Employer: East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Maple House, Burnley General Teaching Hospital
Town: Burnley
Salary: £43,742 - £50,056 per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 20/09/2024 23:59
NHS AfC: Band 7
At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.
Job overview
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) recognises its duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people, and adults. Staff must always treat patients with dignity and respect, protecting those at risk from abuse and neglect. Employees have a responsibility to ensure that prompt and appropriate action is taken when concerns have been raised about a child, young person, or adult at risk.
The role of the Specialist Safeguarding Practitioner is an important leadership position that will ensure excellent standards of safeguarding practice throughout ELHT. The post holder will be an experienced children's social worker with recent experience of working with children and families, preferably within a health safeguarding role. They will lead on the design and delivery of training and education to the multidisciplinary workforce and be able to provide expert advice around safeguarding children.
The post holder will work closely with divisional leads and safeguarding ‘champions’ developing positive partnerships which will ultimately improve outcomes for children. They will also provide support and mentorship to safeguarding practitioners and other colleagues within the multidisciplinary safeguarding team.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will support the ELHT workforce to conform to the relevant statutory guidance, frameworks, and legislation. They will support the Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children and Head of Safeguarding to provide leadership, supervision, training, and expert advice in the management of child safeguarding concerns, including:
* Development and implementation of the Safeguarding Strategy and leading on workstreams within that strategy.
* Raising awareness of the safeguarding children's agenda with the ELHT multi-disciplinary workforce.
* Continued development of the Trust safeguarding policies and procedures and completion of audits to ensure that key safeguarding messages are embedded in practice and CQC standards are being met.
* Supporting staff to implement the principles of the Children Act 1989, 2004, and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.
* Design, deliver and evaluate Level 3 Safeguarding Children's training.
* Facilitation of safeguarding supervision and safeguarding champions sessions.
* Provision of support in the raising of and response to safeguarding child concerns within our acute and community settings.
* Supporting clinical and governance teams in the completion of safeguarding investigations.
* Proactively contribute to subgroups of the Child Safeguarding Assurance Partnership and safeguarding reviews including Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews and Domestic Homicide Reviews alongside multiagency partners.
Working for our organisation
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) was established in 2003 and is a large integrated health care organisation providing high quality acute secondary healthcare for the people of East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen.
We employ 10,000 staff, some of whom are award-winning and internationally renowned for their work and achievements. We treat over 700,000 patients a year from the most serious of emergencies to planned operations and procedures. Our high-quality healthcare services are offered across five hospital sites and various community sites.
We have a total of 1041 beds:
* 709 beds at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital
* 240 beds at Burnley General Teaching Hospital
* 32 beds at Clitheroe Community Hospital
* 67 beds at Pendle Community Hospital
Our objectives and values
At ELHT, our objectives are to:
* Put safety and quality at the heart of everything we do
* Invest in and develop our workforce
* Work with key stakeholders to develop effective partnerships
* Encourage innovation and pathway reform, and deliver best practice
Our values are:
* Respect the individual
* Act with integrity
* Serve the community
* Promote positive change
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES
* Support the Safeguarding Team to provide high quality safeguarding supervision, training, advice, and expertise to the ELHT workforce to maintain and continuously improve quality of services provided to children at risk of abuse & neglect and their families.
* To work in conjunction with the Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children and the Head of Safeguarding to update policies, procedures, and guidance and ensure we have an empowered workforce with the appropriate safeguarding knowledge and skills.
To develop ELHT staff knowledge and skills in the specific areas of:
* Safeguarding children at risk of abuse and neglect in accordance with the requirements of the Children Act (1989, 2004).
* Safeguarding policies and procedures.
* Recognising, raising and responding to concerns about abuse or neglect.
* To utilise a “think family” approach.
* Ensuring practice is trauma-informed and what this means.
* Provide advice to ELHT staff in relation to the support and management of children who have experienced any of the categories of abuse as defined by the Children Act (1989, 2004).
* Raise awareness of and offer expert advice in matters relating to honour-based violence, female genital mutilation, human trafficking & PREVENT.
* To attend and contribute to child safeguarding groups/meetings both within ELHT and alongside partners/external organisations where ELHT representation is required.
* Contribute to the governance arrangements regarding safeguarding within ELHT including, supporting safeguarding investigations.
* Proactively participate in multiagency meetings with partner agencies including subgroups of the Child Safeguarding Assurance Partnership (CSAP).
