Deputy head jobs in Birmingham
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Context:
Kinship provides direct support to, raises awareness of and campaigns for the rights of kinship carers across the UK. Kinship carers are navigating complex family relationships, trauma, poverty, discrimination. The children that they care for have frequently experienced abuse or are at risk of harm. Safeguarding concerns can be disclosed by kinship carers at all contact points with Kinship.
Safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect is a collective responsibility and requires a safeguarding approach that is aligned to statutory frameworks, is professional, consistent, trauma-informed and proportionate to level of risk.
The designated safeguarding officer holds organisational responsibility for Kinship’s safeguarding framework and actions. The role works collaboratively with a team including a Safeguarding Trustee and a group of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads drawn from key service areas across the charity.
The role provides expertise, professional guidance and clear direction across the organisation, supporting staff and volunteers to make sound safeguarding decisions within a framework.
Purpose of the role:
The Designated Safeguarding Manager works closely with all teams across Kinship to embed proactive, person-centred, and partnership-driven safeguarding practice to protect children and adults at risk of harm.
The role provides professional oversight to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads through individual and group reflective practice and supports high-quality and defensible safeguarding decision-making. The role drives contextual safeguarding approaches, promote professional curiosity, continual professional development and ensures safeguarding responses are informed by lived experience and the realities of kinship care.
At Kinship safeguarding concerns come from risks of harm to adults and children often with risks of harm to multiple people in the same family context.
This requires careful, trauma-informed decision-making and support for staff responding to complex safeguarding situations.
How the role works:
Reporting to the Head of Programmes, the Designated Safeguarding Manager holds responsibility for safeguarding practice across the organisation and provides expert oversight and organisational assurance ensuring safeguarding is embedded consistently, proportionately and in line with best practice.
This role will require flexibility for occasional travel in England and Wales.
Key responsibilities:
Organisational safeguarding accountability and assurance
- Act as Kinship’s Designated Safeguarding Officer, holding organisational authority for safeguarding decision-making and escalation.
- Hold organisational accountability for safeguarding practice, ensuring responsibilities are well defined, understood and embedded across the organisation.
- Maintain and assure a robust safeguarding framework, including defined roles, escalation routes, decision-making thresholds and accountability arrangements and balance safeguarding rigour with compassion and proportionality.
- Provide safeguarding oversight and assurance during service development, mobilisation and organisational change to ensure risks are identified, assessed and mitigated.
Trauma-informed safeguarding practice and oversight
- Embed trauma-informed safeguarding practice, ensuring all decisions, interventions, and organisational processes:
- Recognise the impact of past and ongoing trauma on children, kinship carers, and families.
- Prioritise emotional and psychological safety while balancing protection, autonomy, and empowerment.
- Integrate trauma-awareness into risk assessments, safety planning, case management, policies, and service design.
- Support staff through reflective supervision, guidance, and training to respond effectively.
- Provide professional oversight and reflective practice support to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.
- Provide expert safeguarding advice and consultation to staff and managers, supporting the assessment of concerns, threshold decisions, appropriate escalation, and proportionate, trauma-informed decision-making.
- Quality-assure safeguarding practice and decision-making to ensure actions are proportionate, person-centred, trauma-informed, and defensible.
- Maintain appropriate oversight of safeguarding records, risk assessments, and safety planning.
Policy, compliance and organisational assurance
- Develop, review and maintain safeguarding policies, procedures and guidance in line with legislation, statutory guidance and Charity Commission expectations.
- Ensure safeguarding systems, processes and recording arrangements are robust, accessible and consistently applied.
- Provide regular safeguarding assurance, analysis and learning reports to senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.
Culture, capability and continuous improvement
- Embed trauma-informed, contextual and culturally responsive safeguarding practice across the organisation.
- Promote professional curiosity and reflective practice, supporting staff to exercise sound professional judgement and avoid overly procedural responses.
