Specialist Practitioner Safeguarding Children

An exciting opportunity has arisen within BTHNHSFT to work within a diverse and forward thinking Safeguarding Team. If you are committed to safeguarding children & adults then we'd like to hear from you for this Specialist Safeguarding Practitioner role. The team comprises of Named Nurses and Professionals, Children and Adult practitioners, Contextual Safeguarding Practitioners, ED Navigators, ISVA and IDVA's.

The post holder will work within a multi-professional / agency setting meeting the duties of health within this arena. The role entails working with our multi-agency partners covering MASH and the newly created Domestic Abuse Hub, working within the Contextual Safeguarding arena supporting children open to the Awaken Child Exploitation team, Youth Justice Service and the Enhanced CLA team and providing advice to frontline BTH staff. The post holder will provide internal training and be readily available to give advice regarding children's safeguarding policies, procedures and clinical practice to enable the trust and its workforce to conform to mandatory and statutory frameworks to ensure the most appropriate outcomes for children, young people and adults are achieved.

The post holder will work closely with the Named and Lead Professionals for Safeguarding to ensure appropriate quality assurance mechanisms are in place and to assist in the development of skills and competencies of the workforce and BTHNHSFT staff.

Main duties of the job

-To be a Specialist Safeguarding Practitioner for BTHNHSFT and advise on and implement policies, procedures and guidelines relating to Safeguarding.-To assist in the development of specialised safeguarding care plans for children, advising BTHNHSFT staff and all relevant agencies on the best course of action to be taken in the best interests of the child, young person or adult.

-To work closely with other Named and Lead Professionals in supporting all activities across BTHNHSFT, ensuring that the Trust discharges its responsibilities in relation to Safeguarding Children and Adults.-To advise Police, Social Care and other agencies on health matters with regard to safeguarding children and adults.-To contribute to the achievement of the Network / Trust business plan, targets and objectives.-To contribute and ensure that BTHNHSFT meets its obligations under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 and in line with the statutory guidance detailed in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) and within Safeguarding Contracts.-Provide sound safeguarding advice on the day-to day management of adults, children and families/ carers where there are complex safeguarding issues or concerns.

About us

The Safeguarding team at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals seeks to appoint a Specialist Safeguarding Practitioner to be part of our diverse and dynamic Safeguarding Team. The team provides services to vulnerable adults, children and families across the BTH footprint and this is reflected in the workload. The comprises of a number of highly skilled professionals including Named Nurses and Professionals, Children and Adult practitioners, Contextual Safeguarding Practitioners, ED Navigators, ISVA and IDVA's to provide a holistic team approach to patient care. Due to the nature of the service this will role includes frequent exposure to highly confidential, sensitive and distressing information. Working for the team it is essential that you are patient focused and able to build good working relationships with adults, children and a range of professionals.

Job description

Job responsibilities

New and innovative roles have emerged within the Contextual Safeguarding Team for Specialist Safeguarding Practitioners to work across the whole team, inclusive of YOT, Exploitation and CLA.

We are looking for full time (part time and/or job share would be considered).

Nationally, serious violence has doubled across Lancashire and we are committed to focusing on the impact of violence and violent behaviour. We want to shift mindsets towards early intervention, prevention and Public Health approaches.

Your role will include supporting and promoting the health and well-being of our most vulnerable children and young adults. You will be supported to manage your own caseload, working alongside your safeguarding peers, within a nurturing environment.

We are looking for experienced practitioners to advocate for children and young people, helping to improve health outcomes for those at risk of harm from Child Sexual Exploitation, Child Criminal Exploitation, Human Trafficking/Modern Slavery and Missing from Home.

You will work as integral members of the multi-agency safeguarding team, ensuring that the health needs of this most vulnerable group of children and young people are included in any multi-agency assessments.

Working with the Exploitation, Children Looked After and Youth Offending Teams, you will be part of the decision-making process to identify the right health professional to engage with children at the right time.

You will work with The Named Nurses for Contextual Safeguarding promoting quality practice all related to Contextualised Safeguarding across the BTH footprint.

You will be motivated and dynamic professionals with experience of working with children and young people within a healthcare setting acute or community based.

Excellent communication skills and the ability to work as part of a team are essential requirements of these posts. The successful applicants will need to demonstrate a passion for safeguarding and be prepared to be involved in training to staff.

The post will provide a unique opportunity for a successful applicant to gain knowledge and experience of working in the field of Safeguarding Children & Adults and become a source of advice and support to staff within the organisation. The post holder will be expected to work collaboratively with other providers across Lancashire. The post holder will need to demonstrate evidence of excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills, and have experience of multi-agency working.

The scope of the post will include the development of effective inter-disciplinary and interagency communication and relationships to improve outcomes for children and adult Please see job description for full details

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• General or Mental Health Nurse AND either RSCN, Midwife or Specialist Community Practitioner
• Current NMC registration
• Educated to, or working towards degree level or evidence of equivalent professional qualification or experiential learning
• Training Qualification or experienced in delivering training

Desirable

• Other relevant safeguarding experience
• Child Protection Supervisor minimum of 2 years

Experience

Essential

• Experience in caring for babies / children / families and currently practising in the field of Safeguarding / Child Protection including knowledge of FGM, CSE, CCE, Domestic Abuse, Honour based violence, MCA, and other issues related to the Safeguarding of Children and Adults
• Evidence of experience of working closely with the Safeguarding Children Team.
• Experience in providing safeguarding supervision, support to staff and debrief.
• Ability to support and manage change effectively.
• Experience in the development of new roles and services.
• Able to demonstrate the ability to prioritise workload and complex case management.
• Understanding of, and proven experience of, working with different agencies across Health, Social Care, Police, Education, Voluntary and Independent Sector

Education/Training

Essential

• Teaching, presentation and facilitation skills
• Ability to identify training needs of self and other staff including supervisees.
• Demonstrate ability to incorporate National Directives and research findings into practice and through training and supervision.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Good organisational skills and effective time management skills alongside the ability to apply self-care strategies
• Able to demonstrate high level communication skills and a commitment to the safeguarding agenda and improving outcomes for children and young people
• Able to demonstrate compassion and resilience in dealing with emotive and difficult situations

Other

Essential

• The ability to travel as necessary in order to undertake the role

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of current legislation related to Safeguarding Children and the implications for practice and governance arrangements
• Knowledge of national and local policy / procedures / research relating to Safeguarding and Protecting Children and the implications for practice including lessons learnt from CSPR's.
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of current issues affecting Safeguarding and Protecting Children practice, including clinical effectiveness, evidence based practice and Clinical Governance.
• Ability to demonstrate an awareness of the complex issues when working across organisations and disciplines and an understanding of key elements of respectful challenge
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Knowledge of current Domestic Abuse legislation and practice
• Knowledge of Contextual Safeguarding, Trauma Informed Care and Building Trusted Relationships

Employer details

Employer name

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals

Whinney Heys Road

Blackpool

FY3 8NR

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

382-COR109-23-A