Job Description

JOB TITLE:

National Child Protection Officer

REPORTS TO:

Director of Compliance, Quality and Regulation - Children's

LOCATION:

National

BASE:

Home based with expectation of extensive travel

SALARY:

75,000 + Car Allowance

Main Purpose:

The safeguarding of children across our residential, education and fostering services is seen as fundamental to our service delivery within CareTech. We have a proactive approach towards safeguarding and priority is given to developing confidence and competence in all safeguarding matters for all staff.





The post holder will lead as the safeguarding subject matter expert for CareTech Children's Services across England, Wales and Scotland reporting into the Children's Director of Compliance, Quality and Regulation. This role supports the delivery of the Children's strategic and operational objectives - the post holder will assume leadership and responsibility for delivery in specific areas.





This is a key role working with and alongside operational, clinical and support colleagues to develop and deliver the safeguarding agenda (ensuring that safeguarding activity across the organisation is robust and in line with statutory and regulatory requirements). This includes maintaining compliance with local and national guidelines/policies as well as industry best practice initiatives. The post holder will be empowered to make decisions that improve outcomes for children, acting as a catalyst to transform safeguarding across the children's divisions.

Key duties and responsibilities:

Develop and implement a Children's safeguarding strategy, underpinned by a clear business plan of best practice legislation and policy that informs a framework of training and supervision for colleagues at all levels of the organisation Report in to CareTech's current governance structures to ensure a 'floor to board' pathway and approach/escalation for all serious safeguarding issues and risks Provide regular safeguarding reports to Governance Committees and external agencies as required Develop Children's Safeguarding Forum(s) to include the review of; training compliance, incidents, lesson learnt, internal process and the external landscape Represent CareTech at the Safeguarding Partnership Board and other sub group meetings Support service specific Safeguarding Boards within children services through advice, guidance and attendance as appropriate. Data analysis to identify themes and trends that inform actions - ensure that significant concerns are escalated to the divisional governance meeting (fostering a learning culture) Ensure learning and recommendations from child practice / safeguarding reviews (both internal and external), are implemented in a timely way within the organisation. Identify and implement changes to safeguarding practice within the organisation using proven change management skills along with negotiation and motivation skills

National Child Protection Officer - October 2025 2

Develop and maintain robust quality assurance systems that effectively monitor and evaluate safeguarding and indicate areas of best practice. To apply learning from practice to develop and implement safeguarding policy and practice. Monitor the processes and procedures that ensure the safety and welfare of all children Develop and implement competency assessments to ensure learning is embedded into practise - to include the development of additional training sessions and materials where a need is identified Provide practice governance and oversight at services, responding urgently and appropriately to any concerns that might arise Provide ongoing support/monitoring to ensure compliance and improvement against regulation and good practice guidance Provide on-site support to operational colleagues and advice to services - attending meetings with external partners as required Undertake safeguarding investigations, produce reports and follow up on lessons learnt Undertake safeguarding supervisions and advise other senior managers in relation to good practise To support ways of working with the children in our services to develop their understanding of safeguarding and what that means for them, how to keep them safe and promote independence - this will include relevant input (co-production) training materials that are audience appropriate Work closely with operational teams and senior managers to drive continual safeguarding improvement Establish and maintain strong relationships with all relevant internal colleagues and external partners Work collaboratively with the Adults National Safeguarding Lead to ensure the sharing of; good practice, lessons learnt and overall strategic priorities Work collaboratively with Learning and Development colleagues to ensure that all core training delivered is fit for purpose, reflects best practise, current guidance and legislation Provide expert specialist advice to the Directors and Executive team on all aspects of safeguarding Keep up to date with any changes in legislation and best practise guidance through horizon scanning and adjust any relevant documentation and strategy to ensure it aligns Share best practice and learning that will enhance the reputation of CareTech as a high-quality provider of care and support to individuals across the range of children's services. Lead and manage projects as agreed with the Children's Director of Compliance, Quality and Regulation
This is a home-based role with frequent travel across the UK. Flexibility and autonomy are essential.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking a confident and knowledgeable safeguarding professional who can work both strategically and operationally. The ideal candidate will have:


A Level 7 safeguarding qualification or equivalent (essential) Qualified Social Worker status (essential) In-depth understanding of safeguarding legislation, frameworks and regulators including Ofsted, CIW, Estyn and Education Scotland A track record of working in senior safeguarding roles within children's social care, fostering or education Experience of developing policy, delivering training and supporting service improvement Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to build trust and influence others A calm, reflective approach to complex safeguarding issues and incidents

You will be someone who leads with integrity, listens with empathy and acts with confidence.

Why Join Us

At CareTech, you will find an organisation that values expertise and supports innovation. In return for your leadership and commitment, we offer: The opportunity to influence safeguarding practice at scale A national platform to drive learning and improvement A collaborative team of passionate professionals Access to ongoing professional development A strong values-led culture that puts children first

Ready to Apply?

If you are ready to use your experience to protect and empower children across the UK, we would love to hear from you.



Click apply or get in touch with our recruitment team to arrange a confidential conversation.


Caretech is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children. All applicants must pass an enhanced DBS check and provide references covering the past two years plus all roles involving vulnerable groups.