Bright Horizons
Senior Safeguarding Consultant - North and London & East
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Senior Safeguarding Consultant – North and London & East
Full Time / 37.50 hours per week / Monday to Friday
Remote with some travel to our Nurseries and our offices in Northampton and London
Salary From £58k per annum
Closing Date for this role: 15th August 2026
All applicants need to attach an up-to-date CV to be considered
Purpose of the Role
The Senior Safeguarding Consultant acts as the organisation's safeguarding subject matter expert, supporting operational teams to embed safe, consistent and high-quality safeguarding practice across the business. Working closely with the Head of Safeguarding, the role provides expert advice, guidance and professional challenge on safeguarding and child protection matters, ensuring compliance with legislation, regulatory requirements and company policies.
The role is responsible for overseeing safeguarding notifications and regulatory submissions, ensuring they are accurate, timely and compliant, while maintaining strong relationships with external agencies including Local Authorities, LADO, Children's Services, Ofsted and other regulatory bodies.
The role promotes a positive safeguarding culture, strengthens professional capability and ensures learning is translated into improved practice, governance and outcomes for children.
What We Can Offer You:
Our benefits include, but are not limited to;
- Flexible working and holiday entitlements
- Discounted childcare
- Quarterly Employee Appreciation Weeks
- Annual gala award evening
- Fantastic range of discounts on high street retailers, grocery stores, cinema tickets, holidays and more
- Wide range of wellbeing resources, supporting our teams for the ups and downs of daily life
Why Bright Horizons?
Our support functions enable our nurseries to deliver the best possible care and education to over 10,000 children across the UK. Through this support, our nurseries can deliver excellence – with 98% of our 270+ portfolio being rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
We’re on a mission to change the future for children, families, and the people we work with, and are committed to progressive working values like flexibility, work-life balance, and wellbeing.
Key Accountabilities
Strategic Safeguarding Leadership
- Support the Head of Safeguarding in developing and implementing the safeguarding strategy and associated action plans in order to deliver the safeguarding strategy.
- Act as a recognised safeguarding subject matter expert, providing professional advice, guidance and support to operational teams across the business.
- Promote a culture of safeguarding excellence, ensuring a child centered approach is embedded throughout the organisation.
- Contribute to the development and review of safeguarding policies, procedures and guidance to ensure compliance and best practice.
- Act as the escalation point for Safeguarding Divisional Leads on complex safeguarding concerns, providing expert advice, guidance, professional challenge and support to ensure effective safeguarding decision-making and risk management.
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Regulatory Compliance and Notifications
- Oversee the creation, quality assurance and submission of all safeguarding notifications and regulatory submissions.
- Ensure completed safeguarding notifications are accurate, timely, evidence-based and compliant with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain effective relationships with external agencies including Ofsted, Care Inspectorate, LADO, Children's Services, Local Authorities and other safeguarding partners.
- Provide expert advice on safeguarding thresholds, referral pathways and statutory obligations.
Quality, Learning and Continuous Improvement
- Use insight from audits, safeguarding activity, complaints, reviews and regulatory feedback to drive improvements in practice.
- Develop recommendations and action plans to improve safeguarding quality, consistency and compliance across the business.
- Support the creation of safeguarding resources, guidance and toolkits that strengthen operational practice.
- Monitor emerging safeguarding risks, legislative developments and sector best practice, ensuring these are translated into organisational learning.
Team Leadership
- Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision, advice, and performance management of the Safeguarding Leads.
- Support team development through coaching, mentoring and professional development opportunities.
- Ensure robust succession planning and performance management processes are in place.
Stakeholder Support
- Provide professional safeguarding advice to senior leaders, operational teams and support functions.
- Support operational leaders e.g. Nursery Managers, Regional Directors etc. in interpreting and applying safeguarding policies and procedures.
- Deliver professional challenge where safeguarding standards or compliance requirements are not being met.
- Produce regular reports, insights and recommendations for the Head of Safeguarding and wider leadership teams.
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Essential Experience
- Significant experience in safeguarding and child protection.
- Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and regulatory requirements.
- Experience of providing expert safeguarding advice and support to operational leaders.
- Experience of managing regulatory notifications and liaising with external safeguarding agencies.
- Experience of analysing data, trends and safeguarding information to drive improvement.
- Experience of leading or managing safeguarding professionals.
- Ability to influence and communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
- Experience of leading a team and coaching and mentoring.
Desired Experience
- Experience of policy development, safeguarding governance and quality assurance.
- Experience working with Ofsted, Local Authorities, LADO teams and Children's Services.
- Experience using safeguarding data and insight to inform organisational improvements.
Qualifications and Desired Qualifications
- Relevant professional qualification in safeguarding, education, social care, childcare or a related field.
- Evidence of continuous professional development in safeguarding and child protection.
- Full UK driving licence.
- Advanced safeguarding qualification or specialist safeguarding training. (desirable)
- Leadership or management qualification. (desirable)
Bright Horizons is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to safer recruitment practice and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, which will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all ages and backgrounds to apply. We will consider reasonable adjustments required by applicants.
Proud to be a Great Place to Work for 20 years. Apply today!
We look forward to receiving your application.
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