Children's Safeguarding Nurse

Job overview

They will ensure the health promotion and improvement of outcomes for children and families at risk of abuse and/or neglect. As a Children’s Safeguarding Nurse the post holder will work within Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust supporting the Safeguarding Specialist Nurse/Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children to ensure that comprehensive and robust arrangements are in place for vulnerable children and young people and to support staff in meeting their statutory responsibilities concerning the Care Act, Children’s Act, Mental Capacity Act and local safeguarding procedures.

Main duties of the job

• To work within the Trust’s Integrated Safeguarding Team, providing specialist advice and support to staff as appropriate, including adult areas, to ensure that the Think Family approach is embedded within practice.
• To offer safeguarding children advice and support to healthcare practitioners within the Trust and promote the integration of safeguarding principles into daily professional practice.
• To contribute to the development and delivery of the Trust Safeguarding Training Programme, ensuring that safeguarding training requirements are met across the organisation.
• Provide support to patients and their families as needed throughout the safeguarding process.
• Contribute to the implementation of recommendations and lessons learned from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews across all areas of the Trust.
• Foster strong working relationships with multi-agency colleagues to ensure the effective safeguarding of children, young people, and adults.

Support with the Child Death Overview Process in the event of a child or young person's death, in accordance with statutory guidance.

Working for our organisation

The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.

Our Values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Demonstrate and role model, exemplary standards of care and behaviour through personal practice in the safeguarding role.
• Provide support to staff involved in the safeguarding processes, including Child Protection Conferences, Strategy Meetings and other interagency / professional meetings.
• Promote the ‘Think Family’ approach working closely with the Adult and Midwifery Safeguarding teams.
• Ensure that any performance management concerns related to safeguarding children practices are reported to senior members of the safeguarding team for escalation and appropriate management.
• Ensure a visible presence in clinical areas on working days.

• Communicate complex and sensitive information to families and children, when appropriate using empathy and reassurance at times of vulnerability, distress and bereavement.
• Overcome communication barriers where they occur and seek appropriate services to ensure equality and diversity for all.
• Communicate in an effective and timely manner with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure referrals are made and safety is ensured.
• Initiate communication with Children’s Services and other partner agencies, ensuring that appropriate actions are taken, documented, and followed up
• Ensure high standards of communication are kept within the clinical teams, including the support of colleagues and the effective management of conflict.
• Maintain accurate handwritten and electronic records in line with NMC guidance and local policy.
• Ensure clear and effective communication when handing over cases to other members of the safeguarding team.

• Organise your own workload whilst ring fencing protected rest time for yourself and your team members.
• Manage competing demands whilst considering the wider needs of the safeguarding service.
• Provide support, education and mentorship to other nurses, student nurses, medical staff and designated support staff.
• Provide education and support to nursing teams, demonstrating a strong understanding of clinical practice.
• Participate in auditing the effectiveness of safeguarding across the Trust, identifying gaps in areas of service provision and developing strategies to address areas of deficit.
• Report any incidents and participate in the investigation of these incidents where relevant.

• Ensure own Mandatory training is undertaken and up to date, whilst showing commitment to continuing professional development, including Child Protection Level 3 and regular safeguarding supervision sessions.
• Adhere to NMC standards as per ‘The Code’ 2015.
• Maintain NMC registration and undertake Revalidation when required.
• Ensure working conditions are safe and in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
• Ensure all equipment used for personal duties and within the working environment is secure and well maintained, and report any loss or damage without delay.
• Report any sickness or absence from work in line with departmental policy.
• Ensure adherence to Trust, local and national guidance is maintained at all times.
• Work in collaboration with multi-agency partners developing effective working relationships and sound communications systems.
• Provide expert advice in complex cases at strategy meetings/case conferences. This includes contributing towards risk assessment and multi-agency protection plans for complex cases or where appropriate.
• Contribute appropriately to case management reviews, complaints and the investigation of Serious Incidents.
• Support Safeguarding Champions within both clinical and non-clinical areas to develop their role and their practice within their area of work.
• Contribute to team meetings and forums to promote Safeguarding.
• Record and report on numbers and trends of safeguarding concerns within Bedford Hospital and report on these as required.
• Contribute to the review and evaluation of safeguarding practices by using standards and audits, in accordance with safeguarding work plans.
• Demonstrate sensitivity and respect for patients and families from diverse religious, cultural backgrounds, and sexual orientations.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS include:

• Luton Borough Council, Bedford Borough Council & Central Bedfordshire Borough Council
• BLMK Integrated Care Board & Designate Safeguarding Team
• Senior Managers and other departmental managers in the Acute Trust
• Patients, their families and carers
• Luton/Bedfordshire Community Health Services
• Designated Doctor/Nurse from other areas
• Medical, Nursing, Health Care Assistants, AHP and administrative staff
• Statutory/Voluntary agencies
• Other Acute Trusts, Primary Care Trusts and local authorities
• Police Service

Person specification

Qualifications

• RN child (or equivalent qualification and/or experience in relation to children).
• Educated to degree level, working towards or equivalent.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development and training undertaken in respect of safeguarding to minimum Level 3 (as per Working Together).

• Recognised teaching/ mentoring qualification

Experience

• Substantial post registration experience
• Evidence of safeguarding experience
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues and local pathways
• Demonstrate ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with patients, their families, and the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT).
• Experience in inter-agency working

• Experience of facilitating safeguarding supervision
• Experience in planning and delivering effective training to individuals or teams.
• Experience of the development and completion of audits
• Experience in handling safeguarding matters in both adult and children’s services, including both external and internal cases.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of national and local Safeguarding Policies, guidelines and recommendations.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation relating to Safeguarding
• Working knowledge of children’s health and development and the nature and impact of child maltreatment.
• Critical thinking, reflection and analysis to inform clinical assessment
• Demonstrates awareness of priorities, deals with workload, adapts to changing requirements, and uses initiative.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team as well as across departmental, organisational and professional boundaries
• Able to communicate with people from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds

Personal Skills

• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills
• Confidence to challenge appropriately in difficult situations
• Ability to communicate across organisational boundaries
• Ability to work under pressure, to prioritise, work flexibly and to tight deadlines.
• Ability to recognise poor performance and escalate
• Demonstrate effective time management skills.

Other

• Team worker
• Able to work without supervision
• Able to work under pressure

It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.