UK Safeguarding Team Leader
Join our UK Scouts volunteer team
Equal opportunities
Scouts is an equal opportunity recruiter. We're committed to diversity and actively seeking applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, in particular, Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities.
About the role
Become a champion for safe Scouting adventure!
In this vital role, you will partner with our National Safeguarding Team to ensure our culture of care is inclusive, proactive, and deeply rooted in the volunteer experience. By providing expert insight and leading development projects, you’ll help ensure that every young person, regardless of background, can grow and thrive in a secure environment.
You will act as a "trusted voice," helping to shape high-impact training and represent safeguarding at national events. This is a unique opportunity to use your professional safeguarding expertise to make a lasting difference across the movement, while developing your own strategic leadership skills.
We are committed to equity and inclusion, ensuring our safeguarding practices protect every community we serve. Recognising your busy schedule, this role offers significant flexibility, allowing you to contribute your expertise in a way that fits your life while driving a safer future for all.
Key tasks
- Partner with the Safeguarding Team: Collaborate closely with professional staff to design and deliver high-quality safeguarding training and resources.
- Represent at National Events: Act as a key face of safeguarding at major events like Reunion, hosting workshops and engaging with volunteers to build confidence in our procedures.
- Co-lead Working Groups: Head up specific projects focused on improving how we engage volunteers and develop safer environments for young people.
- Provide Expert Volunteer Insight: Act as a "pulse check" for the National Team, offering advice on how safeguarding policies translate to the front line.
- Support Learning Reviews: Participate in reviews of past events to identify systemic improvements, ensuring the organisation learns and evolves.
- Advise on Sector Best Practice: Bring your external safeguarding knowledge to the table to help the Scouts stay at the forefront of youth protection.
- Collaborate on Recruitment: Support the selection of both staff and senior volunteers, ensuring they share our commitment to a proactive safeguarding culture.
- Champion Equity and Inclusion: Ensure that all safeguarding initiatives are accessible and consider the diverse needs of all our members across the UK.
- Senior Volunteer Support Liaise with and offer support/advice to senior volunteers when needed
Person specification
- Safeguarding Expertise: Volunteer or professional experience in safeguarding (ideally from sectors like education, social care, or emergency services).
- Good Scouting knowledge: At least 5 years of volunteer experience with an excellent understanding of how Scouting operates at the local level.
- Leadership: Previous experience in volunteer or professional leadership positions, either in Scouts or other organisations.
- Training & Facilitation: Experience in developing or delivering training materials and presenting to diverse audiences.
- Regulatory Awareness: An understanding and /or willingness to learn about modern safeguarding legislation and best practices within the UK youth sector.
- Exceptional Communicator: The ability to simplify complex safeguarding topics into engaging, practical advice for volunteers and public speaking at national events.
- Critical Thinking: The ability to analyse systemic issues and act as a "trusted advisor," offering constructive feedback to the Safeguarding Team.
- High-Level Organisation: Strong skills in managing projects, chairing working groups, and balancing multiple priorities.
- Confidentiality & Discretion: An expert ability to manage sensitive information with absolute integrity (essential given the nature of the field).
- Collaborative Teamwork: The ability to work seamlessly with both professional staff and volunteers to reach a common goal.
- Resilience: The emotional strength to handle the challenging nature of safeguarding topics with a calm and objective perspective. Integrity: A commitment to the Scouts’ values, ensuring that safeguarding is always delivered with respect, inclusion, and care.
- Pragmatic & Empathetic: The ability to balance strict safeguarding requirements with the empathy needed to support the volunteer journey.
- Willingness to Learn: A proactive attitude toward personal development
- Commitment to Equity: A drive to ensure safeguarding practices are accessible and protective for every young person in our diverse movement.
This role includes a range of tasks that need a realistic and ongoing time commitment, with flexibility around when those tasks are completed. If you already volunteer with Scouts, please take time to think about how this UK role would fit alongside any other roles you hold, and have a conversation with your current Team Leader before applying.
For some people, taking on a UK role may mean stepping back from, or handing over, another role so they can give each one the attention it deserves and have a positive and rewarding volunteering experience.
UK Safe Scouting Team
Safe Scouting is a relatively new team within the UK Volunteer leadership structure and we are now at an exciting moment to expand the team.
We know that our volunteers care passionately, and work hard to make Scouting a safe place for young people and adults.
The UK Safe Scouting Team work in partnership with the Safety, Safeguarding, and Assurance staff teams to support our volunteers with the best possible materials, guidance, and rules to keep everybody safe.
Our young people tell us that Safety is their number one priority, If you have a passion to support them in enjoying safe activities, in safe places, supported by trusted adults then we would love to hear from you.
Ian Hill (UK Lead Volunteer for Safe Scouting)
Sound good?
Before making an application please ensure that you've read carefully read our vacancy informtion. In order for us to monitor the application of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy, we'd be grateful if you'd also complete the Diversity Monitoring questions on the Application Form.
Questions?
If you'd like to discuss this role in more detail, please get in touch with:
Ian Hill (UK Lead Volunteer for Safe Scouting)
Next steps
Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering with our team. You can apply for the role yourself by completing the Application Form.
A Search Group has been set up to guide the selection process. They will carefully review all applications and nominations and then invite selected applicants to the next stage, once internal checks are complete.
Interview date: TBC
Apply nowKnow someone who might be a perfect fit?
Use the Nomination form if you know someone that might have the skills and experience that we're looking for.
We'll get in touch with them and invite them to apply for the role.
Nominate someone for this roleLocation:
UK Safe Scouting Team
Closing date:
Fri, June 19, 2026, 9:00 AM