Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and highly motivated safeguarding and nursing leader to join the Health Board's Corporate Nursing team. The post holder will provide leadership and direction for the safeguarding of people across the geographical footprint of the Health Board and will work in partnership with statutory partners and other agencies to achieve the best outcomes for the people of Hywel Dda University Health Board. Current NMC registration is essential to be considered for this role.
This is a unique and rewarding opportunity in your safeguarding leadership career. As our Head of Safeguarding, reporting to the Assistant Director of Nursing, Assurance and Safeguarding, you will provide expert safeguarding leadership at all levels of the organisation. You will lead and manage our Health Board wide looked after children, safeguarding children and adult teams.
Applications are welcomed for this role which provides the right candidate with an opportunity to provide strong and inspirational leadership to ensure that the Health Board discharges its statutory obligations and responsibilities under all legislation for Safeguarding & Public Protection.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will:
- Advise the Assistant Director of Nursing, Director of Nursing, Executive team and CEO on safeguarding children, adult and public protection matters. This includes: Welsh Government guidance/ legislative change relating to safeguarding people at risk of abuse/ neglect; Key national reviews; Significant safeguarding children and adult issues, including findings of statutory reviews.
- Lead the contribution to the work of the Regional Safeguarding Board, NHS Wales Safeguarding Network/ subgroups, ensuring the HB plays a role in the development/ delivery of partnership and improvement plans.
- Lead the planning/ development of Safeguarding across theHB to ensure it's best provided to meet the needs of the service. This includes integrated medium term strategic planning involving analysis of internal, multi-agency, local, regional and national safeguarding and public protection data and trends/ horizon scanning.
- Provide expert advice/ knowledge to services across the HB on Safeguarding including matters related to persons in a position of trust in relation to the wider public protection role.
- Ensure that the safeguarding team provide support, safeguarding supervision and training to staff involved with vulnerable people and those at risk of abuse and neglect.
- Provide specialist safeguarding advice on HR issues, e.g. including allegations against persons in a position of trust and complaints about staff concerning children/adults in line with national guidance.
About us
Hywel Dda University Health Board is the planner and provider of NHS healthcare services for people in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and its bordering counties. Our 12,000 members of staff provide primary, community, in-hospital, mental health and learning disabilities services to almost 400,000 people across a quarter of the landmass of Wales. We do this in partnership with our three local authorities and public, private and third sector colleagues, including our volunteers, through:
Four main hospitals: Bronglais General in Aberystwyth, Glangwili General in Carmarthen, Prince Philip in Llanelli and Withybush General in Haverfordwest.
Five community hospitals: Amman Valley Hospital and Llandovery Hospital in Carmarthenshire, Tregaron Hospital in Ceredigion and Tenby and South Pembrokeshire Hospital Health and Social Care Resource Centre in Pembrokeshire.
Two integrated care centres (Aberaeron and Cardigan, Ceredigion).
Community facilities, including:
48 General Practices (GP surgeries), 49 Dental Practices, 98 Community Pharmacies (chemists), 44 General Ophthalmic Practices (including eye health and low vision services), 38 sites providing mental health and learning disability services, care within your own homes
Highly specialised and tertiary services commissioned by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, a joint committee representing seven health boards across Wales.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.
The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals.
The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.
If successfully shortlisted you will be asked to complete psychometric assessments. Information regarding these and the stakeholder panels/interview will be sent to you following completion of shortlisting.
Stakeholder panels will be held on 09/07/2025.
Interviews will be held on 10/07/2025.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.
The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals.
The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.
If successfully shortlisted you will be asked to complete psychometric assessments. Information regarding these and the stakeholder panels/interview will be sent to you following completion of shortlisting.
Stakeholder panels will be held on 09/07/2025.
Interviews will be held on 10/07/2025.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Flexible approach to the needs of the service.
- Ability to travel across the Health Board in a timely manner.
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- NMC Registration
- Master's qualification or equivalent experience.
- Evidence of further professional development.
- Advance knowledge of legislation related to safeguarding and public protection and related statutory guidance and regulations
- Knowledge of work and function within the relevant Regional Safeguarding Boards.
- Evidence of leadership and management development qualification.
- Significant expert/specialist knowledge in safeguarding and quality improvement, system - wide transformational change and strategic development preferably in the NHS or similar complex organisation.
Desirable
- Teaching qualification or appropriate experience
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of extensive experience of working at a senior level within the NHS in a safeguarding context.
- Significant experience of working across professional and operational boundaries in a related role
- Significant experience of planning and delivering strategy
- Experience of working with Local Authorities and the Independent sector
- Evidence of undertaking audits, service evaluation and writing business cases
- Experience of participating in Adult and Child Practice Reviews and Domestic Homicide reviews.
Desirable
- Experience of developing education and training materials
- Experience of working within a multi-agency team.
- Experience in research and development of practice.
- Experience in Quality Audit and Performance management
Aptitude and Abilities
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
- Effective influencing skills at a senior level.
- Confident presenter to groups of all sizes and the general public.
- Proven ability to lead and support teams
- Financial acumen and budget management skills
- Conflict management and mediation skills
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Flexible approach to the needs of the service.
- Ability to travel across the Health Board in a timely manner.
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- NMC Registration
- Master's qualification or equivalent experience.
- Evidence of further professional development.
- Advance knowledge of legislation related to safeguarding and public protection and related statutory guidance and regulations
- Knowledge of work and function within the relevant Regional Safeguarding Boards.
- Evidence of leadership and management development qualification.
- Significant expert/specialist knowledge in safeguarding and quality improvement, system - wide transformational change and strategic development preferably in the NHS or similar complex organisation.
Desirable
- Teaching qualification or appropriate experience
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of extensive experience of working at a senior level within the NHS in a safeguarding context.
- Significant experience of working across professional and operational boundaries in a related role
- Significant experience of planning and delivering strategy
- Experience of working with Local Authorities and the Independent sector
- Evidence of undertaking audits, service evaluation and writing business cases
- Experience of participating in Adult and Child Practice Reviews and Domestic Homicide reviews.
Desirable
- Experience of developing education and training materials
- Experience of working within a multi-agency team.
- Experience in research and development of practice.
- Experience in Quality Audit and Performance management
Aptitude and Abilities
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
- Effective influencing skills at a senior level.
- Confident presenter to groups of all sizes and the general public.
- Proven ability to lead and support teams
- Financial acumen and budget management skills
- Conflict management and mediation skills
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).
