Head of Safeguarding and Advocacy
Location
Wales, England, United Kingdom
Employment TypeFull-time
Posted At4/25/2026
UK Visa Sponsorship Analytics
Analytics are greyed out due to low classification confidence (29.0%).
Occupation TypeBarristers and judges
Occupation Code Skill LevelHigher Skilled
Sponsorship Salary Threshold
£59,400
(£30.46 per hour)
Occupation rate applies
Above analytics are generated algorithmically based on job titles and may not always be the same as the company's job classification. You can also check detailed occupation eligibility, and salary criteria on our UK Visa Eligible Occupations & Salary Thresholds page.
Disclaimer: Hunt UK Visa Sponsors aggregates job listings from publicly available sources, such as search engines, to assist with your job hunting. We do not claim affiliation with Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government. For the most up-to-date job details, please visit the official website by clicking "Apply Now."
Description
Vacancy title
Head of Safeguarding and Advocacy
Closing date
22/05/2026, 16:00
Advertising basis
Permanent
Actual starting salary
A starting salary between £61,098 and £73,057 will be offered to the successful candidate based on their skills, knowledge, experience and performance at interview. This range is not negotiable.
Salary range or pay band
Grade 7 £61,098 to £73,057
Allowances
No
Work pattern
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Group
Health, Social Care and Early Years
Directorate
Social Services and Integration
Branch
Safeguarding and Advocacy
Location (s)
Pan Wales
Purpose of post
The role of the Head of Branch for Safeguarding and Advocacy is a key leadership role within the National Office for Care and Support based in the Health, Social Care and Early Years Group (HSCEY).
The Head of Branch plays a pivotal role in the strategic direction of safeguarding adults and children and ensuring children their voice through advocacy in Wales.,
You will ensure senior leaders and Welsh Ministers receive appropriate, timely and high-quality professional advice in respect of safeguarding and advocacy.
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional who can work closely with Ministers, key professionals and sector stakeholders to deliver across the safeguarding agenda.
Key tasks
Head of Safeguarding and Advocacy
Closing date
22/05/2026, 16:00
Advertising basis
Permanent
Actual starting salary
A starting salary between £61,098 and £73,057 will be offered to the successful candidate based on their skills, knowledge, experience and performance at interview. This range is not negotiable.
Salary range or pay band
Grade 7 £61,098 to £73,057
Allowances
No
Work pattern
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Group
Health, Social Care and Early Years
Directorate
Social Services and Integration
Branch
Safeguarding and Advocacy
Location (s)
Pan Wales
Purpose of post
The role of the Head of Branch for Safeguarding and Advocacy is a key leadership role within the National Office for Care and Support based in the Health, Social Care and Early Years Group (HSCEY).
The Head of Branch plays a pivotal role in the strategic direction of safeguarding adults and children and ensuring children their voice through advocacy in Wales.,
You will ensure senior leaders and Welsh Ministers receive appropriate, timely and high-quality professional advice in respect of safeguarding and advocacy.
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional who can work closely with Ministers, key professionals and sector stakeholders to deliver across the safeguarding agenda.
Key tasks
- Provide expert leadership and advice on strategic and policy direction.
- Develop professional practice and support operational issues relating to safeguarding adults and children and advocacy.
- Provide senior leaders and Welsh Ministers with appropriate, timely, high quality and evidenced professional advice relating to safeguarding adults and children and advocacy.
- Build and maintain effective networks and relationships with relevant government departments across the UK.
This is a high-trust, high-impact role. You will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, using your expertise and judgement to drive forward a complex work programme.
Given the strategic importance and visibility of the work, your contributions will directly influence pan Wales safeguarding. This is an opportunity to shape safeguarding and advocacy policy at a national level, while working closely with senior leaders and decision-makers.
Other vacancy related information
- A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.
- In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
- The post is hybrid working. The post holder will be expected to attend in person events and meetings relevant to their role and to support Ministers with their duties.
Basic
Number of posts
1
Contact point for further information regarding the post
safeguardingandadvocacy@gov.wales
Welsh language requirements
3 - Welsh language skills are not essential for this post, they are however desirable and will be considered if two or more candidates receive the same score at the application or interview stage.
Understanding by reading
0 - No skills
Speaking and being understood
0 - No skills
Understanding by listening
0 - No skills
Writing and being understood
0 - No skills
Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
Behaviour 1
The selection process and stages are:
Seeing the Big Picture
Bring together views and perspectives of stakeholders to gain a wider picture of the landscape surrounding activities and policies.
Behaviour 2
Making Effective Decisions
Present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of complex and sometimes incomplete evidence.
Behaviour 3
Leadership
Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting difference and external experience.
Behaviour 4
Delivering at Pace
Maintain your own levels of performance in challenging circumstances and encourage others to do the same.
Maintain your own levels of performance in challenging circumstances and encourage others to do the same
Evidence to provide
Experience questions
Experience 1
Experience of building strong internal and external relationships, based on collaboration and trust, to deliver high profile, sensitive policy objectives.
Strength 1
Adaptable
You will be asked about your nationality and if you are legally allowed to work in the United Kingdom. This is to find out if you are eligible to apply for this vacancy. This is a requirement for working within the Civil Service. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria your application will not progress. If it becomes clear at a later stage in the process that you are not eligible to apply, your application may be withdrawn, or the offer retracted.
Nationality Requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
Seeing the Big Picture
Bring together views and perspectives of stakeholders to gain a wider picture of the landscape surrounding activities and policies.
Behaviour 2
Making Effective Decisions
Present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of complex and sometimes incomplete evidence.
Behaviour 3
Leadership
Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting difference and external experience.
Behaviour 4
Delivering at Pace
Maintain your own levels of performance in challenging circumstances and encourage others to do the same.
Maintain your own levels of performance in challenging circumstances and encourage others to do the same
Evidence to provide
Experience questions
Experience 1
Experience of building strong internal and external relationships, based on collaboration and trust, to deliver high profile, sensitive policy objectives.
Strength 1
Adaptable
You will be asked about your nationality and if you are legally allowed to work in the United Kingdom. This is to find out if you are eligible to apply for this vacancy. This is a requirement for working within the Civil Service. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria your application will not progress. If it becomes clear at a later stage in the process that you are not eligible to apply, your application may be withdrawn, or the offer retracted.
Nationality Requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Civil Service Pension Scheme
- 31 days annual leave (pro-rated for part time)
- training and development opportunities
- Cycle2Work Scheme
- Smart Working flexible working arrangement
- Green Car Scheme (subject to availability)
If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles on the Commission's website.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email complaints@gov.wales . Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: info@csc.gov.uk.
How To Apply
All applications for this vacancy must be made using our online application system.
Unless stated otherwise in the 'Other vacancy-related information for advert', the Welsh Government cannot offer Visa sponsorship. Welsh Government holds a Visa sponsorship licence, but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
Applications are welcomed from people with a diverse range of lived and professional experiences. We are actively committed to becoming an increasingly diverse organisation which represents the diverse communities we serve. There are a number of Diversity networks that staff can participate in, which include the Disability Awareness and Support Staff Network; Minority Ethnic Staff Network; Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (LGBTI+), Women Together and the Neurodivergence Network.
If you have an impairment which prevents you from applying online, please email our recruitment team. You can:
- request an application pack in an alternative format
You should check your Application Centre regularly for updates to your application. Please also check your spam/junk folder in case any communication regarding your application and/or assessment details finds its way there.
Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form. You must complete this and submit it before the deadline on the closing date. We will not consider an incomplete application form.
If you would like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the Change Language link on this page. We welcome applications in Welsh, and applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.
Please see the candidate guidance for more information on the recruitment process.
For information on Civil Service Success Profiles please click here .
For TS to G6 recruitment schemes: When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role.
Use the 'Apply' button to submit your application. You will be asked to register if you don't have an account or sign in if you do. Registration takes a few minutes and you will need an email address.
You should check your Application Centre regularly for updates to your application. Please also check your spam/junk folder in case any communication regarding your application and/or assessment details finds its way there.
Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form. You must complete this and submit it before the deadline on the closing date. We will not consider an incomplete application form.
If you would like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the Change Language link on this page. We welcome applications in Welsh, and applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.
Please see the candidate guidance for more information on the recruitment process.
For information on Civil Service Success Profiles please click here .
For TS to G6 recruitment schemes:
When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role.