Job Description

Head of Safeguarding

United Kingdom (Remote)

Reporting to: Director of Quality and Safety

Remuneration: Competitive, dependent on experience - plus £1000 working from home allowance

Contract Type: Permanent / Full time - 40hours per week

Location: Home-based/various UK meeting locations as required

Closing Date for applications: Monday 12th October 2026*

About Us:

Psychiatry UK is the UK’s leading provider of digital psychiatry services, working both privately and with the NHS to support children, teenagers and adults with expert, patient-centred care.

A career with Psychiatry UK allows you to expand your knowledge, enhance your skills, and gain valuable life experience—all while enjoying the flexibility of a remote full-time role. As part of a leading online mental health service, you'll collaborate with innovative, forward-thinking professionals in a dynamic, multidisciplinary team committed to making a real difference.

The Head of Safeguarding is a key leadership role at Psychiatry UK, responsible for ensuring the organisation meets all statutory and professional safeguarding standards. Reporting to the Director of Quality and Safety, managing the Safeguarding Lead and collaborating closely with the Chief Medical Officer, nominated doctors, and operational safeguarding teams, to ensure a robust safeguarding structure, governance arrangements, and effective management processes across all services. Providing expert leadership, guidance, and support on safeguarding matters across the organisation, ensuring compliance with regulations, updating Psychiatry UK on the latest safeguarding best practices, and supporting the implementation of relevant safeguarding changes. The Head of Safeguarding will also act as the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian for Psychiatry UK.

This is a home-based role (applicants must reside in the UK), though occasional travel may be required for face-to-face meetings at various locations within the UK.

As our Head of Safeguarding you will:

• Lead and motivate colleagues to foster a culture of high-quality safeguarding practices with openness and trust.
• Ensure safeguarding governance and monitoring systems are robust, regularly reviewed, and developed to identify and mitigate risks.
• Provide safeguarding support and professional advice to quality, safety, and clinical leads.
• Represent Psychiatry-UK at external safeguarding meetings and consultations.
• Develop and oversee the safeguarding audit process, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, policies, and regulations.
• Hold self and colleagues accountable for delivering consistent, high-quality safeguarding outcomes.
• Provide safeguarding reports to governance and executive committees to demonstrate safety and quality standards.
• Ensure compliance with CQC standards for safeguarding and prepare the organisation for inspections.
• Lead the development and implementation of innovative safeguarding practices and training.
• Ensure continuous professional development and up-to-date knowledge of relevant safeguarding legislation and guidance.

To succeed as our Head of Safeguarding, you will have:

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to manage and support staff in a demanding and often stressful service environment. Demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and a collaborative approach to working within teams. Additionally, you will have a proven track record in diplomacy and negotiation, essential for navigating complex safeguarding issues. Your leadership experience, particularly in safeguarding, will reflect the capacity to oversee quality assurance processes while fostering a supportive, professional environment. Evidence of continuous professional development and an ability to manage multiple priorities will be key in ensuring effective service delivery.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Registered clinician, with current registration with the relevant professional body.
• Relevant degree (Masters or equivalent), ideally in a related field.
• Extensive leadership experience in safeguarding, either in a previous head role or national-level position.
• In-depth knowledge of safeguarding requirements for both adults and children.
• Management/Leadership qualification and evidence of continuous professional development in safeguarding.
• Proven ability to manage and support staff in a high-pressure, demanding environment.
• Experience overseeing safeguarding quality assurance processes.
• Background in safeguarding, quality, and safety, preferably within the NHS or other relevant sectors.
• Ability to effectively lead safeguarding initiatives, ensuring quality and compliance with standards.

Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Solid working knowledge of the mental health field.
• Experience in strategic-level roles.
• Strong media skills.
• Background in private healthcare settings.

Psychiatry UK: Supporting You

We want you to enjoy your work while feeling healthy, happy, and appreciated. That’s why we’ve created a benefits package designed with you in mind. You’ll have access to a range of wellbeing perks, including a Health Cash Plan, Well Hub Subscription, access to an Employee Assistance Programme, Annual Volunteering Day, Enhanced Sickness and Family Leave pay, Length of Service Bonus, Work from Home allowance and Pension options.

At Psychiatry UK, we care about what matters to you.

Recruitment Process

At Psychiatry UK, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Our process includes:

• Application
• Profile review
• Screening conversation
• Competency based interview(s)

If at any point you require any reasonable adjustments —such as additional time, assistive technology, or an alternative format for materials—please let us know. We are happy to accommodate your needs to ensure you have a fair and comfortable experience. Please feel free to reach out to us at recruitment@psychiatry-uk.com to discuss any adjustments that would support you.

If this opportunity excites you, why not apply today?

*We review applications as they come in and may close the advert early if we receive a high volume of interest. To ensure you don’t miss out, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.