Expected Shortlisting Date:

31/12/2024

Planned Interview Date:

07/01/2025

Leeds Teaching Hospitals, one of the largest Acute Trusts in the country has an exciting opportunity for an, exceptional professional to apply for the post of Safeguarding Children Advisor. As a Trust we are committed to delivering safe, effective and compassionate care to our patients and delivering excellence in safeguarding practice. We have invested in and strengthened our safeguarding team and we are looking for an exceptional individual with passion and commitment to join the team.

Main duties of the job

Supporting the Named Nurse to drive forward the safeguarding children agenda, key responsibilities of the role will include providing, support, guidance and advice to frontline staff developing and delivering training and safeguarding supervision supporting with monitoring practice and progression of improvement plans. The post holder will deputise for the Named Nurse, providing the successful candidate with the opportunity to contribute to multidisciplinary and multi-agency safeguarding children activities.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate robust knowledge and experience in the field of Safeguarding Children, possess effective communication skills, experience in teaching and the confidence to provide positive challenge and support to effect change.

About us

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Title: Safeguarding Children Advisor

Reports to: Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children/Deputy Head of Safeguarding

Band: 6

Department: Safeguarding Team Corporate Nursing

Location Leeds General Infirmary

AfC Job No: 2803b

2. JOB PURPOSE/SUMMARY

The post supports the operational delivery of child protection within a clinical governance framework throughout the trust and includes the general raising of awareness of child protection practice throughout childrens and adult services. They will work with the Named Nurse for Childrens safeguarding and the Specialist Safeguarding practitioner to lead the development of child protection practice, reflecting the Clinical Service Unit, Corporate Nursing and Safeguarding business plans. The post holder will provide a crucial link between staff at ward level and the Safeguarding Team, providing a clinical lead and role model to the staff by delivering high quality care as an experienced practitioner. The post holder will work in partnership with other statutory, voluntary and healthcare agencies. The post holder will be expected to work proactively, autonomously, and act in such a way as to provide a suitable and professional role model for others.

The Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children will lead the co-ordination of the child protection services throughout the Trust with the Safeguarding Children Advisor, raising awareness of essential child protection practice through primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention.

Seeks advice and support from the Named Nurse and informs the named nurse when poor practice has been identified. Or where standards cannot be maintained.

Commitment of a quality service in an environment of financial constraints

Enable the development of an environment which encourages staff members to be effective and proactive in the field of child protection

Contribute at an interagency level and demonstrate a commitment to the principles outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children (DOH 2018), and The Children Act 1989 & 2004.

3. ORGANISATIONAL CHART

4. PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Inter-Agency Responsibilities: -

The post holder will

Clinical

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care and interventions using advanced child protection knowledge and the legal framework.

To review specific child protection plans for pre-birth and new born infants within the midwifery/neonatal services.

Refer patients as appropriate to other members of the multi-disciplinary/agency teams.

To support staff involved in the child protection process, including attendance at strategy and professional meetings.

Set, monitor and seek to continuously improve standards in quality of child protection care.

Maintain a safe working environment.

Supervise and maintain accurate records using the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trusts documentation.

Provide staff with necessary knowledge and skills to ensure the safe and appropriate management of children identified as being at risk of being abused or have been abused, as well as children in need.

Ensure the safe use and efficient management of equipment and supplies

Promote evidence-based practice.

Support patients and their families ensuring they receive required information to enable them to participate on their care delivery.

Assist the named nurse to develop and implement policy and practice guidelines specific to child protection.

Acts in accordance with the The Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct (NMC 2015).

Liaise with Community Services to ensure seamless provision of care delivery.

Contribute to the development of effective communication strategies regarding child protection issues from ward and community staff to the child protection team.

Support staff in the preparation of legal proceedings and reports.

Support the named nurse in the development of chronologies in respect of child protection evidence, safeguarding practice reviews, domestic homicide reviews, and serious incidents

Education and Training

Participates in training and education of learners and all hospital staff

Actively participate in the development of own personal development plan and performance review

Participate in national, regional and local conferences

Provide education and training to patients and their carers

Keep up to date with developments, advances within the speciality

Leadership

Co-ordinate delegated child protection investigations

Investigate and respond to accidents, untoward incidents and other significant events

Deliver an effective quality service with budgetary constraints

Appropriately manages or escalates incidents that present via complaints and or whistle blowing routes

Research and Audit

Contribute to the research agenda

Participate in the clinical governance agenda for child protection

Engage users and carers views on service delivery and development

Undertake audit programmes specific to client group, treatments and developments

Participate in the development of child protection audit

Participate in the childrens safeguarding meetings, strategy meetings and case conferences contributing required expertise to action plans where needed

5. THE LEEDS WAY VALUES

Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Patient-centred

Collaborative

Fair

Accountable

Empowered

All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values

Additionally, the following are core values which relate specifically to this post:

Commitment to ensuring that patients within LTHT are appropriately safeguarded.

