Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and strategic health professional to take on the health lead role within the Families First Partnership Programme across Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.
This is a 12-month Fixed Term or Secondment opportunity hosted by East of England Community Health & Care NHS Trust but working system-wide within Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council alongside key partners including Education, Police and the families first programme Leads.
This role is pivotal in shaping and embedding the health contribution to the Families First partnership programme, supporting the delivery of integrated help and family support approaches that improves outcomes for the vulnerable children's young people and their families.
As the health lead you will provide senior clinical and professional leadership ensuring that health expertise is fully embedded within the multi-agency decision making, planning and delivery across the programme. You will work at the strategic and operational level, influencing system change, supporting partnership working and ensuring alignment between NHS services, local authority priorities and national policy direction.
Why not click on the link to the Job Description and find out more about the role.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Should we receive a high number of applications, we reserve the right to close this vacancy at any point after 13.4.26
Main duties of the job
You will act as the Health Safeguarding System Design & Integration Lead for the Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP) across Cambs & Peterborough.
The role requires strong relationship building skills, confidence working across organisational boundaries & the ability to translate & influence health priorities into practical collaborative solutions which meet the need of the collaborative design of the programme.
The role exists to exercise delegated authority from the ICB via the health strategic lead on the Families First Programme Board, on a 12-month secondment basis, to represent the health safeguarding partner within the design, mobilisation and embedding of the reformed system of help, support and protection established through the Families First reforms.
Working at system level, you will support the FFPP to ensure the health's statutory safeguarding responsibilities are designed into, aligned with & embedded across:
*Family Help, including its interface with health services & the wider community system
*Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs) & associated section 47 arrangements
*Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) including its application at pre-proceedings
You will operate as the authoritative health representative within the programme, enabling timely multi-agency design decisions, reducing the need for routine escalation, & addressing governance, workforce, pathway and information-sharing barriers that would otherwise impede effective implementation.
About us
Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.
There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.
If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities Act as the authoritative health safeguarding partner representative within the Families First Partnership Programme, operating with delegated authority from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to support timely system design and implementation decisions. Represent and articulate agreed health system positions in programme governance, design forums and multi-agency working groups, reducing the need for routine escalation to senior ICB leadership. Lead the design and embedding of health interfaces with Family Help, ensuring health services are appropriately aligned to the Family Help model, including the Family Help Lead Practitioner role and the single assessment and plan. Work with health providers and commissioners to agree how health practitioners contribute to multi-disciplinary Family Help teams, including escalation pathways into child protection where concerns about significant harm arise. Support the alignment of health pathways (including 019 services and relevant community health provision) with the end-to-end Families First system, avoiding duplication, fragmentation or parallel processes. Support the design and mobilisation of Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs) by shaping and agreeing healths contribution to section 47 enquiries, child protection conferences and statutory decision-making. Work with partners to clarify the role of health professionals within MACPT arrangements, including access to medical expertise, advice, and escalation routes. Ensure MACPT design reflects statutory safeguarding responsibilities, local health system realities, and the expectations set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023). Support the embedding of Family Group Decision Making across the Families First system, including its application at pre-proceedings, ensuring health services are appropriately engaged and enabled to contribute. Work with partners to identify and address practical, cultural or system barriers that may inhibit effective health participation in FGDM processes. Lead, on behalf of health, the identification and resolution of information-sharing barriers across the Families First system, ensuring approaches are lawful, proportionate and operationally workable. Support the alignment and streamlining of multi-agency governance arrangements, ensuring health safeguarding responsibilities are discharged efficiently and transparently. Contribute to the development of assurance mechanisms that demonstrate effective health engagement in safeguarding and Families First delivery. Draw on learning from Families First pathfinders, evidence-based practice and interprets national guidance to inform local design and implementation decisions. Support the embedding of a whole-system Families First culture within health services, promoting shared understanding of roles, responsibilities and expectations. Identify risks to effective implementation from a health system perspective and work with the programme to develop mitigations that support sustainable delivery. Develops a range of long-term strategic plans for performance, service improvement in line with the ongoing development and function of the families first partnership programme in partnership with statutory partners across the organisations. Develops health policies for the implementation of the Families First Partnership Programme. Communication Maintain clear escalation routes for matters outside delegated authority, ensuring accountability is preserved without impeding delivery pace. Provide advice and lead on the engagement and communications across the partnership to support the Families first approach Facilitate multi-agency engagement and learning at all levels, promoting effective collaboration and communication where negotiation skills are paramount. Build strong relationships with local and regional representatives, local authorities, and other partners to support the programme's objectives. Engage with families, children, and young people to facilitate their voices shaping the co-design and implementation of services. Provide regular reports to the senior leadership forums across Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Local Authorities, ICBs and other statutory and voluntary sector partners. To present the design and development of the Families First Partnership Programme to boards and sub committees across the statutory and voluntary sector stakeholders. Budgetary Responsibility Responsible for delegated budgets, income and expenditure positions related to the design of Families First Partnership Programme from a health perspective. Ensure financial targets are met in the development of the reforms. Develop business cases and service level agreements for service developments ensuring that the implications of service change or developments have been accurately assessed. People Management Participate in the development of staff aligned to the family first partnership programme Maintain own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process. Research & Development Activity
Required to regularly undertake R&D activity in line with the programme
Clinical and Practice Governance Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff/records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. Any data that is taken/shared as part of a phone call, transported or transferred electronically must be undertaken with regard to the Trust Information Governance and Information Security policies. The post holder must adhere to the Trust risk assessment and risk management processes The post holder must adhere to infection control policies and procedures It is a condition of your employment that you are currently registered with your professional body, and it is your responsibility to maintain your professional registration. Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust. The post holder must participate in clinical and safeguarding audits as required Provide patients and their families /carers with information on standards they should expect from the team Participate in Clinical & Safeguarding supervision on a regular basis The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness process for their team.
