Safeguarding Children Practitioner

This post is only open for applications for individuals employed within the Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Care System

Working under the direction of the Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children and the Safeguarding Children Specialist Nurse to provide expert advice, support and training to all health staff and to develop effective inter-agency working practices across agencies to safeguard children.

This role is open for applications from both Nursing (NMC) and Allied Health Professionals (HCPC) registered applicants.

Main duties of the job

• To offer specialist safeguarding children advice and support to staff across IOW NHS Trust (under the direction of the named/specialist nurse

• In conjunction with the Safeguarding Children Team to deliver Level 1-3 training to Trust staff as part of the Mandatory training program in line with the Trust Safeguarding Children Training Policy.

• In conjunction with the Safeguarding Children Team to undertake Paediatric Liaison duties to ensure robust information sharing between Secondary and Universal health care services.

• In conjunction with the Safeguarding Team to ensure the timely return of HanstDirect Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) enquiries in line with MASH timescales.

About us

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust serves a population of approximately 150,000 residents, making the services we offer variable and personalised with a flexible approach to our service users.

Working for our Trust brings a variety of benefits, including an onsite day nursery, cycle-to-work scheme, discounts at local businesses and gyms, and the opportunity to hire Trust's beach hut in Ryde. We offer many flexible working opportunities, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement for you and if it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

The Isle of Wight is a unique and stunning gem located off of the South Coast of England, a short ferry journey from Portsmouth and Southampton, with journey times taking from as little as 10 minutes. London can be reached in 90 minutes by rail from Southampton or Portsmouth. The island offers an amazing coastline with beautiful countryside, year-round events, festivals and award-winning attractions.

Our 2020-2025 strategy sets out to ensure that we continue to be a provider of excellent and compassionate care. As part of this strategy, we are proactively taking steps to ensure that we recruit and retain the highest quality of talent to provide CARE and we would welcome applications from under-represented groups to ensure our Trust is an inclusive and diverse employer.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Communication and relationships

• To provide child protection supervision (under the direction of the Named/Specialist Nurse) to health professionals involved in child protection by telephone or 1 to 1 contact

• To liaise with frontline practitioners to integrate safeguarding children practices into staff roles.

• To be able to present safeguarding children information in a variety of formats including verbal / written / data with analysis and via PowerPoint presentation.

• To deputise for the Named Nurse and Specialist Nurse at LSCP sub groups as required.

• To support practitioners at Child Protection Conferences / Core Groups and during Court appearances.

• To deputise for the Named Nurse and Specialist Nurse at the monthly Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) , The Missing , Explicated , Trafficked Risk Assessment Conference (METRAC) and the High Risk Domestic Abuse meeting (HRDA)

• To challenge Trust staff & practitioners (at any grade) if LSCP policy and procedure is not followed or adhered to.

• To support Trust staff to escalate safeguarding children concerns when concerns persist despite appropriate action.

• To challenge safeguarding partners including Childrens Social Care and the Police if LSCP policy & procedure is not followed or adhered to.

• To work in conjunction with:

• Isle of Wight Safeguarding Children Partnership (IWLSCP)
• Designated Doctor and Designated Nurse
• Named Nurse / Named Midwife / Specialist Nurse for Safeguarding Children
• Statutory and voluntary agencies involved in safeguarding children
• HantsDirect - Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
• Children In Care Nurse
• Mainland Safeguarding Children Teams

• The nature of this role is such that there will be regular communication with safeguarding partners including childrens social care / Police / Child Death Overview Panel and LSCP of a highly emotive, sensitive, confidential and complex information.
• To demonstrate reasoning and decision making for clinical risk issues relating to children. This is achieved through adherence to current legislation and in line with child protection policies, escalation of cases, guidance and professional standards for practice.

• To form specialist reasoned judgement around areas of risk and safety of a childs/Un-born situation with staff so they can contribute to inter-agency discussions or meetings and fully participate to safeguard children.

• To gather, assess and analyse information on individual children and families relevant to specific MASH enquiries, including making a judgement on further action to be taken.

• To advise staff on reports for child protection conferences and statements for care proceedings referring to the Named Nurse/Specialist Nurse when deemed necessary, using clinical judgment skills to decide when to do so.

• To support the Named Nurse in analysing information for Child Safeguarding Practice reviews (were called Serious Case Reviews) including initial scoping and attendance at any reflective learning sessions.

