Safeguarding Trustee
The Safeguarding Trustee provides strategic safeguarding oversight and assurance to the Board, supporting the organisation to maintain strong safeguarding governance, accountability, and culture across all services.
The role acts as the Board’s safeguarding lead, offering scrutiny, challenge, and support to ensure safeguarding responsibilities are effectively embedded throughout the organisation.
Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Designated Safeguarding Leads, and wider Board, the Safeguarding Trustee promotes a strong safeguarding culture that protects adults at risk, children, staff, volunteers, and the wider community.
This role is particularly important given the complexity of the organisation’s work with individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, trauma, mental ill-health, exploitation, domestic abuse, and multiple disadvantage.
Our Ideal Candidate
Strategic Safeguarding Oversight
- Provide strategic safeguarding oversight and assurance at Board level
- Support the Board in fulfilling its safeguarding duties and responsibilities
- Promote a strong safeguarding culture across the organisation
- Ensure safeguarding remains a standing priority within governance and strategic decision-making
- Provide appropriate challenge and scrutiny regarding safeguarding systems, risk, and practice
- Promote continuous safeguarding improvement, learning, and organisational accountability
Governance & Strategic Safeguarding Responsibilities
- Champion safeguarding as a core governance priority across the organisation
- Support the Board in maintaining effective safeguarding oversight, assurance, and accountability
- Ensure safeguarding remains a standing agenda item within governance and strategic discussions
- Work collaboratively with the CEO, COO, and Designated Safeguarding Leads to maintain strategic oversight of safeguarding systems and organisational culture
- Support the Board to understand safeguarding risks, trends, learning, and organisational responsibilities
- Ensure safeguarding risks are appropriately reflected within the organisational risk register and governance reporting processes
- Support safeguarding audits, reviews, and organisational assurance activity where appropriate
- Support the organisation’s progression towards recognised safeguarding quality and excellence standards
Governance, Compliance & Quality Assurance
- Review safeguarding reports, trends, incidents, and organisational learning
- Support the Board in monitoring safeguarding compliance and assurance frameworks
- Ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated
- Monitor organisational compliance with safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, and best practice
- Support oversight of safer recruitment, DBS processes, and safeguarding training compliance
- Contribute to safeguarding audits, quality assurance activity, and improvement plans
- Support oversight of safeguarding-related risk within the organisational risk register
- Review safeguarding themes, emerging risks, and lessons learned processes where appropriate
Partnership & External Relationships
- Promote effective safeguarding partnership working with:
- Local authorities
- NHS services
- Housing providers
- Safeguarding Adults Boards
- Voluntary and community organisations
- Support the organisation in maintaining a trauma-informed and multi-agency safeguarding approach
- Promote partnership learning and safeguarding best practice
Board Engagement
- Attend and actively contribute to Board meetings and Quality Sub Commitee
- Provide safeguarding advice and support to Trustees where appropriate
- Maintain oversight of safeguarding performance, assurance, and organisational culture
- Ensure Trustees maintain collective awareness and ownership of safeguarding responsibilities across the organisation
- Escalate safeguarding concerns appropriately where necessary
- Participate in safeguarding training and ongoing development
Responsibilities and Duties
Essential
- Commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and social justice
- Knowledge of safeguarding adults and/or children legislation and frameworks
- Understanding of safeguarding principles and governance responsibilities
- Experience working within safeguarding, health, housing, social care, education, criminal justice, community services, or related sectors
- Ability to provide strategic oversight, challenge, and support
- Strong communication, analytical, and professional judgement skills
Desirable
- Experience within homelessness, supported housing, substance use, mental health, domestic abuse, or trauma-informed services
- Understanding of Charity Commission safeguarding expectations and trustee governance responsibilities
- Experience of governance, quality assurance, or organisational risk management
- Experience working within the voluntary and community sector
- Understanding of health inequalities and multiple disadvantage
Key Attributes
- Recognises that effective safeguarding within homelessness and crisis services requires dynamic, proportionate, and trauma-informed decision-making rather than overly risk-averse approaches
- Values-driven and compassionate
- Independent thinker with good professional curiosity
- Calm, balanced, and able to manage sensitive information appropriately
- Able to provide constructive challenge and supportive oversight
- Passionate about improving outcomes for vulnerable communities
Administration and Organisational Responsibilities
Approximately 6–10 hours per month including quarterly Board meetings and quarterly quality committee meetings and safeguarding oversight activity as and when needed.
Apply for This Vacancy
Send a copy of you CV and a short expression of interest outlining your experience and motivation to Tanya, Chief Operating Officer at tanya@happydaysuk.org.