Head of Safeguarding, LB Richmond UPON THAMES & LB

Objective of Role

Are you an experienced Adult Social Care Manager who is passionate about safeguarding?

Head of Safeguarding (MG2) – Permanent – Full time (36 hours) – Wandsworth, London.

The Head of Safeguarding plays a crucial operational and strategic role in shaping professional practice and maintaining high professional standards across the Adult Social Care and Public Health Directorate. You will be pivotal in driving excellence, promoting safe practice, and ensuring consistently high‑quality safeguarding responses.

You will lead the Safeguarding Team, providing clear strategic oversight, professional leadership and expert advice. You will ensure that safeguarding practice, interventions and decision‑making are robust, timely and centred on achieving positive outcomes for adults at risk.

You will bring significant experience from a statutory Health & Social Care setting, with evidence of increasing responsibility and influence. You will also have a strong track record of working in partnership across voluntary and statutory agencies, including Police, Education, Health, Community Safety and independent providers.

• hold a social work qualification with Social Work England registration
• hold a recognised management qualification or be committed to undertaking management training
• be an excellent communicator and collaborator
• be committed to maintaining and continuously improving service quality

If you are a skilled and motivated leader committed to achieving positive outcomes for people with care and support needs, carers and the wider community—through strong partnership and multi‑disciplinary working we encourage you to apply for this opportunity.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Virindar Basi, Principal Social Worker, Assistant Director Professional Standards on virindar.basi@

Closing Date: 1st March 2026. Shortlisting Date: 5th March 2026. Interview Date: W/C 16th March 2026. We may close this vacancy early once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know.

We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.