will be responsible for the operational management of the Safeguarding Teams across the organisation.
The post holder will link with external statutory partners, representing GEH in this capacity across the region.
The scope of the post includes accountability for delivery of a high-quality safeguarding service with development and implementation of effective systems and processes which are evidence based. The role requires collaborative working to develop effective inter-disciplinary and inter-agency relationships with all partner agencies in order to minimise the risks to these vulnerable groups.
The individual must maintain expertise, knowledge and professional leadership to the Trust regarding statutory responsibilities towards safeguarding and work closely with the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer to discharge their duty as the Trusts Executive Lead for Safeguarding.
Person Specification
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Minimum of 3 years' experience working in a senior safeguarding role
- Significant experience of multi-agency partnership working in a community/acute setting
- Significant experience of line management
- Proven track record of leading and managing change
- Significant experience in leading on policy and service development within a health setting
- Experience of managing a budget
- Experience of managing difficult/sensitive situations in a highly complex environment
- Experience of working with service uses and carers
- Evidence of involvement in audit, research and understanding quality issues
- Evidence of supervision and clinical education of students or less experienced staff.
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse level 1
- Batchelor degree in relevant health related area
- Masters Qualification in relevant health area or evidence of equivalent experience
- Management qualification or evidence of equivalent experience
- Recognised health teaching/assessing qualification
- Evidence of sustained personal and professional development.
- Relevant validated clinical courses
- Experiential learning
- Evidence of supervisory management
Skills
Essential
- Evidence of significant professional development in the field of safeguarding children and young people
- Abilities to undertake, interpret and utilise research, in order to ensure evidence based safeguarding children practice development
- Strong analytical skills to advise others in the field of safeguarding practice
- Must be able to work confidently in a multiagency environment
- Must have a good understanding of multi disciplinary and multi -agency working
- Must be able to make autonomous decisions regarding complex practice issues and organisational issues
- Must have a good understanding of wider NHS developments and health and social policy
- Must have excellent organisational skills and be flexible to frequent changes to planned workloads
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills across a wide range of situations including where there can be conflict and barriers to acceptance
- Excellent oral, written communication, report writing, presentation and training skills to a wide audience both internal and externa
- Manage change in a busy health environment and act as a change agent
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Excellent leadership, management and teamworking skills
- Ability to motivate and influence others in a confident and positive manner
- Able to deal with resistance and conflicting views of others
- Must be able to prioritise workloads and have a flexible approach
- Must operate within the Trust's equality and diversity policies and guidelines
- Excellent attention to detail
Other
Essential
- Ability to work flexibly to the needs of the service
- Must possess good IT skills
- Must be legally entitled to work in this country
- Must be willing to undertake checks by the Disclosure & Barring Service to Enhanced Level
- Must have access to independent transport
Person Specification
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Minimum of 3 years' experience working in a senior safeguarding role
- Significant experience of multi-agency partnership working in a community/acute setting
- Significant experience of line management
- Proven track record of leading and managing change
- Significant experience in leading on policy and service development within a health setting
- Experience of managing a budget
- Experience of managing difficult/sensitive situations in a highly complex environment
- Experience of working with service uses and carers
- Evidence of involvement in audit, research and understanding quality issues
- Evidence of supervision and clinical education of students or less experienced staff.
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse level 1
- Batchelor degree in relevant health related area
- Masters Qualification in relevant health area or evidence of equivalent experience
- Management qualification or evidence of equivalent experience
- Recognised health teaching/assessing qualification
- Evidence of sustained personal and professional development.
- Relevant validated clinical courses
- Experiential learning
- Evidence of supervisory management
Skills
Essential
- Evidence of significant professional development in the field of safeguarding children and young people
- Abilities to undertake, interpret and utilise research, in order to ensure evidence based safeguarding children practice development
- Strong analytical skills to advise others in the field of safeguarding practice
- Must be able to work confidently in a multiagency environment
- Must have a good understanding of multi disciplinary and multi -agency working
- Must be able to make autonomous decisions regarding complex practice issues and organisational issues
- Must have a good understanding of wider NHS developments and health and social policy
- Must have excellent organisational skills and be flexible to frequent changes to planned workloads
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills across a wide range of situations including where there can be conflict and barriers to acceptance
- Excellent oral, written communication, report writing, presentation and training skills to a wide audience both internal and externa
- Manage change in a busy health environment and act as a change agent
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Excellent leadership, management and teamworking skills
- Ability to motivate and influence others in a confident and positive manner
- Able to deal with resistance and conflicting views of others
- Must be able to prioritise workloads and have a flexible approach
- Must operate within the Trust's equality and diversity policies and guidelines
- Excellent attention to detail
Other
Essential
- Ability to work flexibly to the needs of the service
- Must possess good IT skills
- Must be legally entitled to work in this country
- Must be willing to undertake checks by the Disclosure & Barring Service to Enhanced Level
- Must have access to independent transport
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
