Job Description

We are looking for an enthusiastic, innovative and motivated individual to join our well established safeguarding children's nursing team. The post holder will be the safeguarding children nursing lead for community services in Southwark and integral in delivering the Trust's statutory requirements and safeguarding agenda.



You will need to be strategic in nature but also have an operational focus. You will work closely with professionals and partner organisations to deliver a comprehensive safeguarding function. The post holder will directly oversee operational delivery, effectiveness, and performance of specified areas.



You will be expected to create an environment of continuous quality improvement and develop safeguarding practice across services; this will be through proven and visible leadership, knowledge and expertise in all aspects of safeguarding children. You will need to have a track record of driving improvement and change management. By leading safeguarding initiatives, you will play a crucial role in promoting a safe and supportive environments for all service users.



Provide professional leadership, consultancy, advice, risk assessment and expert child protection practice, to support practitioners on actions to be taken in order to safeguard the child.



Make critical decisions and judgements and deliver advanced clinical skills to the case management of children and young people with complex safeguarding needs.



Contribute to the planning and development of child protection systems and arrangements within the Trust.



Influence and contribute to the development of Policies and Procedures in line with national guidance and the LSCP.



Contribute to sub groups of the LSCPs.



Analyse and respond to serious and untoward incidents, including Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews.



Oversee provision of safeguarding supervision to health visitors and school nurses.



Operationally line manage the Safeguarding Nurse Specialists.



Identify safeguarding training needs, prepare and deliver, a training programme to address these.



Ensure the Safeguarding Children Service is embedded in the Evelina London Children's Healthcare Community Services clinical governance structure.

Closing date:

30th July 2025

Interview date:

14th August 2025



Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.



We are among the UK's busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.



We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and - as part of King's Health Partners - we are one of England's eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research's biomedical research centres, established with King's College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.



To provide professional leadership, consultancy, advice, risk assessment and expert child protection practice, to support practitioners on actions to be taken in order to safeguard the child.



To ensure that staff support and advice is available and that a coordinated and consistent cover for child protection is provided.



Exercise a high degree of autonomy to make critical decisions and judgements and deliver advanced clinical skills to the case management of children and young people with complex safeguarding needs.



Contribute to the planning and development of child protection systems and arrangements within the Trust.



Influence and contribute to the development of Policies and Procedures in line with national guidance and the Local Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP). This will include writing local guidance.



To develop strategies for ensuring accurate and informative clinical records are maintained, in line with legislative policies, standards and procedures.



Establish and improve professional standards of care in the identification and management of safeguarding vulnerable children across all clinical and non-clinical specialities.



To identify vulnerable children, young people and families early and provide effective programmes of support and care that protects and promotes their health and wellbeing.



Contribute to child protection case conferences and strategy meetings in order to plan effectively to ensure optimum outcomes for vulnerable children.



Promote good practice and effective communication within and between Community colleagues, Statutory and Voluntary organisations, on all matters relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.



Participate and contribute to the health sub groups of the LSCPs.



Deputise for the Head of Nursing Safeguarding Children / Lead Nurse Safeguarding Children where necessary.



Analyse and respond to serious and untoward incidents, including Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews of child death and serious injuries cases.



Operationally line manage the Safeguarding Nurse specialists. Advice on the specific needs of the safeguarding team and contribute to workforce plans.



To identify the training needs of staff working with children within the Trust and prepare, a training programme to address these. Actively participate in the provision of the in-house child protection training programmes.



Disseminate recent national legislation and guidance on safeguarding matters to community staff.



Ensure all health visitors and school nurses receive child protection / safeguarding orientation as part of their induction programme.



In conjunction with wider team members, maintain the quality of the Safeguarding Children service for the Trust, via the different elements of Clinical Governance. Identify areas of risk in practice and recommend changes to minimise risk.



Following the death or serious harm to a child to review all circumstances surrounding the incident and make recommendations where changes in policy and practice are indicated to optimise safe practice.



Ensure systems are in place for the collection and collation of child protection information and statistics to be presented as a quarterly report to the Trust Vulnerable Person Assurance Board. To be responsible for the collation of information in relation to child protection in the community.



Identify areas and undertake research as appropriate in partnership with Trust colleagues. Disseminate to the Trust any research undertaken and its outcome.



Monitor and audit the effectiveness of supervision, procedures and child protection practices.



To oversee provision of and contribute to safeguarding supervision to health visitors and school nurses in accordance with Trust policy.



Please see attached job description for full details