- Design and deliver safeguarding training and guidance for staff and volunteers, building organisational capability and confidence.
- Lead learning reviews following safeguarding incidents or near misses, ensuring learning informs service and practice improvement.
Equity, inclusion and anti-racist safeguarding
- Ensure safeguarding practice actively considers how race, ethnicity, racism and intersecting inequalities shape risk, vulnerability and access to support.
- Support teams to identify and challenge bias and assumptions through reflective practice, supervision and learning.
- Embed equity, inclusion and anti-racist principles within safeguarding frameworks, policies, training and quality assurance processes.
Partnership working and external accountability
- Work collaboratively with statutory partners and external agencies to support effective safeguarding responses.
- Represent Kinship in multi-agency safeguarding forums, reviews or regulatory engagement as required.
Experience (Essential)
- Significant experience in adult and child safeguarding practice, including oversight of complex, high-risk, and multi-agency safeguarding situations.
- Experience providing professional oversight, reflective supervision, and structured learning support to safeguarding practitioners or leads, without direct line management responsibility.
- Experience embedding contextual safeguarding approaches and promoting professional curiosity in decision-making.
- Experience of working confidently with complexity, challenging constructively and supporting teams to do the right thing in difficult situations.
- Experience developing, reviewing, and embedding safeguarding policies, procedures, training, and learning frameworks.
- Substantial experience working with dispersed or multi-disciplinary teams, supporting wellbeing, professional development, and reflective practice.
- Experience working in voluntary sector, community-based, or service delivery organisations, particularly where safeguarding concerns arise through multiple routes.
Knowledge (Essential)
- Strong working knowledge of adult and child safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, and recognised safeguarding frameworks, with the ability to apply them proportionately in practice.
- Up-to-date knowledge of children’s and adult social care systems.
- Understanding of trauma-informed, strengths-based practice in work with adults, children, and families.
- Awareness of how racism, inequality, and structural disadvantage can increase risk and shape safeguarding experiences, particularly for Black and minoritised communities.
- Understanding of organisational safeguarding governance, including accountability, assurance, escalation, and risk management.
- Knowledge of safeguarding responsibilities within the voluntary and community sector, including Charity Commission expectations, trustee duties, and regulatory requirements
Skills and abilities (Essential)
- Strong professional judgement, with confidence in making and defending complex safeguarding decisions.
- Calm, credible, and reflective approach in ambiguous or high-pressure situations.
- Ability to support and challenge colleagues constructively through reflective discussion, learning, and coaching rather than directive management.
- Clear, compassionate, and adaptable communicator, able to translate safeguarding complexity for diverse audiences, including operational and service delivery teams.
- Highly organised, able to manage multiple safeguarding priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
- Ability to work collaboratively across wide-ranging professional teams and external partners.
- Values-led, with a demonstrable commitment to equity, inclusion, anti-racist practice, and culturally responsive safeguarding.
Qualifications (Essential)
- Relevant professional qualification (e.g. social work, health, or related field), or equivalent professional experience.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development in safeguarding children and adults.
- Permission to work in the UK.
Attributes and general characteristics (Essential)
- Commitment to the values, aims, and objectives of Kinship.
- Respectful, empathetic approach to working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Flexible and willing to travel across England as required.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
Desirable
- Lived experience of kinship care.
- Experience using Salesforce, Asana, Notion, and/or general AI tools for case management, project management, or documentation.
- Experience in innovation and continuous improvement within safeguarding practice or organisational culture.
How to apply:
Please apply for the role of Designated Safeguarding Manager by sending a tailored CV and responding to these 5 questions below in the online application process. Please read the guidance notes in the job pack.
Closing date is 9am on Mon 2 March, with a first interview (30 mins online) that week and a second interview in person on Tues 10 March 2026.
For all questions, please provide a maximum of 250 words per answer.
1.Alignment with Kinship: Why do you want to work for Kinship, and why does this Safeguarding Manager (Designated Safeguarding Lead) role matter to you at this point in your career? Please refer to Kinship’s work and services in your answer, and explain what specifically about this role you are drawn to.
