Senior Safeguarding & Compliance Officer

Overview

We’re looking for a committed and proactive Senior 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 manage The Client Transport Compliance Team and 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 Senior Safeguarding & Compliance Officer, you will lead a highly skilled team who monitor, assess, and support the performance of local transport suppliers to ensure they consistently meet contract safety, and safeguarding standards. You’ll be the Dedicated Safeguarding Lead for Transport and be the first point of action when issues arise, taking immediate steps to keep passengers safe and services compliant. You will also take the lead in investigating and reporting all Health and Safety incidents that occur on transport.

Key Responsibilities

• Day to day management of Safeguarding and Compliance Officers
• Dedicated Safeguarding lead for Client Transport
• Health and Safety Lead.
• Maintaining and developing up to date Safeguarding and Compliance training programmes
• Lead the monitoring of contract compliance across local transport suppliers and maintain strong and effective relationships with them.
• Ensure that effective compliance arrangements are maintained through the creation and management of appropriate schedules and allocation of staff to monitoring visits
• Business improvement – both on an ongoing basis to ensure continuous improvement in systems, processes and service delivery
• Collate information on alleged safeguarding incidents and liaise with appropriate agencies such as Police, Licencing, LADO and LASM. Carry out thorough investigations and ensure accurate records are maintained and filed efficiently
• Co-ordinate all operator depot quality audits
• Ensure allocated budget is met & associated efficiency savings are implemented;
• Liaise and participate with VOSA, TVP, HMRC, and local licensing staff
• Manage Aylesbury coach park operations

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

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

• Proven leadership qualities and experience in Contract Compliance, Safeguarding management and Health and Safety reporting.
• Proven track record in the areas of investigations, training and health and safety matters.
• Ability to 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 engagement with internal and external partners
• 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.

Closing date: Thursday 20th August 2026

Interview date: Week Commencing 24th August 2026

Interview-type/process: MS TEAMS

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: Sarah Lilly 01296 383709, [email protected]

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

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

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/