Commitment to working collaboratively to embed the Think Family approach

Commitment to developing services which promote the Voice of the Child

Commitment to providing expert advice and information to patients and carers with regards to issues relating to safeguarding

Commitment to the clinical area, valuing the contribution of all team members, encouraging a positive and creative working environment

Commitment to maintaining safe and dignified care for all patients.

Commitment to working closely with service users and their families/carers

Professional image and positive approach to problem solving.

Maintain positive working relationships with others at all times.

Honest and fair minded.

Commitment to working across all internal disciplines and relevant outside agencies

Promotes a culture of equality, mutual respect and diversity.

Is regarded as having knowledge, integrity and trusted by others

Commitment to own personal and professional development and to the development of others within the team

6. WEST YORKSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF ACUTE TRUSTS (WYAAT)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

By bringing together the wide range of skills and expertise across West Yorkshire and Harrogate we are working differently, innovating and driving forward change to deliver the highest quality care. By working for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust this is your opportunity to be a part of that change.

WYAAT is the acute sector arm of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, one of the largest integrated care systems in the country. The Partnerships ambition is for everyone to have the best possible health and wellbeing, and the work of WYAAT, and each individual trust, supports that ambition.

7. INFECTION CONTROL

The jobholder must comply at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Infection Control policies, in particular by practising Universal Infection Control Precautions. Hand hygiene must be performed before and after contact with patients and their environment.

8. HEALTH AND SAFETY / RISK MANAGEMENT

All staff are responsible for working with their colleagues to maintain and improve the quality of services provided to our patients and other service users. This includes complying at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Policies, including Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed security and safer working procedures, and reporting incidents using the Trust Incident Reporting system

9. EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

The jobholder must comply with all policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment and that services are delivered in ways that meet the individual needs of patients and their families. No person whether they are staff, patient or visitor should receive less favourable treatment because of their gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.

10. TRAINING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The jobholder must take responsibility in agreement with his/her line manager for his/her own personal development by ensuring that Continuous Professional Development remains a priority. The jobholder will undertake all mandatory training required for the role.

11. COMMUNICATION & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Head of Safeguarding

Safeguarding Team members

Matrons

Clinical Service Unit Management Teams

Allied Health Professional (AHP) Managers

Risk Management Dept.

Information Governance Dept.

Patient Experience Team

Ward and unit teams

Multi-disciplinary teams

Education, Training and Professional Development Department

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Significant post registration experience
• Experience of managing investigations, including root cause analysis and complaints
• Understanding of relevant National Service Frameworks
• Awareness of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust guidelines and policies
• Knowledge of Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships procedures and of the legal framework and related guidelines governing child protection
• Profession knowledge and nursing/midwifery experience at a senior level
• Knowledge of child protection policies, procedures and good practice guidelines
• Experience of child protection work
• Clinical audit & standard setting
• Service development and/or change management
• Current issues in healthcare

Desirable

• Experience of interagency working, in relation to child protection
• Experience of safeguarding supervision
• Evidence of a good understanding of legislation and national guidelines driving safeguarding policy and practice

Skills & Behaviours

Essential

• Capable of lateral thinking
• Able to work on own initiative
• Effective communicator
• Motivated and enthusiastic
• Willingness to learn and develop new skills
• Team player
• Teaching and assessment skills
• Organisational skills
• Record keeping skills in line with NMC and trust policies
• Time & change management skills
• Understanding of research-based practice - research conscious Conflict management
• Uses initiative to resolve issues within their own control
• Ability to act professionally at all times
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to monitor, maintain and lead on improvements to service delivery

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (Level 1) Child Adult: Learning Disabilities Mental Health
• Or Registered Midwife
• Or Registered Nurse (level 1) With SCPHN Health Visitor / School Nurse
• Or Registered Allied Health Professional (AHP) or a social worker registered on the HCPC
• Recognised teaching/ assessing qualification

Desirable

• Degree in Nursing or related subject

Other Criteria

Essential

• Excellent written and verbal skills
• Competent in use of Microsoft Office
• Ability to organise and prioritise own and others workl
  Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.
  
  C9298-CFN-0108