Safeguarding Officer
Also advertised as: airfield safety officer, airfield safety supervisor, airport safety officer, airport safety supervisor, airport security supervisor, aviation security officer
Investigates and coordinates responses to concerns about children or vulnerable adults.
What the job involves
Safeguarding officers receive and assess referrals about abuse or neglect, coordinate multi-agency responses and provide advice to schools, care providers or other organisations. The role requires calm, methodical judgement, since decisions can affect whether a child stays at home or an adult remains at risk. Most safeguarding officers come from a social work, teaching or policing background.
Typical responsibilities
- Assess and triage safeguarding referrals
- Coordinate multi-agency safeguarding meetings
- Advise organisations on policy and procedure
- Maintain accurate safeguarding records
- Deliver safeguarding training
Common employers
- Local authorities
- Schools and academy trusts
- NHS trusts
- Charities
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£28,000 – £33,000 a year
With experience
£35,000 – £45,000 a year
Typical hours
37 hours, occasional out-of-hours response
Working environment
Office-based with multi-agency meetings
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Risk assessment
- Multi-agency working
- Report writing
- Confidentiality
- Sound judgement
Transferable skills you may already have
- Social work, teaching or policing background
- Case management
- Working under pressure
Requirements employers ask for
- Risk assessment
- Multi-agency working
- Report writing
- Confidentiality
- Sound judgement
- Relevant professional background (social work, education, health or policing)
- Safeguarding Level 3 training
- Enhanced DBS check
- identify airport safety hazards
- carry out evacuation of airport in an emergency
- follow industry codes of practice for aviation safety;
- perform safety data analysis
- report airport security incidents
- airport safety regulations
- work in an aviation team
- ensure data protection in aviation operations
- implement safety management systems
- adhere to standards of national and international safety programmes
- health and safety measures in transportation
- use different communication channels
Useful but not essential
- Social work, teaching or policing background
- Case management
- Working under pressure
- Social work qualification
- Experience chairing multi-agency meetings
- act reliably
- tolerate stress
- show intercultural awareness
- airport operating environment
- apply conflict management
- adapt to changing situations
Helpful qualifications
- Social work qualification
- Experience chairing multi-agency meetings
Licences and checks
- Enhanced DBS check
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- No dedicated apprenticeship; typically a progression role
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Health and social care
- Related subject: Sociology
- Related subject: Law
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Safeguarding Officer
next
Head of Safeguarding
next
Independent Safeguarding Consultant
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Central role protecting vulnerable people
- Respected specialist career path
- Works across many types of organisation
What people find hard
- High-stakes decisions carry real pressure
- Distressing case content
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a safeguarding officer?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. preferred
- How much does a safeguarding officer earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £28,000 to £33,000 a year, rising towards £45,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Social work, teaching or policing background, Case management, Working under pressure.
Related careers
Social Worker
Assesses and protects children or adults at risk and coordinates the support around them.
Residential Childcare Worker
Provides day-to-day care and support to children living in residential children's homes.
Domiciliary Care Assistant
Supports people to live independently at home with daily tasks and personal care.
Family Support Worker
Works with families to build parenting skills and reduce the risk of children going into care.
Adult Social Care Team Leader
Manages a team of care workers delivering support to adults in the community or a care setting.
Substance Misuse Practitioner
Supports people struggling with drug and alcohol dependency towards recovery.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 15 September 2026.
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