Job Description

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. and hold a current NMC or Social Work England registration. 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.



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.



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 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:

Put patients first



Respect the individual



Act with integrity



Serve the community



Promote positive change



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 advise 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 heath 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.