Job Title: Deputy Head of Safeguarding UK - Maternity Cover
Reports to: Head Safeguarding
Direct Reports: Safeguarding Manager
Remote based
Closing date: 3/6/26
Kooth is a fast-growing, mission-driven organization transforming access to digital mental health support across the UK and the US. Listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:KOO), our mission is to create welcoming, accessible spaces for personalized mental health care that helps young people thrive.
Working alongside the NHS, Kooth is now the UK’s largest digital mental health platform for young people aged 10–25, built on over one million hours of professional support delivered to youth across the country.
In the US, we bring this mission to life through Soluna — California’s first statewide digital behavioral health platform for 13–25-year-olds — providing nearly immediate access to coaching, care navigation, peer support, and self-guided tools that help young people build resilience and access support when they need it most.
At Kooth, we’re more than a digital service. We’re purpose-driven, people-centered, and grounded in our values: Alongside You, Flexible, Compassionate, Committed, and Safe. If you’re looking for meaningful work with measurable impact, you’ll find it here.
Learn more at Kooth and Soluna.
Role Objective
To support the Head of Safeguarding in ensuring the effective implementation of safeguarding and user safety frameworks, and, lead the safeguarding team’s operations function.
Split of the role
Safeguarding - 40%
Stakeholder Management - 20%
Management & Leadership - 20%
Clinical Governance - 10%
Training - 10%
Main responsibilities:
- Support the Head of Safeguarding in leading on strategy to ensure that the organisation meets its responsibilities to safeguard CYP and adults and is continuously developing excellence in safeguarding within digital mental health
- Deputise for the Head of Safeguarding for the organisation across all areas of safeguarding responsibility, enabling an open culture where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility
- Act as the lead professional for specific safeguarding areas (eg. PREVENT, Domestic Abuse) as delegated by the Head of Safeguarding
- Manage the integration of Kooth’s services with relevant local multi-agency safeguarding structures and provide oversight of the safeguarding team’s policies, processes, advice and guidance for multi-agency working
- Support, and in some cases lead, the on-going development of safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring they are evidence based, effective and meet the appropriate legislation/statutory guidance and support the implementation and communication of these within the organisation.
- Liaise across the organisation in organising and ensuring all commissioned areas have their contractual and statutory safeguarding reporting and auditing completed to a high quality, within deadlines.
- Support in ensuring that any relevant local area Safeguarding CYP/Adult partnership policies, regional and national guidelines and recommendations are disseminated and embedded into practice.
- Ensure organisational compliance in safeguarding required by legal, regulatory and national policy standards and demonstrate this through effective auditing, data collection and report writing.
- Attend relevant Safeguarding board meetings with local commissioning groups as appropriate and act as a reference point for partner agencies involved in Safeguarding to ensure advice and liaison is co-ordinated and effective.
- Manage the Clinical Team’s On Call service ensuring it remains consistently operational to a high standard
- Line manage the Safeguarding Manager and provide operational leadership to the Safeguarding Team, continuously developing excellence in safeguarding advice, guidance and liaison.
- Proactive engage in regular safeguarding supervision and appraisal to enhance self-development and career pathway and to ensure that practice is effective and compliant with the most up to date guidance.
- Co-produce and quality assure safeguarding related training, in conjunction with the Clinical Training Team in providing specialist training across the organisation within relevant areas of specialism.
- Lead the operational response for the company’s User Safety Incident Response Framework, ensuring all incidents are sufficiently investigated and generate learning, in line with the NHS PSIRF
- Ensure all learning from user safety incidents and safeguarding quality assurance processes is sufficiently leading to the necessary safety improvements as approved by the Head of Safeguarding and executive and board level safeguarding representatives.
This is not an exhaustive list and postholder may be required to complete additional duties with scope of capability as per the clinical team needs.
Requirements
Experience / Qualifications
Essential:
- Registered safeguarding professional (eg. Social Worker, Health professional, Teacher or Police Officer)
- Minimum of 6 years post qualification experience.
- Demonstrable leadership experience in safeguarding practice
- Trained to a minimum of level 4 safeguarding children and adults in line with NHS Intercollegiate Document
- Experience of working with mental health service users
Desired:
- Experience in the digital health sector
Benefits
Are you looking for a fulfilling career with attractive perks and a supportive work environment? Look no further! We're excited to offer an incredible opportunity with a range of benefits that cater to your professional growth, well-being, and work-life balance.
1. Competitive Salary:
Dependant on experience up to £55,000
2. Generous Annual Leave
Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, in addition to public holidays, providing you ample time to recharge and spend quality moments with your loved ones.
3. Professional Development
Benefit from our yearly professional training programmes, tailored to your career aspirations and designed to enhance your skills and knowledge.
4. Financial Security
Secure your financial future with our pension contributions and annual company share option awards, giving you a stake in the success of the company.
5. Health and Well-being
Prioritize your health and well-being with our comprehensive AXA plan and access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). The EAP offers 24/7 telephone mental health support and access to GP consultations, ensuring your mental and physical health are taken care of.
6. Life Assurance:
Gain peace of mind knowing that you're covered with life assurance, providing up to four times your annual salary to your loved ones in the unfortunate event of your passing.
7. Flexible Working
Embrace the flexibility of remote working, allowing you to create a work-life balance that suits your needs and maximizes your productivity.
8. Lifestyle Benefits
Participate in the Cycle to Work Scheme, promoting a healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle, and take advantage of our Incapacity Income Protection to safeguard your financial stability in case of unforeseen circumstances.
If you're seeking a stimulating career where your well-being, growth, and contributions are valued, we invite you to apply and become a part of our dynamic and supportive team. Join us as we strive for success together!
At Kooth, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace that values and embraces the unique contributions of every individual. We believe in equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression or sexual orientation.
Our dedication to creating a fair and unbiased environment is reflected in all aspects of our recruitment, hiring, and employment practices. We strive to provide a work environment that is free from discrimination, where every employee is treated with respect and dignity.
Request for Reasonable Adjustments:
We are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants and employees with disabilities or individuals who require accommodations to participate in the application process, interviews, or job-related tasks. If you require any reasonable adjustments to ensure your equal participation in our recruitment process, please inform our Human Resources team.
Your openness will allow us to work together to provide appropriate accommodations and ensure a fair and accessible application and employment experience for everyone.
Kooth plc is committed to our responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults . We are committed to recruiting candidates who share this commitment to safeguarding, and therefore we apply robust recruitment and selection procedures to ensure that the people selected are right for the job, and that all candidates are appropriately screened prior to appointment. This will include a DBS check.