Head of Safeguarding and Vulnerabilities

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust; New Zealand; On-site; NZD 239,000 - 310,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a strategic Head of Safeguarding and Vulnerabilities to lead system-wide safeguarding across children, young people and adults at risk. You will advise the Board and clinical leaders, translate legislation into strategy, policy and practice, and drive training, governance and improvement.

You will oversee complex safeguarding matters with partners, champion trauma-informed care, and ensure equitable, person-centred services

Qualifications

• Provide Trust-wide safeguarding leadership and advise Board and clinical teams.
• Lead strategy, governance and board assurance using data and incidents.
• Oversee complex safeguarding concerns with partners.
• Embed trauma-informed and anti-discriminatory practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide Trust-wide safeguarding leadership, advice and challenge to the Board, Executive Chief Nurse and clinical teams; support Named professionals and assure statutory, regulatory and competency requirements.
• Lead strategy, governance, risk management and Board assurance, using data, audit, incidents and experience to improve outcomes, escalate concerns and embed learning from statutory reviews.
• Oversee complex concerns and allegations with People Services and statutory partners; lead responses to domestic abuse, Prevent, exploitation, trafficking and hidden harms, with lawful information sharing.
• Assure equitable, person-centred care across dementia, mental health, learning disability, autism and neurodivergence; apply the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and reduce restrictions through lawful, proportionate, time-limited review.
• Embed child-centred, whole-family, trauma-informed and anti-discriminatory practice shaped by lived experience; represent the Trust in system partnerships and deliver agreed actions.
• Lead role-based training, supervision and inclusive team development; ensure safe workloads, succession planning, effective budgets, financial compliance, value for money and research-led improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Safeguarding

Governance

Data analysis

Strategic thinking

Job description

A Vacancy at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. The Head of Safeguarding and Vulnerabilities provides Trust-wide strategic, professional and operational leadership, protecting children, young people and adults at risk from abuse, neglect and avoidable harm and promoting safe, equitable, compassionate care. Working autonomously, the post holder advises and challenges the Board, Executive Chief Nurse and clinical leaders, translating legislation, guidance and review findings into strategy, policy, training and practice. They lead and support Named Nurses, Doctors, the Named Midwife and safeguarding specialists, ensuring compliance with national competency frameworks. They oversee governance, risk and improvement across safeguarding, domestic abuse, Prevent, exploitation, modern slavery, trafficking, serious violence, hidden harms, mental capacity, deprivation of liberty, mental health, dementia, learning disabilities, autism, neurodivergence and least restrictive practice. Audit, intelligence and learning inform assurance and action on inequalities. They build multi-agency partnerships, embed patient, family and carer voices, and promote inclusive, trauma-informed, whole-family care. They develop the multidisciplinary team, shared safeguarding responsibility and research and innovation to improve outcomes.

• Provide Trust-wide safeguarding and vulnerable people leadership, advice and challenge to the Board, Executive Chief Nurse and clinical teams; support Named professionals and assure statutory, regulatory and competency requirements.
• Lead strategy, governance, risk management and Board assurance, using data, audit, incidents and experience to improve outcomes, **escalate concerns** and embed learning from statutory reviews.
• Oversee complex concerns and allegations with People Services and statutory partners; lead responses to domestic abuse, Prevent, exploitation, trafficking and hidden harms, with lawful information sharing.
• Assure equitable, person-centred care across dementia, mental health, learning disability, autism and neurodivergence; apply the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and reduce restrictions through lawful, proportionate, time-limited review.
• Embed child-centred, whole-family, trauma-informed and anti-discriminatory practice shaped by lived experience; represent the Trust in system partnerships and deliver agreed actions.
• Lead role-based training, supervision and inclusive team development; ensure safe workloads, succession planning, effective budgets, financial compliance, value for money and research-led improvement.

Closing date of applications - 23 November 2026 Interview date - w/c 7 December 2026 As a trusted organisation at the heart of our communities, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting the public, patients, our own people and local partners in achieving the best of health for the local population and the communities in which they live by providing Exceptional Care Together Our fundamental Values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence underpin how we intend to work as a Trust and the associated behaviours are becoming embedded in all aspects of how we work. In return we will offer:

• Development opportunities, both professional and leadership development
• On-going support from recruitment to when you join our team and beyond.
• Staff benefits including employee assistance programme, discounted gym membership, onsite fitness classes, car schemes

Key Facts:

• We see on average 4810 OP appointments a day.
  We are the 4thbusiest Trauma & Orthopaedic outpatients department in England - an average of 2077 per week.
• An average of 1115 patients are seen in A&Es across our network every day - 3rd largest in the country.
• Our hospitals admit an average of 195 emergency patients daily.
• Last year we undertook almost 33,700 planned surgical operations in our 57 operating theatres.
• We are one of only 7 Trusts nationally with more than 50 operating theatres.
• We carry out more than 140 elective procedures each working day.
• UHDB is a research active University Hospital with a large and varied portfolio of clinical trials and research opportunities for all staff.