Head of Safeguarding Investigation

Head of Safeguarding Investigation

Full Time / 37.50 hours per week / Monday to Friday

Remote with some travel to our Nurseries and our offices in Northampton and London

Salary From £68k per annum

Closing Date for this role: 15th August 2026

All applicants need to attach an up-to-date CV to be considered.

Purpose of the Role

The Head of Safeguarding Investigation is responsible for leading the organisation's safeguarding investigation function, ensuring that concerns involving children or adults working with children are assessed, investigated and concluded consistently, proportionately and in line with safeguarding legislation, regulatory requirements and best practice. The role provides strategic leadership, governance and quality assurance across all safeguarding investigations, driving organisational learning, continuous improvement and effective risk management to support the safety and wellbeing of children.

What We Can Offer You:

• Our benefits include, but are not limited to;

• Flexible working and holiday entitlements

• Discounted childcare

• Quarterly Employee Appreciation Weeks

• Annual gala award evening

• Fantastic range of discounts on high street retailers, grocery stores, cinema tickets, holidays and more

• Wide range of wellbeing resources, supporting our teams for the ups and downs of daily life

Why Bright Horizons?

Our support functions enable our nurseries to deliver the best possible care and education to over 10,000 children across the UK. Through this support, our nurseries can deliver excellence – with 98% of our 270+ portfolio being rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.

We’re on a mission to change the future for children, families, and the people we work with, and are committed to progressive working values like flexibility, work-life balance, and wellbeing.

Key Accountabilities

• Define and own the safeguarding investigation thresholds and decision-making criteria, and escalation criteria ensuring consistent application across the organisation and alignment with statutory, regulatory and best practice standards

• Ensure safeguarding investigations are conducted with a thorough understanding of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) process, Regulatory expectations, statutory Safeguarding requirements recognising when concerns meet referral thresholds, maintaining effective information sharing, and ensuring emerging concerns, new allegations or investigation findings are appropriately shared, escalated and managed through relevant external processes

• Act as the organisational authority on safeguarding investigation decisions, providing professional leadership, expert guidance and challenge, escalating support to senior leaders

• Lead and continuously develop the safeguarding investigation framework, ensuring investigations are robust, child-centred, evidence-based, proportionate and capable of withstanding internal, external and regulatory scrutiny.

• Establish and embed investigation standards, methodologies, governance arrangements and performance measures, driving a high-quality, efficient and consistent investigation service.

• Develop, implement and oversee robust quality assurance processes to ensure that safeguarding investigations meet organisational, statutory and regulatory standards.

• Conduct regular audits and quality assurance reviews of safeguarding investigations, providing feedback, challenge and oversight to ensure consistent, high-quality investigation practice and decision-making across the team.

• Provide strategic oversight for complex, and direction for complex, high-risk, serious and sensitive safeguarding investigations, offering expert challenge, professional judgement and assurance regarding approach, findings and outcomes. Represent the organisation at external agency meetings where required.

• Maintain strategic relationships and provide oversight of safeguarding investigations involving external agencies, including LADO, Children's Services, Ofsted, DBS, Police and other regulatory or safeguarding bodies as appropriate.

• Monitor investigation performance and ensure investigations are progressed efficiently, improving timeliness, consistency, quality and effectiveness of case resolution,

• Identify key themes, trends, emerging risks and systemic issues arising from safeguarding investigations, translating learning into organisational improvements, policy development and preventative safeguarding activity.

• Produce clear, insightful reporting, analysis and quality assurance on investigation activity, risks and outcomes for senior leadership and external stakeholders, including regulators

• Work collaboratively with Operations, HR and Legal to ensure a joined-up, consistent and compliant approach to safeguarding risk and investigations

Essential Experience

• Significant experience leading or overseeing complex investigations within safeguarding, regulatory, compliance or risk environments

• Experience within early years, education

• Strong understanding of safeguarding frameworks, legislation and investigation best practice

• Experience designing or embedding frameworks, criteria or governance models to support consistent decision-making

• Demonstrated capability in managing high-risk, sensitive or complex cases with sound judgement and integrity

• Experience influencing senior stakeholders and operating at a leadership level

• Ability to translate investigation outcomes into organisational insight, learning and improvement actions

• Experience of effective team leadership, coaching and mentoring

• Demonstrates evidence and experience of applying effective analytical skills and using problem solving skills to foresee obstacles and make strategic decisions.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working with external agencies or inspection bodies (e.g. Ofsted or equivalent)

• Knowledge of legal processes relating to safeguarding, or investigations

• Experience building or leading specialist investigation or case management capability

Qualifications

• Relevant degree or equivalent experience (e.g. Law, Criminology, Social Care, HR, Risk) – Desirable

• Professional qualification in investigations, safeguarding or compliance – Desirable

Bright Horizons is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to safer recruitment practice and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, which will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.  We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all ages and backgrounds to apply. We will consider reasonable adjustments required by applicants.

Proud to be a Great Place to Work for 20 years. Apply today!

We look forward to receiving your application.

Bright Horizons is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to safer recruitment practice and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, which will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.

We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all ages and backgrounds to apply. We will consider reasonable adjustments required by applicants.

Proud to be a Great Place to Work for 20 years. Apply today!

We look forward to receiving your application!