General Safeguarding people responsibility
Safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect is a collective responsibility.
There is an expectation that all staff develop and maintain their role relevant safeguarding people competencies and comply with local safeguarding partnerships practice. Alongside this employee who are registrants are reminded of their professional duty of care.
Safeguarding means protecting a citizens health, wellbeing and human rights; enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is an integral part of providing high-quality health care.
Those most in need of protection include:
- Children and young people
- Adults at risk, such as those receiving care in their own home, people with physical, sensory, and mental impairments, and those with learning disabilities.
The post holder must at all times carry out their duties with regard to East of England Community health & Care NHS Trust Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
To be aware of the responsibilities of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors, and staff.
All post holders must adhere to the code of conduct on confidentiality and be aware of and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures.
This job description is intended only as a guide to the range of duties involved. The post holder will need to be flexible and adaptable in order to respond to other duties that may be required from time to time and the changes and developments within the Trust.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities Act as the authoritative health safeguarding partner representative within the Families First Partnership Programme, operating with delegated authority from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to support timely system design and implementation decisions. Represent and articulate agreed health system positions in programme governance, design forums and multi-agency working groups, reducing the need for routine escalation to senior ICB leadership. Lead the design and embedding of health interfaces with Family Help, ensuring health services are appropriately aligned to the Family Help model, including the Family Help Lead Practitioner role and the single assessment and plan. Work with health providers and commissioners to agree how health practitioners contribute to multi-disciplinary Family Help teams, including escalation pathways into child protection where concerns about significant harm arise. Support the alignment of health pathways (including 019 services and relevant community health provision) with the end-to-end Families First system, avoiding duplication, fragmentation or parallel processes. Support the design and mobilisation of Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs) by shaping and agreeing healths contribution to section 47 enquiries, child protection conferences and statutory decision-making. Work with partners to clarify the role of health professionals within MACPT arrangements, including access to medical expertise, advice, and escalation routes. Ensure MACPT design reflects statutory safeguarding responsibilities, local health system realities, and the expectations set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023). Support the embedding of Family Group Decision Making across the Families First system, including its application at pre-proceedings, ensuring health services are appropriately engaged and enabled to contribute. Work with partners to identify and address practical, cultural or system barriers that may inhibit effective health participation in FGDM processes. Lead, on behalf of health, the identification and resolution of information-sharing barriers across the Families First system, ensuring approaches are lawful, proportionate and operationally workable. Support the alignment and streamlining of multi-agency governance arrangements, ensuring health safeguarding responsibilities are discharged efficiently and transparently. Contribute to the development of assurance mechanisms that demonstrate effective health engagement in safeguarding and Families First delivery. Draw on learning from Families First pathfinders, evidence-based practice and interprets national guidance to inform local design and implementation decisions. Support the embedding of a whole-system Families First culture within health services, promoting shared understanding of roles, responsibilities and expectations. Identify risks to effective implementation from a health system perspective and work with the programme to develop mitigations that support sustainable delivery. Develops a range of long-term strategic plans for performance, service improvement in line with the ongoing development and function of the families first partnership programme in partnership with statutory partners across the organisations. Develops health policies for the implementation of the Families First Partnership Programme. Communication Maintain clear escalation routes for matters outside delegated authority, ensuring accountability is preserved without impeding delivery pace. Provide advice and lead on the engagement and communications across the partnership to support the Families first approach Facilitate multi-agency engagement and learning at all levels, promoting effective collaboration and communication where negotiation skills are paramount. Build strong relationships with local and regional representatives, local authorities, and other partners to support the programme's objectives. Engage with families, children, and young people to facilitate their voices shaping the co-design and implementation of services. Provide regular reports to the senior leadership forums across Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Local Authorities, ICBs and other statutory and voluntary sector partners. To present the design and development of the Families First Partnership Programme to boards and sub committees across the statutory and voluntary sector stakeholders. Budgetary Responsibility Responsible for delegated budgets, income and expenditure positions related to the design of Families First Partnership Programme from a health perspective. Ensure financial targets are met in the development of the reforms. Develop business cases and service level agreements for service developments ensuring that the implications of service change or developments have been accurately assessed. People Management Participate in the development of staff aligned to the family first partnership programme Maintain own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process. Research & Development Activity