• To ensure evidence-based risk assessment is undertaken during all supervision with frontline staff ensuring escalation to the Safeguarding Children Specialist Nurse is undertaken when required.

• To advise and support frontline staff in data sharing practice taking the responsibility for appropriateness of information sharing of highly confidential and sensitive data the best interest of the child in line with the 7 Golden Rules of Information sharing and in line with the Data Protection Act.

Planning and organising

• To access training to maintain own competences appropriate to the role in line with the Trust Safeguarding Children Training Policy.

• To access regular child protection supervision from the Named Nurse / Specialist Nurse for Safeguarding Children.

• Ensure effective investigation of suspected and actual cases of child abuse and to ensure that organisational procedures and systems for safeguarding children are coordinated effectively.

• Where appropriate to participate in an any scoping or interviews as required as part of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review process and to co-ordinate meetings with frontline practitioners aimed at ensuring learning and development takes place as part of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review process.

• To ensure all HantsDirect MASH responses meet the required timeframe (Section 47 within 2 hours and Section 17 within 48 hours).

• Ensure all reporting deadlines are met, escalating to the Named Nurse when concerns for deadline achievement exist.

• Ensure a prompt response to safeguarding children concerns from frontline staff Monday Friday 09.00 17.00.

• Prioritise and re prioritise own workload in response to urgent safeguarding children demands.

• Commitment to work flexibly in response to the needs of the service e.g. Non accidental injury examinations/strategy meetings and Joint Agency Responses to a Child Death.

Patient and client care

• To demonstrate reasoning and decision making for clinical risk issues relating to children to ensure the childs best interests are maintained at all times.

• To form specialist reasoned judgements around areas of risk and safety of a childs situation with staff so they can contribute to inter-agency discussions or meetings and fully participate to safeguard children.

• To support frontline practitioners with complex cases including joint visiting / support at various meetings, acting as an advocate for the child/Un born at all times.

Service and policy development

• To contribute to the development of local and national strategies for public involvement in the area of safeguarding children and families.

• To support the Named Nurse in the production of Safeguarding Children policies and guidance.

Managing financial resources

• The post holder will have responsibility, together with the team, for ensuring that the budgets relating to safeguarding remain within balance and the best use is made of staffing and training resources.

People management and development

• To support the Named Nurse / Specialist Nurse and Named Doctor to deliver safeguarding training (with support) on a regular basis, this will include bespoke sessions to staff groups in order to meet the requirements of the Trust Safeguarding Children Training Policy.

• To provide child protection supervision (under the direction of Specialist/Named Nurse) of health professionals involved in child protection practice either by telephone or 1 to 1 contact.

Information system use and management

• To be confident and proficient in the use of various Trust systems i.e. E-Care Logic / Patient Centre / PARIS / Symphony/Systm One/Adastra
• To be able to search IOW NHS Trust Information Systems for individual information on a child / children in order to contribute to safeguarding children enquiries.
• To input information onto Paris and notify the named health professional.

• To be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office software including Word / Excel and Powerpoint in order to present safeguarding children information in the best format.

Involvement in surveys and research

• To participate in or initiate audits and contribute to reports and action plans as required. These may be as part of an internal audit program, LSCP multi agency audits or part of a national audit.

• To participate in research as required both nationally and locally.

• To maintain own professional responsibility in keeping up to date with current national developments in safeguarding children.

Freedom to Act and autonomy

• Working under the direction of the Named Nurse and Safeguarding Children Specialist Nurse, following National / Local / LSCP / Trust child protection procedures.

• Be accountable for own professional actions and manage own workload within agreed objectives as set by the Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children, deciding when to refer to others as appropriate.

• To share information with internal staff and external partners in the best interest of the child in line with the 7 Golden Rules of Information sharing and in line with the Data Protection Act.

• To provide safeguarding children support and advice to staff under the day to day guidance of the Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Registered Nurse/Midwife/AHP with current professional registration with the NMC/HCPC or equivalent body
• Degree level education or equivalent knowledge and experience in practice
• Paediatric nursing/midwifery experience
• Willingness to undertake study at Level 6 or 7
• Evidence of competency at Level 3 safeguarding knowledge as per Intercollegiate Documents (2019)
• Knowledge of the statutory duty for NHS Trust's under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004
• Evidence of experience of robust inter agency/partnership working
• Understanding of audit cycle

Employer details

Employer name

Isle of Wight NHS Trust

Address

St Mary's Hospital

Newport

PO305TG

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

470-24-0013-COR-1-B