Safeguarding and Compliance Officer

Overview

We’re looking for a committed and proactive Safeguarding & Compliance Officer to help ensure that transport services across Buckinghamshire are safe, legally compliant, and delivered to a consistently high standard. In this important role, you’ll work closely with transport suppliers, colleagues, and partner agencies to safeguard vulnerable passengers and uphold the quality of our transport network. 

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

Our Transport Services team plays a vital role in supporting children, young people, adults, and communities across the county. We work collaboratively with education providers, social care teams, transport operators, and wider partners to ensure passengers travel safely, comfortably, and with confidence.

About the role

As a Safeguarding & Compliance Officer, you will monitor, assess, and support the performance of local transport suppliers to ensure they consistently meet contract, safety, and safeguarding standards. You’ll be the first point of action when issues arise, taking immediate steps to keep passengers safe and services compliant.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure transport providers, drivers and passenger assistants comply with agreed contracts so passengers travel legally, safely, on time and in comfort.
• Follow safeguarding processes at all times, taking immediate action where risks or non‑compliance are identified.
• Deliver both scheduled and ad‑hoc contract compliance activities, developing strong working relationships with transport suppliers and monitoring their overall performance.
• Maintain accurate records of compliance monitoring, safeguarding issues and incident information, ensuring timely reporting and follow‑up.
• Deliver a broad range of training programmes to transport suppliers, staff and clients, including safeguarding, contract compliance, wheelchair use, passenger assistant training, independent travel training and route risk assessment.
• Conduct legal and safety checks on vehicles and drivers, applying the contract default points system and supporting revenue and KPI monitoring activity.
• Undertake depot audits, reactive monitoring (including Transport Referrals) and compliance evaluations for contractors and tender submissions.
• Liaise with external partners such as VOSA, Thames Valley Police, HMRC and licensing teams on joint enforcement and compliance activity.

About you

We are seeking a self-motivated, flexible and enthusiastic candidate who has strong interpersonal skills to support the building and maintaining of relationships both internally and externally.

As the role is customer-facing the post holder must also have the ability to converse at ease with customers and give advice.

You must have the ability to present training professionally and articulately and possess an in-depth knowledge of safeguarding responsibilities.

Applicants should also have a good working knowledge of contract compliance and the public transport infrastructure, as well as possess strong evaluation and analytical skills.

Previous experience within an investigative role or licencing enforcement would be desirable criteria for applicants.

• Detailed knowledge of contract compliance
• Manage relationships with external suppliers to ensure appropriate service delivery including performance management, safeguarding, and any other requirements laid down in the contractual Terms and Conditions.
• Strong evaluation and analytical skills
• Assist continuous improvement and deliver efficient contract monitoring
• Professional and articulate in training delivery
• Safeguarding
• Educated to NVQ3 standard or equivalent experience gained in the role.
• Full driving licence with relevant insurance to drive for work purposes.
• As the role is customer-facing and the post holder is required to speak to members of the public, the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
• Relevant professional / vocational qualification

Other information

For further information on this role please see the attached job summary.

The Compliance and Safeguarding Team currently operate from The Client Transport Training Centre located in the grounds of The Mandeville School, Ellen Road, Aylesbury HP21 8ES.

The Team work from this office a minimum of 2 days a week, dependant on workplace commitments such as training, meetings or vehicle inspections.

You will be expected to drive to schools and adult social care establishments throughout Buckinghamshire County to monitor council provided transport on a regular basis both mornings and afternoons.

Interview date: Week Commencing 27^th April 2026

Interview-type / process: MS TEAMS

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: Michael Henderson, 01296 382844, [email protected]

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. 

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards
• Cemeteries and Crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment. 

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/