About the role

Deputy Director of Safeguarding and Continuous Improvement
INTERNAL VACANCY – open to current Family Action colleagues only

Service: Safeguarding and Continuous Improvement
Location: Home-based with frequent travel to Head Office and Family Action services
Hours: 37 hours per week (full-time)
Salary: £59,192 - £73,689 FTE per annum
Contract type: Permanent

About the role:
This is a senior leadership role at the heart of how we understand and improve the quality and safety of everything we do. Reporting to the Director of Isle of Man and Quality, Performance and Safeguarding, you will lead our Safeguarding and Continuous Improvement team and drive an outcome focused culture built on high support and high challenge.

As a colleague, you’ll already know how varied our services are and what good practice looks like on the ground. This is a chance to bring that knowledge to a role that shapes how we learn and improve across the whole organisation. Our approach centres on learning by doing: live case reviews, honest reflection, coaching, creating experiential learning opportunities and not relying on training courses alone.

Main Responsibilities: please see the Job Description for full details
• Leading the Safeguarding and Continuous Improvement team through a clear business plan, reporting to the Executive Group, Quality and Performance Committee and Board.
• Leading our safeguarding policies and coordinating Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Child Death Overview Panel activity and service reviews.
• Working with regional colleagues to embed the Quality Assurance Framework, identify risks and strengths, and support services to improve.
• Turning frontline insight and performance data into workstreams, priorities and strategic reports for senior colleagues and the Board.

Main Requirements: for full details check the job description and person specification
• A relevant professional qualification associated with safeguarding and direct practice, such as social work or a health qualification.
• Substantial experience spanning direct practice, service management, quality assurance and safeguarding across diverse services.
• Experience of statutory safeguarding reviews, improving services and leading change.
• Resilience, tenacity and a steadfast focus on the welfare of children, families and adults.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:
We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community / particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities because we are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Action. We know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support.

All candidates with a disability are welcome to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and request priority consideration for an interview, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role.

To help remove financial barriers to working with us, we will reimburse travel costs if you are invited to attend an interview in person.

To Apply:
• Click the ‘Apply’ link below and fill out our digital application form
• Closing Date: 19th October 2026 at 11.59pm

For direct queries or if you would like to discuss any aspect of the selection process or flexible working requests, please email: clare.lawson@family-action.org.uk

Appointments are subject to satisfactory Safer Recruitment checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where appropriate to the role.

*Ordinarily Family Action appoints new starters at the starting point of the salary scale (with subsequent annual pay progression), unless you have experience that would justify appointment further up the salary scale or there are any other exceptional reasons.