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Freelance Safegurding Consultant
Location: Nationwide, with travel
About tiney
tiney is England's largest Ofsted-regulated Childminder Agency (CMA). We recruit, train, register, and support home-based childminders, and take on ongoing regulatory responsibility for the quality and safeguarding of every childminding setting in our network.
We currently work with over 1,100 tiney-registered childminders across England, supporting more than 10,000 families with high-quality, flexible childcare. As a CMA, tiney is responsible for conducting registration visits, Quality Assurance visits, compliance visits, and unannounced safeguarding visits to childminders' settings.
tiney operates as a supportive regulator. We believe the best outcomes for children come when childminders feel genuinely supported by their agency - not just monitored by it. That means holding high standards while also offering real support, coaching, and professional development to help childminders meet them. This ethos runs through everything we do, including how we approach safeguarding visits, regulatory action, and the conversations that follow.
In 2024, we were named one of the UK & Ireland’s 100 fastest-growing startups, and shortlisted for the Global EdTech Prize.
At tiney, we’re building a better childcare system. We help passionate, talented people open their own childminding businesses from home — giving families more access to high-quality, affordable care.
Central to tiney’s experience is our app, which childminders use to run their business — from education tools and payments to messaging and family communication.
Founded in 2018 by a team from Teach First and graze.com, we’ve raised £20m from top European VCs, and are already one of the UK’s top 5 childcare providers by childcare places.
The role
We are building a pool of experienced freelance safeguarding consultants to support our safeguarding visit programme and panel work across England. This is a field-based, per-assignment role for highly experienced early years safeguarding practitioners who want flexible work that makes a genuine difference.
Consultants work alongside tiney's employed safeguarding team in three ways:
Supporting pre-registration and post-registration safeguarding panel decisions, contributing professional judgement to case reviews and suitability assessments.
Conducting announced visits to childminders' settings — for example, monitoring compliance prior to lifting a suspension, or carrying out a 'check-in' visit following a period of regulatory action.
Acting as the second practitioner on unannounced safeguarding visits alongside a tiney panel member, contributing observations and professional judgement in real time. Depending on your experience, you may lead or support on these visits.
The lead or support designation on visits is determined by experience and case complexity.. More experienced consultants will be asked to lead; those newer to this type of regulatory work will initially attend in a support capacity while building familiarity with tiney's approach.
In all cases, you will be fully briefed on the case before every visit. A named tiney panel contact is available by phone throughout any visit you conduct, and escalation is always encouraged when anything unexpected arises.
Key responsibilities
Safeguarding panel support
Contribute to pre-registration and post-registration safeguarding panel decisions, reviewing cases and providing professional judgement on childminder suitability.
Review case documentation and provide written or verbal recommendations to the panel as directed.
Support the panel in developing and applying consistent, evidence-based decision-making.
Announced regulatory visits
Conduct announced visits to childminders' settings following a period of regulatory action, such as monitoring compliance prior to lift a suspension or follow-up 'check-in' visits.
Lead or support on visits depending on experience and case complexity, as agreed with the Head of Safeguarding in advance.
Assess the childminder's practice, setting, and engagement with regulatory requirements during the visit.
Write up visit notes and actions concisely, within 2 working days of the visit.
Contact the named tiney panel member immediately if anything unexpected arises on the doorstep or during the visit.
Unannounced safeguarding visits
Attend unannounced visits to childminders' settings alongside a tiney panel member.
Make professional observations and contribute to the live risk assessment throughout the visit.
Support accurate and timely documentation of the visit record.
Escalate immediately to the panel member if anything unexpected arises.
Be involved in making regulatory decisions where necessary/appropriate
Standards, compliance and communication
Ensure all visit and panel activity complies with tiney's safeguarding procedures and the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
Monitor and evaluate how childminders meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS.
Escalate concerns to the tiney safeguarding team promptly, following tiney's procedures.
Communicate feedback from visits clearly and in a timely way to the tiney team.
Contribute to consultant briefings and standardisation meetings to share learning and maintain consistency.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge and relevant qualifications throughout the engagement.
Relationships
Approach all contact with childminders in the spirit of tiney's supportive regulator ethos - holding standards firmly while remaining constructive, respectful, and genuinely supportive.
Build professional relationships with tiney-registered childminders that reflect tiney's values.
Promote the reputation of the childminder agency model through a collaborative and legislation-grounded approach.
Person specification
Essential
Extensive frontline experience working with children in the early years, in a role such as childminder, nursery manager, children's centre manager, or local authority advisory teacher.
A Level 3 qualification (or above) specifically in Early Years.
Experience in a lead safeguarding role, such as Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or equivalent
Substantial, current knowledge of safeguarding procedures, child protection frameworks, and relevant legislation.
Substantial knowledge and experience of the EYFS framework, including both the safeguarding and welfare requirements and the learning and development requirements.
Experience of conducting or contributing to regulatory visits, safeguarding investigations, or visit-based assessments.
A thorough understanding of child development theory, early years curriculum, and evidence-based practice.
Strong observational skills and the ability to identify safeguarding risk.
Excellent written English; able to produce accurate, concise visit reports and case summaries.
The ability to work flexibly, respond at short notice, and remain calm under pressure.
Ability to travel across England
Strong interpersonal skills; able to hold difficult conversations constructively and build professional trust with childminders.
Must hold or be willing to undertake a valid enhanced DBS check.
Desirable
Experience in a regulatory or inspection role within education (for example, as an Ofsted inspector or for another childminder agency).
An understanding of, or experience with, the childminder agency model.
Experience of multi-agency safeguarding work, including LADO or MASH engagement.
Hold a valid Paediatric First Aid certificat
What’s in it for you
A meaningful role in a mission-driven company that’s shaping the future of early education.
This is a freelance role payable on submission of a monthly invoice
Our safeguarding consultant roles are nationwide ( England only); we have vacancies available in the North, South , East and West
Flexibility: work the hours that you want to - you will be engaged on a per visit/per assignment basis
Reporting into the Head of Safeguarding, you will become an integral and valued member of the team.
Our Values
We are a values driven organisation that holds children at the core and default to transparency:
🎈 Play is a superpower – Our Joy and creativity fuels our innovation.
🤔 Curious Minds See More - We ask why? and are always open to learning
🏔️ Reach High - We set long term ambitious targets to achieve our ambitious goals
💪 You Grow Stronger After a fall – We lead with openness and trust.
🤗 We’re Better Together - We are a collective of experts focussed on serving children, families and our community of childminder
Our behaviours
🧒 Children at the core – We design policies and products that serve the whole person.
💬 Default to transparency – Honest communication builds strong teams.
Interview Process
We move quickly and keep things simple:
Intro Call
– A short conversation with someone from our people team
Task & Presentation
– A practical exercise relevant to the role
Team Interview
– Meet key stakeholders and explore mutual fit
Offer
– If it’s right on both sides, we move fast.
Our Commitment
We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity, foster inclusion, and are committed to building a team that reflects the children and communities we serve.
If our mission excites you but you’re not sure you meet every requirement — please apply anyway.
We move quickly and try to keep things simple, we are ready to offer to to the right candidates ASAP