2.Trauma informed practice: Describe a specific example where you have led or overseen a safeguarding concern using a trauma-informed approach.
3. Contextual safeguarding and professional curiosity: Tell us about a time you applied contextual safeguarding or professional curiosity to a situation where the initial concern did not tell the full story. What did you notice, what questions did you ask, and how did this change the safeguarding response?
4. Reflective practice and supporting others: Give an example of how you have supported others to improve safeguarding decision-making through reflective practice (for example group reflection or one-to-one discussion). What was the issue and what changed?
5. Equity, racism and safeguarding: Describe a situation where race, ethnicity or structural inequality affected safeguarding risk or decision-making. How did you recognise this and what did you do to ensure a fair and proportionate response?
What we offer you:
- Flexible working - we understand how important it is to balance family and work life.
- 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (1 April to 31 March) pro rata (3 to be taken at Christmas shutdown)
- Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential advice line and counselling)
- Charity Worker Discounts.
Read the guidance notes in the job pack.
Make sure you’ve read the job description and the essential requirements – make sure your application reflects those points in the requirements very clearly.
Tell us why you want to work for Kinship. We’re interested in working with people who share our values. You can read about our values above.
Keep your response clear – use bullets points and short paragraphs if that helps. It will help the recruitment team to focus on your knowledge, skills and experience.
We know people might use AI – however make sure the answers reflect you and who you are and your experience. So many applications are the same because they’re using AI. Make sure you stand out.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We support kinship carers in their homes and communities, giving advice and helping them work through problems to find the best way forward.
Thank you!
Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end-of-life charity. We are the largest non-NHS provider of end-of-life care in the UK, the only provider across all 4 nations, delivering community nursing and hospice care across the country, while providing information and support on all aspects of dying, death, and bereavement. Our leading research pushes the boundaries of what we know about good end-of-life, and our campaigns fight for a world where everyone gets to have the best possible quality of life while living with an illness, they’re likely to die from.
Job DescriptionJoin Us in Making a Difference at Marie Curie
As a Community Fundraiser, you’ll be at the heart of building and championing our volunteer community. You will work closely with local fundraising and volunteering groups, inspiring them to create meaningful activities that raise vital funds for Marie Curie. Reporting to the Deputy Head of Region, you’ll collaborate with passionate fundraising colleagues to grow and energise our volunteer network—helping new and existing volunteers feel empowered, supported, and excited to make a difference in their communities.
Key Responsibilities
- Grow, recruit and support volunteering and fundraising groups, building trusted relationships and nurturing an engaged, motivated volunteer community.
- Lead local delivery of flagship campaigns, including The Great Daffodil Appeal, working alongside volunteers to maximise reach and impact.
- Champion volunteering in your area, increasing community involvement through active outreach, events, and relationship-building.
- Collaborate across teams and with external partners, ensuring volunteers have what they need to thrive and succeed.
- Maintain accurate records and uphold excellent fundraising practice, safeguarding volunteers and supporters.
- Use social media and local communication channels to celebrate volunteer achievements and inspire new supporters to get involved.
What You’ll Need
- Proven experience working with volunteers including recruitment, engagement, and ongoing support.
- Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to inspire confidence in individuals and groups.
- Strong organisational skills, including planning, prioritising and managing budgets.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and experience using databases or CRM systems.
- A full UK driving licence and flexibility to travel across the region, including some evenings and weekends.
To view the job description, please click .
Application Process
As part of your online application, you will be asked for a CV. Please review both the advert and job description and outline your most relevant skills, experience and knowledge for the role. Please cite your preferred location.
Close date for applications: Thursday 5th March 2026
Salary: £27,450 - £30,500
Contract: Full time hours (35 hours per week)
Based: Home-based role with occasional office visits(once per week) and county travel (once per month) frequency will vary based on business needs
Benefits you’ll LOVE:
- Flexible working. We’re happy to discuss flexible working at the interview stage.