* Contribute to the communication processes within ELHT ensuring relevant information in relation to local and national safeguarding agendas is shared.
* Work in partnership with other safeguarding practitioners within ELHT including the Named Professional for Safeguarding Adults, Named Midwife, and leads for Learning Disability & Autism and Dementia to ensure a holistic ‘think family’ approach to safeguarding.
* To work closely with safeguarding practitioners outside of ELHT including other named and designated professionals within the Lancashire and South Cumbria health and social economy ensuring a collaborative and consistent approach to local safeguarding arrangements.
* Work with multi-agency teams and networks to support a whole systems approach to care delivery and safeguarding.
* Contribute to the development of health service specifications and standards for safeguarding practice.
* To analyse and communicate sensitive and complex information in relation to the operational issues relating to organisation and to partner agencies as necessary.
* To develop opportunities for frontline staff to develop a modern workforce that meets the health needs of the population of East Lancashire. This includes helping to identify funding streams, coordinate and collate bids to enhance the safeguarding services offered.
* Assist the Named Nurse and the Head of Safeguarding in helping to facilitate and coordinate the provision of legal reports required in legal proceedings and provide expert advice to practitioners on legal matters relating to the safeguarding agenda in conjunction with the Trust’s Legal Team.
* Establish and maintain communication with groups and individuals on complex and sensitive issues in a range of inter- and intra-agency settings within health, social, education, and voluntary sector relating to the safeguarding agenda.
* Communicate and be able to constructively challenge and analyse complex situations and events within a variety of professional inter/intra-agency settings.
* Propose, manage, evaluate and implement new service developments/projects, in conjunction with the Safeguarding Team, Named Nurse, and Head of Safeguarding.
* Contribute to reports and present information to safeguarding conferences and related meetings.
* Deliver SAFE, PERSONAL, and EFFECTIVE care – all aspects of the role will be delivered within a patient-led, multi-agency multidisciplinary team philosophy.
* Develop self and contribute to the development of others, including the safeguarding practitioners and champions.
* Provide, receive and analyse highly complex information relating to safeguarding children on a local and national basis.
* Communicate and analyse information in potentially stressful situations providing advice on all levels within the Trust and on a multi-agency/disciplinary basis.
* Contribute to planning and formulation of inter-agency safeguarding policies and procedures. Work in partnership with other agencies involved in safeguarding participating and influencing inter-agency procedures.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Current Social Work England registration
* Teaching/training qualification or experience
* Degree or working towards a degree or equivalent experience
Experience
* Provision of training to multidisciplinary audience
* Experience of supervision as supervisor
* Understanding of and practicing within a governance structure
* Experience of developing and using audit tools
* Partnership working with children, their families around safeguarding issues
* Experience of developing policies, procedures, and guidance
* Recent experience within a child specialist safeguarding role
Knowledge and Skills
* Leadership skills and ability
* Ability to work individually and as part of a team
* Ability to work cooperatively and able to bring about respectful and effective professional challenge, including management of conflict
* Demonstrates an awareness of the complex issues when working across organisations and disciplines – understands the key elements of change management
* Excellent knowledge of national and local policy, research and legislation relating to the adult safeguarding agenda
* Evidence of continued professional development with a safeguarding focus
Personal Attributes
* Adaptable, flexible, and approachable
* Ability to think widely, analyse problems and develop solutions
* Knowledge and confidence around escalation, respectful professional challenge, and conflict resolution
Other
* Full UK license holder and car owner – ability to travel and provide cross-site cover
* Flexible working to meet the needs of the service around 9am to 5pm core hours
Dear Potential Applicant,
It is important you are made aware of the following as regards your application to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust:
* Please note that the salary advertised is for full-time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro-rata. For posts on Agenda for Change pay-scales, new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
* This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received. Therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
* Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
* Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Therefore only applicants, who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application, will be short-listed.
Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS)
If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in in the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act (2006) any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained.
The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy, you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed.
The cost of an Enhanced Disclosure will be £42.90 and for a Standard Disclosure £22.90 which includes a small handling fee.
This cost is not applicable for a Volunteer post.
The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying, and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust.
We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve.
We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, or social background.
We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.
Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.
If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible. By telephone 01254 732075 or email admin.recruitment@elht.nhs.uk or write to Employment Services, Parkview Offices, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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