Safeguarding and Safety Manager

Job Title: Safeguarding and Safety Manager

Team: People and Culture

Location: Hybrid (split between home-working and one of our offices - based in London, Cardiff or Edinburgh)

Salary on appointment: £41,400 - £45,540 per annum*

*This role sits within a pay grade with a pay range of £41,400 to £62,100. The salary on appointment will be set at the lower end of the pay range, to a maximum of 10% above the base salary, depending on the candidate's skills and experience. This approach aims to ensure fair compensation for new hires while maintaining alignment with the structured pay scale for the role.

 

About us

The Ramblers is Britain’s walking charity. We open the way so everyone can enjoy the benefits of walking.

It’s easy to think everyone has the same opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. But look a little deeper and you’ll find lots of barriers standing in the way. So we’re continuing to fight for change. We campaign for the public’s right to enjoy the outdoors, protect paths, build skills and offer different ways to get out walking in nature.

Our programmes have a big impact in local communities: Ramblers Wellbeing Walks help people take the first step to a healthier happier lifestyle, and the Ramblers Out There Award gives young adults aged 18–26 the opportunity to kickstart their journey into the outdoors.

Through our refreshed strategy, we’ll build on this experience and grow our impact through activities that prioritise the needs of communities who have the least access and face the most barriers walking outside in nature.

 

Purpose of Role

The Safeguarding and Safety Manager is responsible for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all individuals involved with the charity, including members, beneficiaries, staff, and volunteers. The role involves developing, implementing, and monitoring safeguarding and health and safety policies and procedures, providing training, and responding to safeguarding and health and safety concerns and incidents. The manager works to create a safe and supportive environment, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and best practices.

 

Key responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for safeguarding and safety concerns and queries, providing advice and support to staff, volunteers, trustees and beneficiaries.

• Develop, review, and implement safeguarding and health and safety policies and procedures in accordance with legal requirements and best practices, and ensure policies are effectively communicated and accessible to all staff, volunteers, and stakeholders.
• Conduct and support regular risk assessments to identify potential safeguarding and safety risks within the organisation.

• Work with teams across the organisation to develop and implement risk management strategies and controls to mitigate identified risks.

• Monitor and review risk management strategies to ensure they remain current and relevant.
• Provide guidance and support to staff and volunteers to promote understanding of safeguarding issues and practices and ensure compliance with health and safety policies and procedures.

• Handle and investigate safeguarding concerns and incidents promptly and sensitively, managing the investigation process from end to end.
• Support investigations into member conduct and where relevant, recommend suspensions and expulsions to trustees in line with the charity’s articles of association and internal processes.
• Maintain accurate and confidential records of safeguarding cases, ensuring compliance with data protection laws.
• Investigate accidents, incidents, near misses, and other health and safety concerns promptly and thoroughly.

• Maintain accurate records of incidents and actions taken, ensuring compliance with data protection laws.
• Ensure the organisation complies with all relevant safeguarding and health and safety legislation, regulations, and standards.

• Prepare and submit safeguarding and safety reports to the executive leadership team, trustees, and regulatory bodies as required, including supplying data to the Head of Governance for inclusion on the compliance dashboard for trustees.

• Use the organisation’s reportable events framework to notify the Head of Governance and Chief of Staff of any reportable events, especially those which may qualify as ‘serious incidents’ requiring reporting to the Charity Commission or other regulatory body.
• Collaborate with external agencies, such as social services and law enforcement, as necessary.
• Monitor the effectiveness of safeguarding and safety policies and procedures, identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions.
• Develop and maintain emergency response plans to ensure swift and appropriate action in safeguarding and health and safety emergencies.
• Promote a culture of safeguarding across the organisation, emphasising the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals.

• Promote a positive safety culture within the organisation, encouraging staff and volunteer engagement in health and safety initiatives.
• Stay informed about developments in safeguarding and safety practices and legislation and drive continuous improvement in line with emerging requirements.

Impact

All safeguarding and safety matters are managed in one place and handled efficiently, sensitively, and in accordance with established policies and regulations. Staff across the organisation are confident in how to respond to safeguarding and safety concerns and member and supporter trust in the organisation is enhanced. 

Other

• Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably required of the post
• Engage and proactively develop excellent working relationships across the organisation.

 

This job description will be reviewed in conjunction with the postholder to ensure successful delivery of our goals.

 

The Person

Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge of safeguarding legislation, policies, and best practices.
• Comprehensive understanding of health and safety legislation, regulations, and best practices.
• Knowledge of risk assessment and management principles.
• Familiarity with data protection laws and confidentiality principles.

Skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.

• Empathy and resilience in handling sensitive and challenging issues.

• Effective negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficient in conducting risk assessments and developing safety procedures.
• High level of organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to remain calm and professional under pressure.
• Proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office suite and CRM systems.

Experience

• A professional background in safeguarding and significant experience in safeguarding case management.
• Significant experience in developing and implementing effective safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Experience of ensuring health and safety in the workplace, including in hybrid and outdoor environments.
• Experience in training and mentoring others on safeguarding and safety issues.

Personal Attributes

• Empathetic and compassionate, with a commitment to ensuring the wellbeing of all individuals.
• Detail-oriented and methodical in approach.
• High level of integrity and ethical standards.
• Proactive and resourceful, with a positive and resilient attitude.
• Strong sense of accountability and responsibility.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Assertive in addressing safeguarding and safety issues and enforcing policies.
• Confident in addressing difficult issues and making tough decisions.

 

The Ramblers promote diversity and welcome applications from all section of the community.

Values and Behaviours

Our values are the core principles that guide us daily in our work and our membership of the Ramblers. We all share the passion that walking is for everyone and by living our shared values we can ensure the Ramblers is an organisation to be proud of. Our values will earn trust for the Ramblers brand which will allow us to open up a world of walking opportunities for even more people. 

 Inclusive – We make everyone feel welcome and part of the Ramblers community. We make sure we all feel respected and accepted and know our contributions make a difference in achieving our mission.   

  Inspiring – We strive to inspire people through the way we act and the things we say. We channel our passion and ambition so others are moved to help us achieve our mission.   

  Empowering – We empower and encourage each other to make a positive contribution to our teams and the Ramblers. We do all we can to make sure everyone has the ability, and feels confident, to take action.    

  Responsible – We take responsibility for ourselves and those around us seriously, by always acting in a safe and supportive way. We care about the environment and make sure we do what we say we will do.