- 25 days annual leave (exclusive of Bank Holidays)
- Marie Curie Group Personal Pension Scheme (we will match your contribution up to 7.5%)
- Loan schemes for bikes; computers and season tickets
- Continuous professional development opportunities.
- Industry-leading training programmes
- Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programmes
- Enhanced bereavement, family friendly and sickness benefits
- Access to Blue Light Card membership
- Subsidised Eye Care
Marie Curie is committed to its values, which underpin our work. We take stringent steps to ensure that the people who join our organisation through employment or volunteering, are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. This includes our staff, volunteers and all those who use or come into contact with our services. We are dedicated to creating not just a safe place to work but also a supportive and rewarding one.
We are committed to a world where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. We are devoted to the social justice imperatives and organisational benefits of full diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace, and are a Stonewall champion. We actively encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.
We're happy to accommodate any requests for reasonable adjustments
Additional InformationFor more information or an informal chat please contact Thomas Howell on [email protected]
At Marie Curie, our values are central to everything we do. They guide how we care for people, how we work together, and how we make decisions every day. We are committed to creating a workplace that is safe for everyone — staff and volunteers alike — supportive, inclusive and rewarding. We take stringent steps to ensure that anyone who joins our organisation are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. We actively consider our impact on the planet, embedding sustainability into everyday decisions to create a lasting, positive difference for the individuals we care for and the world we share.
We believe everyone should have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential. Marie Curie is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising both the social justice imperative and the strength a diverse workforce brings. We actively encourage applications from people of all cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.
We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you require any support, please contact us at .
Every application we receive is personally reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team, and in return, we ask that your application authentically reflects you — your experience, perspective and voice.
Thank you!
Arvon, the UK's most renowned creative writing charity, is looking for an experienced and dynamic Management Accountant (Maternity Cover) to work closely with its CFO on the preparation of management accounts, budgeting and forecasting processes, as well as other key finance tasks. Arvon has been delivering courses from its three beautiful houses for over 57 years, and you would be joining a dedicated and spirited national team, all of whom are passionately committed to delivering on Arvon's transformational charitable mission.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
* This role is predominantly remote but you will be asked to come to our Brighton office few times a year
JOIN US ON THE FRONTLINE
About the role
A key role leading the risk, performance and legal functions within Frontline AIDS. The role embeds a risk management approach across all organisation functions, ensures best practice in compliance, contractual management and data protection. Works closely with others to ensure consistent and effective programme delivery practice. The role spearheads business continuity planning and security management.
We are looking for an inspirational manager who will bring significant experience and a track-record of delivering risk management plans in large complex organisations. You will be passionate about driving forward improvements in the system of internal controls, risk management and governance across the organisation. With strong analytical skills and proven experience of risk management leadership, you will lead and develop our response to anti-corruption, safeguarding, security, health & safety, and other concerns.
As an experienced leader, you will be effective at developing strong relationships with teams across the organisation. You are committed to fostering a high performance culture, and will delegate thoughtfully to give colleagues real accountability and authority.
Who we are
We’ve been on the frontline of the world’s response to HIV and AIDS for over 25 years, working with marginalised people who are denied HIV prevention and treatment simply because of who they are and where they live.
Set up in 1993 to work with community groups in the countries most affected by the global AIDS epidemic, we’ve continually adapted our approach, looking for innovative ways to break down the barriers that marginalise people living with, or at risk of acquiring, HIV. All with one goal in mind – a future free from AIDS for everyone, everywhere.
Everything we do is rooted in our two key beliefs:
- That the lives of all human beings are of equal value.
- That everyone has the right to access the HIV information and services they need for a healthy life.
Today, we work with communities in more than 40 countries, taking local, national and global action on HIV, health and human rights.
