Safeguarding Lead, Children & Young People

We are looking for a highly skilled and committed Safeguarding Lead (Children and Young People) to take national responsibility for driving excellence in safeguarding practice across our housing and community-based support services. 

In this pivotal role, you will act as Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), strengthening safeguarding practice, delivering high-quality training, supporting operational managers, and ensuring effective multi-agency responses.

You will play a key part in embedding best practice, learning from serious cases, and ensuring organisational compliance with statutory safeguarding duties.

You will work closely with senior leaders, DSOs, frontline teams and external agencies, becoming the central point of contact for all matters relating to child safeguarding.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact across a large and diverse organisation, improving outcomes for some of the most vulnerable children and young people we support.

Contract Type: Full time, Permanent at 40 hours per week.

Location: Homebased with National travel

Reports to: Head of Quality & Innovation

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Best Practice

• Lead Nacro’s approach to safeguarding children and young people across SAS and CAS-2 services.
• Coordinate the development, delivery and continual improvement of safeguarding training.
• Deliver Level 3 equivalent training to operational managers nationwide.
• Identify and disseminate best practice and external learning across teams.
• Establish and lead quarterly learning forums and a service user scrutiny group.

Quality Assurance & Case Oversight

• Provide specialist advice and support on complex safeguarding cases.
• Undertake thematic reviews of serious safeguarding cases.
• Address poor practice and support managers in strengthening risk management.
• Write, review and maintain safeguarding policies and procedures.

Multi-Agency & Statutory Engagement

• Ensure consistent, high-quality multi-agency safeguarding practice across the organisation.
• Ensure appropriate and high quality statutory and external reporting

Governance & Reporting

• Report quarterly to the National Safeguarding Board.
• Coordinate safeguarding-related improvement work across the organisation.
• Serve as point of contact for regulatory and statutory bodies.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

• Background in quality improvement within health, social care, justice or public services.
• Level 5 safeguarding training (or willingness to undertake).
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding law and best practice.
• Significant experience as a DSL or similar safeguarding position.
• Skilled in delivering effective and engaging training.
• Experience managing multi-stakeholder relationships.
• Experience engaging in statutory reviews.
• Understanding of trauma-informed practice.

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to analyse complex data to identify patterns, risks and opportunities.
• Strong coaching skills, supporting colleagues to manage risk effectively.
• Ability to develop systems that provide robust oversight and assurance.
• Skilled in writing clear, comprehensive investigation reports.
• Confident in challenging poor practice internally and externally.

Personal Attributes

• Reflective, committed to continual improvement.
• Passionate about safeguarding children and able to inspire the same in others.
• Committed to meaningful service user involvement.
• Aligned with Nacro’s values: Reliable, Inspiring, Courageous, Compassionate, Inclusive.

Our Ways of Working

At Nacro, we expect all colleagues to:

• Take responsibility for achieving excellent outcomes for those we support.
• Maintain accurate, timely records.
• Promote Nacro positively, internally and externally.
• Build strong, values-led working relationships.
• Comply with safeguarding, data protection and statutory requirements.
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusion.

Please note: An enhanced DBS check is required for this role.

Join us to strengthen safeguarding for children and young people across our national services.