Required to regularly undertake R&D activity in line with the programme
Clinical and Practice Governance Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff/records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. Any data that is taken/shared as part of a phone call, transported or transferred electronically must be undertaken with regard to the Trust Information Governance and Information Security policies. The post holder must adhere to the Trust risk assessment and risk management processes The post holder must adhere to infection control policies and procedures It is a condition of your employment that you are currently registered with your professional body, and it is your responsibility to maintain your professional registration. Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust. The post holder must participate in clinical and safeguarding audits as required Provide patients and their families /carers with information on standards they should expect from the team Participate in Clinical & Safeguarding supervision on a regular basis The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness process for their team.
General Safeguarding people responsibility
Safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect is a collective responsibility.
There is an expectation that all staff develop and maintain their role relevant safeguarding people competencies and comply with local safeguarding partnerships practice. Alongside this employee who are registrants are reminded of their professional duty of care.
Safeguarding means protecting a citizens health, wellbeing and human rights; enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is an integral part of providing high-quality health care.
Those most in need of protection include:
- Children and young people
- Adults at risk, such as those receiving care in their own home, people with physical, sensory, and mental impairments, and those with learning disabilities.
The post holder must at all times carry out their duties with regard to East of England Community health & Care NHS Trust Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
To be aware of the responsibilities of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors, and staff.
All post holders must adhere to the code of conduct on confidentiality and be aware of and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures.
This job description is intended only as a guide to the range of duties involved. The post holder will need to be flexible and adaptable in order to respond to other duties that may be required from time to time and the changes and developments within the Trust.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Professional qualification relevant to health, safeguarding, or public service leadership
- Professional registration with a governing body i.e. NMC or HCPC
- Educated to master's level or equivalent level of experience working at a senior level in specialist area
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience in leadership, systems change, public health or safeguarding
Experience
Essential
- Significant senior-level experience within health, safeguarding, or a closely related system role
- Experience contributing to or leading system change, service redesign or reform programmes
- Experience of working with children, young people and families in a safeguarding or public service context
Desirable
- Experience supporting or influencing statutory safeguarding processes (e.g. child protection, early help, family support systems)
- Experience of engaging provider organisations to implement system-level change
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of statutory safeguarding arrangements and multi-agency responsibilities under Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) and wider children's safeguarding legal and policy framework
- Strong understanding of the health system's role as a statutory safeguarding partner, including commissioning, provider delivery and governance
- Ability to analyse complex system issues and develop practical, implementable solutions
Desirable
- Knowledge of Families First reforms, including Family Help, MACPTs and FGDM
Safeguarding
Essential
- Ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults
- Demonstrates understanding of safeguarding issues
- Is up to date with legislation and current events
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Professional qualification relevant to health, safeguarding, or public service leadership
- Professional registration with a governing body i.e. NMC or HCPC
- Educated to master's level or equivalent level of experience working at a senior level in specialist area
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience in leadership, systems change, public health or safeguarding
Experience
Essential
- Significant senior-level experience within health, safeguarding, or a closely related system role
- Experience contributing to or leading system change, service redesign or reform programmes
- Experience of working with children, young people and families in a safeguarding or public service context
Desirable
- Experience supporting or influencing statutory safeguarding processes (e.g. child protection, early help, family support systems)
- Experience of engaging provider organisations to implement system-level change
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of statutory safeguarding arrangements and multi-agency responsibilities under Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) and wider children's safeguarding legal and policy framework
- Strong understanding of the health system's role as a statutory safeguarding partner, including commissioning, provider delivery and governance
- Ability to analyse complex system issues and develop practical, implementable solutions
Desirable
- Knowledge of Families First reforms, including Family Help, MACPTs and FGDM
Safeguarding
Essential
- Ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults
- Demonstrates understanding of safeguarding issues
- Is up to date with legislation and current events
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