As a global partnership that is open to everyone, we can only do what we do – and achieve what we want to achieve – by working with partners from grassroots community groups to national governments. Our partners drive change where it matters, shaking up the status quo and making a noise on issues the world often chooses to ignore.
Are you the Frontliner we’re looking for?
We are looking for someone who has:
- Qualified to degree level in a relevant field to risk management and compliance.
- Post-graduate and/or professional qualification in a relevant field, including accounting, law, audit, or risk
- Extensive experience of working in a risk management/compliance/assurance function within a sizeable organisation, with strategic and operational accountability.
- Experience of managing and maintaining a risk case management system to ensure appropriate management of issues.
- Experience in developing and managing programme oversight and governance mechanisms that drive consistent approaches and strong performance.
- Experience of rolling out dedicated risk management and compliance training and supporting and guiding staff in developing risk registers and appropriate mitigating actions for risks.
- Experience of contract review and drafting of new clauses for contracts
- Experience of working with international donor rules and requirements and supporting/guiding project teams in managing projects in accordance with these rules and regulations.
- Knowledge of best practice in process review and improvement.
- Senior Experience in setting, reviewing, simplifying organisational policies and procedures and encouraging compliance.
How to apply
Find out more by downloading the full job description and person specification. If you are excited by this opportunity and think it’s right for you, we’d love to hear from you so apply using the button at the top of this page and upload your CV along with a covering letter outlining why you are a great match for this role.
Closing Date : Sunday 22nd February 2026
We have transitioned to a hybrid model of working. We are currently working from home but you will also be required to spend time working alongside your team as appropriate. The successful applicant will need to hold the right to work in the UK and /or South Africa.
Interview Date is: tbc
Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults
Frontline AIDS operates a rigorous recruitment and selection process that reflects our commitment to child protection. The Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy can be downloaded here
Frontline AIDS is committed to diversity and inclusion in its hiring approach. We welcome applications from Black people, and other people of colour, people with disabilities, people living with HIV and LGBTIQ+ and non-binary individuals.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and a criminal records check. Having a criminal conviction and/or any other information divulged on the DBS/PVG or country equivalent check would not necessarily prevent you from working for the charity, but any recruitment decision will be dependent on the nature of the position sought and the circumstances and background of the offence(s).
Registered Charity
51 - 100
We want a future free from AIDS for everyone, everywhere.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Unseen is working towards a world without slavery. We provide safehouses and support in the community for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery. We also run the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline and work with individuals, communities, businesses, governments, other charities, and statutory agencies to stamp out slavery for good.
Purpose of the role:
Seasonal Worker Scheme (SWS) call handlers will be responsible for responding to a variety of forms of contact made through the SWS support line. You will work as part of a small but dynamic and friendly team responding to a variety of callers and contacts. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include answering incoming calls and contacts, making callouts, sending emails, drafting referrals to external agencies, and maintaining accurate data. You will form part of a triage service that will signpost callers and contacts to identified third parties who can deal appropriately with their enquiry. You will ensure all actions and data are recorded accurately and promptly to aid relevant follow up and close out of issues. You will be person-centred and deal with a variety of worker issues, including dealing with workers who may be in situations of exploitation. SWS call handlers will report directly to the Worker Wellbeing Manager within our Business Services Team.
To apply:
- Please complete Unseen’s application form for the role which includes a personal statement of 500 words outlining your suitability for the role, some personal details and equal opportunities questions, and;
- Please send a copy of your CV to jobs @ unseenuk. org with reference to the job title.
The deadline for applications is 22 February 2026.
Interviews will likely be held during the week commencing 2 March 2026.
Kindly note, we reserve the right to close the vacancy if we reach the requisite number of applications. If you’re interested in the role, we would encourage you to apply early.
As an organisation focused on equality and diversity, we welcome applications from all sections of the community and all backgrounds, including those with a lived experience of modern slavery, those from ethnic minority groups, those with disabilities and those from the LGBTQ+ community.
Any questions, please contact jobs @ unseenuk. org.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.