vol - Designated Safeguarding Lead

Tops Day Nurseries; Bournemouth; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Tops Day Nurseries Ltd. is recruiting a Company Designated Safeguarding Lead to provide clear governance of safeguarding across our nurseries.

This role requires leading safeguarding practice, identifying risks early and ensuring concerns are managed effectively to protect children. Reporting to the Quality Director and collaborating with safeguarding teams, you will oversee cases, coach deputies, liaise with external agencies, and deliver assurance to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Significant safeguarding experience and a strong understanding of safeguarding legislation and procedures.
• Confidence to manage complex and sensitive situations with sound professional judgement.
• Ability to recognise risk, escalate promptly and work in partnership with external agencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead safeguarding cases and provide guidance to Deputy Company DSL and Area Designated Safeguarding Leads.
• Oversee safeguarding across Tops Day Nurseries and report to senior leaders and the Board.
• Travel across Tops Day Nurseries to provide direct support and ensure consistent safeguarding practice.

Job description

Company Designated Safeguarding Lead

Protecting children. Strengthening practice. Making a difference every day.

Location: Peripatetic – travel across Tops Day Nurseries
Salary: £50,000 per annum
Hours: 40hrs
Contract: Permanent

At Tops, protecting children is our greatest responsibility. Every child has the right to feel safe, be protected from harm and grow up in an environment where their welfare comes first. We believe safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and we are committed to creating a culture where concerns are recognised, listened to and acted upon without delay.

We are creating a new Company Designated Safeguarding Lead role to provide strong safeguarding leadership and oversight across Tops Day Nurseries. This is an important opportunity for an experienced safeguarding professional to help protect children, ensure concerns are managed effectively and strengthen the practice that keeps children safe every day.

About the role

Working closely with our Quality Director, operational leaders and safeguarding teams, you will provide strong oversight of safeguarding across our nurseries, ensuring children's welfare remains central to every decision. You will help identify risks early, ensure concerns are taken seriously and acted upon appropriately, and provide professional challenge wherever practice needs to improve.

You will lead safeguarding cases, provide guidance and support to our Deputy Company DSL and Area Designated Safeguarding Leads, and work closely with external agencies to help ensure children receive the protection and support they need.

You will also look beyond individual cases to identify learning, recognise patterns and address any weaknesses in practice. By ensuring lessons are understood and acted upon, you will help prevent harm, strengthen our safeguarding arrangements and build confidence that children are being protected effectively across every setting.

You will provide clear reporting and assurance to senior leaders and the Board, ensuring safeguarding risks are understood, responsibilities are met and appropriate action is taken to protect children.

This is a peripatetic role, involving travel across Tops Day Nurseries to provide direct support, review safeguarding practice and help ensure our expectations are consistently understood and applied.

About you

You will bring significant safeguarding experience, a strong understanding of safeguarding legislation and procedures, and the confidence to manage complex and sensitive situations with sound professional judgement.

You will be confident recognising risk, responding decisively to concerns and constructively challenging practice when children's safety or welfare may be compromised. You will understand the importance of professional curiosity, accurate record keeping, timely escalation and effective partnership working.

You will build trusted relationships with colleagues and external agencies while remaining clear that protecting children must always come first. You will also be committed to learning and improvement, helping others understand not only what needs to change, but why it matters to the children in our care.

Why join Tops?

Tops is an employee-owned business, and we care deeply about the difference we make to children, families, our colleagues and the communities we serve.

As this is a new role, you will have the opportunity to shape and strengthen safeguarding across the business, helping us maintain a culture where children's safety is never taken for granted, concerns are never overlooked and everyone understands their responsibility to protect children from harm.

If you are passionate about protecting children, have the experience to lead with confidence and the courage to challenge when it matters, we would love to hear from you.

Join us and help ensure every child in our care is safe, protected and given the best possible start in life.