Safeguarding Children Advisor

Job responsibilities

JOB DETAILS

Job Title:Safeguarding Children Advisor

Reports tonNurse for Safeguarding Children/Deputy Head of Safeguarding

Band:6

Department: Safeguarding Team Corporate Nursing

Location Leeds General Infirmary

AfC Job No:2803b

2.JOB PURPOSE/SUMMARY

The post supports the operational delivery of child protection within a clinical governance framework throughout the trust and includes the general raising of awareness of child protection practice throughout childrens and adult services. They will work with the Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children and the Named Midwife to lead the development of safeguarding, reflecting the Clinical Service Units, Chief Nurse and Safeguarding business plans. The post holder will provide a crucial link between LTHT staff and the Safeguarding Team, providing a clinical lead and role model by delivering high quality care as an experienced practitioner. The post holder will work in partnership with other statutory, voluntary and healthcare agencies. The post holder will be expected to work proactively, autonomously, and act in such a way as to provide a suitable and professional role model for others.

The Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children and the Named Midwife lead the co-ordination of LTHT Safeguarding Children services with the Safeguarding Children and Midwifery Team, raising awareness of essential child protection and safeguarding practice through primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention.

The Safeguarding Children Advisor will:

Seek advice, support and inform the Named Nurse when poor practice has been identified or where standards cannot be maintained.

Commit to a quality service in an environment of financial constraints

Enable the development of an environment which encourages staff members to be effective and proactive in the field of child protection and safeguarding

Contribute at an interagency level and demonstrate a commitment to the principles outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2026), and the Children Act (1989/2004).

Work within the statutory requirements of other safeguarding legislation and the Intercollegiate Document (2025)

3.ORGANISATIONAL CHART

4.PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The post holder will;

Clinical

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care and interventions using advanced safeguarding knowledge and associated safeguarding legal frameworks.

Review specific child protection and other safeguarding plans for pre-birth, new-born infant, children and young people within midwifery, neonatal, children and adult services.

Refer as appropriate to other members of the multi-disciplinary/agency teams where safeguarding or other matters require.

Support and advise staff involved in the child protection process, including attendance at strategy, child protection and other safeguarding professional meetings.

Set, monitor and seek to continuously improve standards in quality of child protection and safeguarding.

Maintain a safe working environment.

Supervise and maintain accurate records in line with LTHT policies and the Data Protection Act (2018).

Provide LTHT employees, volunteers, students, apprentices etc with the knowledge and skills to ensure the safe and appropriate reporting /management of children identified at risk of abuse, neglect or who have been abused or neglected, as well as children in need.

Ensure the safe use and efficient management of equipment and supplies

Promote evidence-based practice.

Support patients and their families ensuring they receive required information to enable them to participate on their care delivery.

Assist and support the Named Nurse to develop and implement policy, protocols and guidance specific to child protection and safeguarding.

Act in accordance with their regulators professional code or standards of practice.

Liaise with Community Services to ensure seamless provision of care delivery.

Contribute to the development of effective communication strategies regarding child protection and safeguarding between LTHT and other agencies or departments.

Support staff in the preparation of legal proceedings and reports.

Support the Named Nurse and Named Midwife in the contribution of child safeguarding practice reviews, domestic abuse death reviews, and other serious incidents

Education and Training

Participate in safeguarding training and education of all LTHT employees including volunteers, students, apprentices etc.

Actively participate in the development of own personal development plan and performance review

Participate in national, regional and local conferences and learning events

Facilitate safeguarding supervision

Keep up to date with safeguarding developments, advances within the speciality

Leadership

Co-ordinate delegated child protection investigations where required.

Investigate and respond to accidents, untoward incidents and other significant safeguarding events

Deliver an effective, robust and quality safeguarding service within NHS budgetary constraints.

Appropriately manage or escalate incidents that present via complaints whistle blowing or other routes

Research and Audit

Contribute to the research agenda

Participate in the clinical governance agenda for child protection

Engage users and carers views on service delivery and development

Undertake audit programmes specific to client group, treatments and developments

Participate in the development of child protection audit

Participate in the childrens safeguarding meetings, strategy meetings and case conferences contributing required expertise to action plans where needed

5.THE LEEDS WAY VALUES

Our values are part of what makes us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Patient-centred

Collaborative

Fair

Accountable

Empowered

All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values

Additionally, the following are core values which relate specifically to this post:

Commitment to ensuring that patients within LTHT are appropriately safeguarded.

