Safeguarding Manager – RNID

RNID has undergone – and continues to undergo – major transformation as it seeks to grow awareness and support of its brand and be recognised as a modern, agile and relevant charity fit for the challenges and opportunities of the Twenty First Century.

An integral part of this is the changing shape and make-up of our service delivery as we move away from regulated care and develop new ways to deliver our important work. RNID is committed to ensuring that safeguarding is at the heart of this change and that all those who come into contact with our services – especially children and those at risk – are kept safe and their health, wellbeing and rights are protected.

This role will report to the Deputy Chief Executive and will lead and oversee RNID’s safeguarding processes and strategy. This will include ensuring that safeguarding is built into the design phase of new services and as the organisation continues to change. The role will also oversee safeguarding governance arrangements including triaging, reporting internally / externally and reporting to the Executive and Board. It will provide advice and guidance to stakeholders across the organisation on all complex and serious incidents.

Given the changes to the organisation, it is expected that this role and its context will evolve over the next 12-18 months. The post holder will have an important role in helping design and shape the role during this period.

Interview Date:TBC

This post is also subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance. 

Staff Benefits

You’ll enjoy a range of excellent benefits and access to ongoing support and learning and development programmes across the country. We provide an attractive and competitive salary and benefits package. We also recognise your talent and commitment by helping you to take care of your health, life balance and financial wellbeing.

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata if part time)
• Bank holiday enhancement
• Cycle to work scheme to help you save on the price of a new bike
• Health scheme to cover you and your family’s health from £7 per month
• Employee assistance programme that gives you and your family free, confidential support.
• The option to buy or sell leave annually in exchange for salary
• Enhanced benefits, including maternity, paternity and shared parental leave
• Flexible working arrangements
• Supporting you to study including time off for study leave and external courses
• Workplace pension scheme
• £50,000 life assurance
• Interest-free season ticket loans
• Discounts and savings on our products and publications, and a half-price subscription to our magazine
• An annual ceremony where we recognise those nominated for Pod award as well as rewarding winners.
• The annual ‘Big Satisfaction’ staff survey measuring levels of engagement and job satisfaction
• We are proud to hold the Investors in People Standard
• Staff council and staff companions.
• We are proud to hold Disability Confident Employer status.
• Our three core values are People, Passion and Partnership. These values guide and challenge how we act, how we behave towards others, and how we go about our day-to-day work.

Learning & Development

We place high importance on giving our staff the opportunity to develop their careers. We therefore provide access to a wide range of learning and development opportunities including inductions, training courses, accredited qualifications, and coaching and mentoring schemes.

• Induction programme for new starters covering everything you need to know about our organisation, as well as providing an introduction to hearing loss.
• British Sign Language training and certification.
• An internal coaching scheme
• Partnership mentoring scheme where we match employees with suitable mentors at the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) and the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS).

Job Description

Overall Purpose of the Role:

• To lead and develop safeguarding strategy and practice across RNID ensuring these are fit for purpose and that they respond to the changing focus of the organisation.
• To provide advice and guidance on safeguarding matters where required.
• To oversee the reporting of safeguarding matters and ensure these are reported appropriately to the Corporate Safeguarding Group, the Executive Group and the Board.
• Work closely with safeguarding leads across all four nations of the UK and departments to ensure safeguarding standards are of a high quality and consistent
• ​​​​​​​Undertake or oversee investigations of more serious safeguarding incidents and implement improvements based on lessons learned.
• ​​​​​​​As part of normal service undertake reviews of the service at the request of the Corporate Safeguarding Group (CSG).

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Provide advice and guidance to teams across the organisation (including, but not limited to, Local Engagement, Digital and Volunteering) on more serious incidents ensuring appropriate internal and external reporting.
• ​​​​​​​Review, making decisions on and be accountable for the management of all safeguarding incidents across the organisation.
• ​​​​​​​Ensure processes and systems are in place to capture, triage and report all safeguarding incidents are in place.
• ​​​​​​​Lead lessons learned exercises on all serious safeguarding incidents and on trends and provide recommendations to improve practice.
• ​​​​​​​Oversee safeguarding training (delivering where necessary) ensuring that training material is accurate, up-to-date and reflects service model.
• Monitor training compliance ensuring that all staff have received the appropriate level of training and that action is taken on training compliance issues.
• Produce reports on safeguarding from across the organisation including trend analysis, lessons learned and proposed improvements and presenting these to the Corporate Safeguarding Group, the Audit Committee and the Board.
• Work closely with the Digital Team to ensure that safeguarding is at the heart of the development of new digital services.
• Oversee the Safeguarding Policy and associated policies / procedures ensuring these are kept under review and respond to changes in legislation, regulations and best practice.
• Any other reasonable duties which may be required by management from time to time.

Dimensions of the Role:

• No budget management responsibilities.
• No direct line reports
• Reports into the Deputy Chief Executive
• Will report to the Audit Committee and Board on a quarterly basis and more frequently where required.
• Will report into the Corporate Safeguarding Group on a monthly basis.
• Will have a range of senior internal and external stakeholders to work with including Trustees, professional advisers and staff based across the UK.

Other Requirements:

In line with flexible ways of working, this role will predominantly be home-based. However, there will be regular meetings in our London office and our regional offices across the UK. ​​​​​​​

This role will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Person specification: