Strategic Governance, Safeguarding & Regulatory Oversight Lead
Salary : Competitive rates (dependent on experience and qualifications)
Job Type : Contract basis (Project-based)
Hours of work : Typically Monday to Friday
Start Date: Subject to satisfactory Enhanced DBS (including Children’s Barred List check)
Appointed by : Registered Provider / Board of Directors
Regulatory Framework:
Care Standards Act 2000
Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015
Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations
Ofsted Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SCCIF)
About Delphi Care Solutions
Delphi Care Solutions supports Ofsted-regulated services from initial concept through to safe, sustainable operational practice. We work alongside providers at every stage of their journey — from registration and governance set-up to ongoing regulatory oversight and inspection readiness.
Many providers appoint an experienced Responsible Individual (RI) to strengthen their governance arrangements and ensure robust safeguarding oversight. Delphi offers consultancy-led RI support that brings extensive sector knowledge, regulatory expertise, and strategic challenge, helping providers operate with confidence while keeping children’s safety at the centre of every decision.
Our ethos is simple: we partner with providers who genuinely care and are committed to making a meaningful difference in children’s lives. We do not offer superficial compliance. Instead, we deliver structured, inspection-led support that embeds strong systems, transparent governance, and defensible safeguarding practice.
Through proactive oversight, professional challenge, and continuous quality assurance, we help ensure that services are not only compliant, but consistently inspection-ready and delivering the highest possible standard of care.
Role Positioning
Under the Care Standards Act 2000, the Responsible Individual sits within the provider’s legal accountability framework.
The RI reports directly to the Registered Provider or Board of Directors and acts as the provider’s regulatory and safeguarding representative to Ofsted.
This role extends beyond compliance monitoring. The RI provides:
Independent governance oversight
Strategic safeguarding leadership
Inspection-readiness assurance aligned to SCCIF
Provider-level accountability
Constructive professional challenge
The RI ensures the service is not simply compliant, but defensible, sustainable, and child-centred.
Core Accountability
The Responsible Individual is accountable for ensuring that the children’s home:
Operates lawfully under all relevant legislation
Meets and sustains the Quality Standards
Maintains safe, proportionate safeguarding systems
Remains inspection-ready under the Social Care Common Inspection Framework
Delivers measurable outcomes for children
The RI represents the provider in regulatory engagement and must be able to evidence oversight, scrutiny, and challenge.
Strategic Functions
A. Governance & Regulatory Assurance
Maintain provider-level oversight systems
Monitor trends in incidents, restraints, missing episodes, complaints and safeguarding
Oversee Regulation 44 independence and scrutiny quality
Review and approve Regulation 45 Quality of Care reports
Ensure Regulation 40 notifications are appropriate and timely
Maintain a live compliance and risk register
Stress-test systems prior to inspection
The RI ensures governance systems are proactive rather than reactive.
Oversight is based on documentation, disclosures, and information made available by the service at the time of review. The provider retains ultimate legal responsibility for operational delivery and regulatory compliance.
B. Safeguarding Leadership
The RI:
Holds ultimate safeguarding accountability on behalf of the provider
Scrutinises serious incidents and allegations
Ensures appropriate external referrals (LADO, police, placing authority)
Monitors learning and practice improvement
Ensures safeguarding decisions are evidence-based and…