Commitment to working collaboratively to embed the Think Family approach

Commitment to developing services which promote the Voice of the Child

Commitment to providing expert advice and information to patients and carers with regards to issues relating to safeguarding

Commitment to the clinical area, valuing the contribution of all team members, encouraging a positive and creative working environment

Commitment to maintaining safe and dignified care for all patients.

Commitment to working closely with service users and their families/carers

Professional image and positive approach to problem solving.

Maintain positive working relationships with others at all times.

Honest and fair minded.

Commitment to working across all internal disciplines and relevant outside agencies

Promotes a culture of equality, mutual respect and diversity.

Is regarded as having knowledge, integrity and trusted by others

Commitment to own personal and professional development and to the development of others within the team

6.WEST YORKSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF ACUTE TRUSTS (WYAAT)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

By bringing together the wide range of skills and expertise across West Yorkshire and Harrogate we are working differently, innovating and driving forward change to deliver the highest quality care. By working for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust this is your opportunity to be a part of that change.

WYAAT is the acute sector arm of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, one of the largest integrated care systems in the country. The Partnerships ambition is for everyone to have the best possible health and wellbeing, and the work of WYAAT, and each individual trust, supports that ambition.

7.INFECTION CONTROL

The jobholder must comply at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Infection Control policies, in particular by practising Universal Infection Control Precautions. Hand hygiene must be performed before and after contact with patients and their environment.

8.HEALTH AND SAFETY / RISK MANAGEMENT

All staff are responsible for working with their colleagues to maintain and improve the quality of services provided to our patients and other service users. This includes complying at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Policies, including Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed security and safer working procedures, and reporting incidents using the Trust Incident Reporting system

9.EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

The jobholder must comply with all policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment and that services are delivered in ways that meet the individual needs of patients and their families. No person whether they are staff, patient or visitor should receive less favourable treatment because of their gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.

10.TRAINING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The jobholder must take responsibility in agreement with his/her line manager for his/her own personal development by ensuring that Continuous Professional Development remains a priority. The jobholder will undertake all mandatory training required for the role.

11.COMMUNICATION & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Head of Safeguarding

Safeguarding Team members

Matrons/CSMs

Clinical Service Unit Management Teams

Allie

Experience

Essential

• Significant post registration experience
• Experience of investigations, including root cause analysis and complaints
• Understanding of the local and national safeguarding agenda
• Understanding of relevant National Service Frameworks
• Awareness of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust guidelines and policies
• Profession knowledge and nursing/midwifery experience at a senior level
• Knowledge of safeguarding policies, procedures and good practice guidelines
• Knowledge of Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships procedures and of the legal framework and related guidelines governing child protection
• Experience of child protection/safeguarding work
• Knowledge of current safeguarding issues in health and social care
• Knowledge of current issues in relation to child protection
• Clinical audit & standard setting
• Current issues in healthcare

Desirable

• Experience of interagency working, in relation to child protection
• Experience of safeguarding supervision
• Evidence of a good understanding of legislation and national guidelines driving safeguarding policy and practice
• Service development and/or change management

Skills & behaviours

Essential

• Capable of lateral thinking
• Able to work on own initiative
• Effective communicator
• Motivated and enthusiastic
• Willingness to learn and develop new skills
• Team player
• Teaching and assessment skills
• Organisational skills
• Record keeping skills in line with NMC and trust policies
• Time management skills
• Change management skills
• Understanding of research-based practice - research conscious
• Conflict management skills
• Uses initiative to resolve issues within their own control
• Ability to act professionally at all times, Ability to monitor, maintain and lead on improvements to service delivery

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (Level 1); Child; Adult: Learning Disabilities; Mental Health, Or Registered Midwife, Or Registered Nurse (level 1) , Or Registered Allied Health Professional (AHP) or a social worker
• Recognised teaching/ assessing qualification
• Evidence of continued professional development
• Willing to undergo training as necessary

Desirable

• Degree in Nursing or related subject
• SCPHN (0-19)

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Excellent written and verbal skills
• Competent in use of Microsoft Office
• Ability to organise and prioritise own and others workload
• Ability to plan and manage workload
• Ability to work with multi-agency and multi-disciplinary partners
• Ability to work within Trust Safeguarding Standards
• Advisory and support
• Training and presentation skills
• Monitoring, audit and review multi-agency and multi-disciplinary communication and liaison
• Standards of professional practice

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).