An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the ELFT safeguarding children team as the Named Professional for Safeguarding Children Band 8a.
The post holder will work closely with other Named Professionals and senior management across ELFT to ensure the Think Family strategy is embedded in every aspect of care delivery. They will provide corporate safeguarding support across the organisation with primary responsibility for the boroughs of City of London and Hackney.
The successful applicant will be a key member of clinical governance and assurance arrangements to ensure that the Trust fulfils its statutory duties to safeguard children and young people. The responsibilities of the post will include proactively and reactively engaging with frontline staff and managers and to provide evidence-based specialist information, advice, guidance and support required to help staff practice safely to safeguard children confidently and effectively.
As the Named Professional, the post-holder will take the lead in developing strategies across the Safeguarding Children Partnership, and will represent ELFT at a range of multi-agency statutory bodies.
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Please for further information kindly refer to the job description and person specification attached to this vacancy.
Person SpecificationEducation/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
• Registered Adult / Child / Mental Health / Specialist Community Public Health Nurse / Registered Social Worker
• Educated to degree level in health or social care
• Post-graduate study in a related child safeguarding subject (PGCert and above) or working towards
• Safeguarding supervision training
• Evidence of continuing professional development including recently in safeguarding children practice
Desirable
• Mentorship / practice teaching qualification
Experience
Essential
• At lest 2 years experience within senior safeguarding role
• Experience related to caring for children and young people and working with vulnerable families
• Experience of facilitating safeguarding children supervision and monitoring effectiveness
• Experience in developing, planning and delivering training and monitoring effectiveness
• Writing and quality assuring reports for child protection proceedings and court
• Demonstrated experience of co-working in complex and challenging environments
• Experience of collaborative working across health, social care and other agencies
• Experience of contributing to policy development
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
• Advanced knowledge of multi-agency working (children and families)
• Up to date and advanced knowledge of legislation, policy, and guidance related to safeguarding children and how these are applied in practice
• Experience of supporting staff in assessing risk and need for children and demonstrating a sound knowledge and understanding of the possible signs of child abuse. This includes emerging contemporary safeguarding issues
• Advanced understanding of diversity and equality issues and their application in safeguarding practice
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of autonomy and accountability and plan own work effectively, working to tight and often changing timescales
• Experience of safeguarding governance working arrangements and active participation in different aspects of the governance framework
• Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources
• Able to develop, understand present complex data and demonstrate good analytical skills
• Able to contribute the health perspective to multi-agency meetings, including senior strategic safeguarding partnership meetings
• Able to challenge decisions at a senior level and articulate rationale effectively demonstrating negotiation and leadership skills and remaining calm in stressful situations
• Experience in forming, maintaining and promoting effective working relationships across a wide of professions and agencies
• Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrate tact and diplomacy when dealing with conflict
• Experience in developing audit frameworks and implementing action plans and leading the Trust response to multi-agency audits
• Good understanding of a range of IT and clinical recording systems including word, excel, powerpoint, teams and zoom
• Aware of current developments and practice in relation to the interface between child protection services and mental health services
• Evidence of teaching and presentation skills
This advert closes on Sunday 9 Feb 2025