Head of Safeguarding

Do you have a passion for making a difference and ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable populations? Are you driven by a commitment to uphold the highest standards of safeguarding within a variety of healthcare services, including detained settings?

Spectrum Community Health are a leading prison health and community services provider dedicated to delivering high-quality, personalised and compassionate care. Our services include prison healthcare, community substance misuse, community sexual health, GP Practice and targeted work with service users who may not access traditional health services. Our mission is to ensure every individual receives the care, support, and protection they deserve.

The Head of Safeguarding will be an experienced Nurse who has worked in safeguarding roles/teams and has a firm understanding of the principles, challenges and support needed for our staff and patients. We are therefore looking to appoint a Registered Nurse who has worked within a health or local authority safeguarding team, and can demonstrate evidence of the impact they have had on keeping everyone safe - through the use of statutory frameworks, leading complex case reviews, providing expert training to all different staff groups (registered and unregistered clinicians and wider admin teams), and has the ability to co-produce policies, standard operating procedures and reports for Committees and Safeguarding Partnerships.

Main duties of the job

The Head of Safeguarding is part of the Nursing and Clinical Governance Team and you will provide an organisation-wide strategic lead on behalf of the Director of Nursing to ensure that Spectrum meets its obligations under the Children's Act 2004, Care Act 2014 and other relevant legislation and guidance. Visibility across all Spectrum Services is essential and the post holder will also build positive relationships with the Safeguarding Adult and Children Partnerships where our services are located.

In addition, the main responsibilities are to:

1. Lead and manage the safeguarding team to ensure the protection of all individuals under our care.
2. Develop/implement safeguarding policies and procedures in line with current legislation and best practice.
3. Provide expert advice/guidance on safeguarding issues to staff at all levels.
4. Conduct regular audits and reviews to ensure compliance with safeguarding standards.
5. Act as the primary point of contact for safeguarding concerns, liaising with external agencies when necessary.
6. Deliver training and workshops to staff to raise awareness and understanding of safeguarding practices.
7. Ensure thorough and timely support for all safeguarding incidents and concerns.
8. Champion a culture of vigilance and continuous improvement regarding safeguarding.
9. Act as Prevent Lead for the organisation ensuring compliance with the Prevent Duty.

About us

BE THE DIFFERENCE IN HEALTHCARE

Join our team

We're looking for passionate individuals to join our diverse and innovative team.

We welcome applications from experienced Registered Nurses who are ready to take the next step up or to do something different. People joining our organisation have:

• Access to NHS Pension
• Annual leave on your Birthday
• Refer a friend scheme
• Training and Development opportunities
• Flexible Working
• Access to Employee Assistance and Health and Wellbeing programmes
• Up to 33 days annual leave

We have an ambition to become a truly lived experience inclusive employer, changing how we approach staff experience and value personal stories our colleagues bring with them.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will continue the delivery of Spectrum's Safeguarding Strategy, working with key internal and external stakeholders to demonstrate that we deliver a comprehensive and safe effective service for the organisation, and the patients in our care.

The Head of Safeguarding is required to ensure that all statutory, regulatory and performance requirements are fully met. They will support the Executive Director of Nursing and Quality to provide assurance to the Board and the Committees, that the services are well-led in respect to safeguarding.

By leading the Safeguarding Team (Named Professional for Adults and Mental Capacity Lead; Named Nurse for Children, Safeguarding Practitioner; Named GP for Safeguarding), the post-holder will be responsible for implementation, maintenance and development of effective and safe systems of work that support the operational teams to deliver their services. These systems will provide the ways of working to detect, prevent, investigate and control the harm and abuse that may be experienced by our patients, and staff.

Please refer to the job description for full details.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered General Nurse (Adult)
• Master's degree in a relevant subject
• Competency at Level 4 Safeguarding Adults and Children
• Registration on Part 3 of the NMC Register, (Specialist Community Public Health Nurse)

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of leadership in a safeguarding role e.g. Specialist Nurse/Named Professional for Safeguarding
• Experience in working with adults at risk of abuse or neglect, such as in a mental health or detained setting
• Able to make strategic and operational judgements involving complex facts/situations in relation to safeguarding concerns
• Act as an expert resource in advising external agencies and organisations
• Evidence of leadership in teaching, mentoring and training learners and completing training needs analyses
• Expert knowledge of national and local safeguarding policy and legislation, including Children Act, Care Act, MCA, DOL's, Health and Social Care Act, Intercollegiate Documents, Working Together to Safeguard Children

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent organisational and planning skills, ability to manage a team and self to a high standard
• High level communication and interpersonal skills, ability to assert views appropriately
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Remain up to date with legislation and policy pertaining to safeguarding
• Able to lead compassionately and represent the values of the organisation

Other requirements

• Understand the emotive, challenging and distressing nature of dealing with safeguarding concerns and recognise the need to seek support for self when needed
• Work within the professional code of conduct as required by registered professional body

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Executive Director of Nursing and Quality