Independent Scrutineer (Children & Young People) Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children

The Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (BSCP) is seeking an experienced and highly credible safeguarding professional to take on the vital role of Independent Scrutineer.

Salary: £650 per day

Hours: Up to 36 days per annum of Independent Scrutiny, with an additional 12 days during the first year for induction. The role is subject to a three-year tenure, subject thereafter to an annual review for a maximum of a further two years to be agreed by the Lead Safeguarding Partners.

Job location: Hybrid. Please note that this is not a remote position. The Scrutineer will be expected to attend locations across Buckinghamshire with some home working. BSCP meetings are currently in-person in Aylesbury.

This role, strengthened in the refreshed Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) guidance, is central to ensuring that our local safeguarding arrangements are effective, impactful, and deliver improved outcomes for children and young people. The Independent Scrutineer will provide objective oversight and constructive challenge, helping the partnership stay focused on what matters most: keeping children safe and improving their lives.

As part of the role, you will also support and educate the partnership by formally presenting national reports and publications from the DfE and the National Panel at partnership meetings, ensuring that relevant learning from these publications is considered and taken forward.

Your work will assess and provide assurance on the effectiveness of our safeguarding arrangements, examining how well agencies collaborate to protect children and prevent harm. You will identify strengths, highlight areas for improvement, and ensure that learning translates into meaningful change. By promoting accountability and driving continuous improvement, you will help deliver better outcomes and lasting impact for children and families across Buckinghamshire.

We are seeking a professional with senior leadership experience at a strategic level and a deep understanding of child safeguarding. You must demonstrate a strong knowledge of Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018 and 2023) and understand the nuances of independent scrutiny.

We welcome applications from those with senior leadership experience in education, social care, health, regulation, or the emergency services, who can commit to this important role. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of children’s safeguarding in one of the UK’s largest local authority areas. Your work will directly support our efforts to strengthen partnership working, drive improvement, and ensure that every child in Buckinghamshire is safe and supported to thrive.

Applicants must not be currently employed by any BSAB represented agencies and must be able to demonstrate their ability to perform the role independently.

For further information, please contact the Safeguarding Partnerships Manager, Daniel Morris by emailing: Daniel.morris@buckinghamshire.gov.uk. To apply, please send your CV and expression of interest by email. Applicants will be shortlisted and if successful, will be approached for interview.

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’).