Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Practitioner to join the established Safeguarding Children Team within Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop their skills and competence as a Children's Safeguarding Practitioner, working across the Birmingham and Solihull Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs. This role involves close partnership working with other health colleagues, the police, and social workers.
Main duties of the job
The Children's Safeguarding Practitioner will work as a committed and expert member of a specialist team, delivering a high-quality safeguarding service. This includes providing expert advice on the day-to-day management of children and their families, participating in risk assessments, and delivering specialised safeguarding supervision. The post holder will also support frontline practitioners in developing reports and forming safeguarding plans. While this role requires clinical knowledge, it does not involve direct patient care.
The post holder will hold responsibility and professional accountability as a Safeguarding Practitioner for safeguarding children, including contextual safeguarding, which encompasses child exploitation.
As part of the specialist team, the practitioner will ensure that quality training, supervision, audits, and expert advice are available to enable the Trust to meet its statutory responsibilities for safeguarding children.
The role requires specific expertise in children's and adults' health needs, identifying and responding to maltreatment, and understanding local safeguarding arrangements. The post holder will operate within the Think Family approach and the contextual safeguarding agenda, ensuring coordinated and effective protection for children and vulnerable adults.
About us
IMPORTANT
Please ensure you check your TRAC account regularly, as this will be our primary method of communication during the shortlisting and selection process.
Make sure all sections of the application form are fully completed. In particular, provide full details for all referees, including business email addresses.
Be Part of Our Team
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC) employs over 5,000 staff across Birmingham and the West Midlands in a wide range of community nursing and specialist healthcare roles. We deliver more than 100 clinical services in people's homes, health centres, clinics, and inpatient facilities.
Our services cover children, young people, parents, and families, as well as adults and community services. We also provide care through two community hospitals, services for people with learning disabilities, the internationally recognised West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre, and one of Europe's leading Dental Hospitals and School of Dentistry.
All of this is delivered with a commitment to integrated, personalised care rooted in our local communities. BCHC aims to provide outstanding, integrated care as one of the leading NHS providers in the West Midlands.
If you want to be part of our team and work with a Foundation Trust that continuously strives for better care and healthier communities, we want to hear from you.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Childrens Safeguarding Practitioner Key Responsibilities
Line Management and Financial Responsibility
Specialist Safeguarding Role
-
Deliver specialist safeguarding supervision to health professionals on issues related to safeguarding children, facilitating reflective and critical analysis against agreed outcomes.
-
Act as an advocate for children and young people, raising awareness of their needs and promoting the philosophy of placing children at the centre of care.
-
Ensure expert advice and support is available for the day-to-day management of children and families where there are safeguarding concerns.
Multi-Agency Work
-
Rotate into the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) across Birmingham and Solihull, working as part of a co-located multi-agency team including police officers, social workers, and other providers.
-
Participate in MASH risk assessments to inform case management of children at risk of harm, advising partners on health issues and challenging decisions as appropriate.
-
Participate in Contextual Safeguarding forums to inform case management of children at risk of exploitation, advising partners on health issues and challenging decisions as appropriate.
-
Work with key professionals and agencies to contribute to the ongoing development and delivery of services designed to protect children and promote their welfare.
Training and Development
-
Develop, facilitate, and evaluate training packages within the organisation and, as needed, in partnership with other agencies for multi-agency training.
-
Participate in relevant local, regional, and national continuing professional development to maintain named nurse competencies.
Casework and Legal Support
-
Support frontline practitioners in developing and/or analysing case chronologies to clearly identify risks and mitigate recurrence.
-
Assist practitioners in producing factual reports to safeguard children and young people, including statements for court proceedings.
-
Analyse prepared statements for court and support practitioners to attend and give evidence as required.
-
Provide support to staff during police interviews when they are giving evidence for child protection investigations.
-
Handle highly complex and sensitive information relating to child safeguarding and communicate this appropriately to internal and external parties.
Policy, Audit, and Governance
-
Practice in accordance with professional, ethical, and legal codes (Nursing and Midwifery Council) and Trust policies, protocols, and guidelines.
-
Meet the organisations statutory and mandatory training requirements.
-
Review and implement safeguarding policies and procedures; update Trust policies within own area.
-
Undertake audits, produce factual reports based on findings, and ensure action plans and learning are shared with the appropriate management team.
-
Act as an autonomous practitioner when advising and supporting decision-making.
Serious Incident Involvement
-
Actively participate in investigations where a child has died or sustained life-threatening injuries due to abuse or neglect, ensuring adherence to statutory guidelines.
-
Commit to keeping up-to-date with current research and evidence, considering its implications for local safeguarding practice.
Personal Development and Wellbeing
-
Engage with regular safeguarding supervision and reflective practice.
-
Recognise the potential personal impact of working in safeguarding/child protection on self and others, seeking support when necessary.
Future Service Development
Other Duties
Job description
Job responsibilities
Childrens Safeguarding Practitioner Key Responsibilities
Line Management and Financial Responsibility
Specialist Safeguarding Role
-
Deliver specialist safeguarding supervision to health professionals on issues related to safeguarding children, facilitating reflective and critical analysis against agreed outcomes.
-
Act as an advocate for children and young people, raising awareness of their needs and promoting the philosophy of placing children at the centre of care.
-
Ensure expert advice and support is available for the day-to-day management of children and families where there are safeguarding concerns.
Multi-Agency Work
-
Rotate into the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) across Birmingham and Solihull, working as part of a co-located multi-agency team including police officers, social workers, and other providers.
-
Participate in MASH risk assessments to inform case management of children at risk of harm, advising partners on health issues and challenging decisions as appropriate.
-
Participate in Contextual Safeguarding forums to inform case management of children at risk of exploitation, advising partners on health issues and challenging decisions as appropriate.
-
Work with key professionals and agencies to contribute to the ongoing development and delivery of services designed to protect children and promote their welfare.
Training and Development
-
Develop, facilitate, and evaluate training packages within the organisation and, as needed, in partnership with other agencies for multi-agency training.
-
Participate in relevant local, regional, and national continuing professional development to maintain named nurse competencies.
Casework and Legal Support
-
Support frontline practitioners in developing and/or analysing case chronologies to clearly identify risks and mitigate recurrence.
-
Assist practitioners in producing factual reports to safeguard children and young people, including statements for court proceedings.
-
Analyse prepared statements for court and support practitioners to attend and give evidence as required.
-
Provide support to staff during police interviews when they are giving evidence for child protection investigations.
-
Handle highly complex and sensitive information relating to child safeguarding and communicate this appropriately to internal and external parties.
Policy, Audit, and Governance
-
Practice in accordance with professional, ethical, and legal codes (Nursing and Midwifery Council) and Trust policies, protocols, and guidelines.
-
Meet the organisations statutory and mandatory training requirements.
-
Review and implement safeguarding policies and procedures; update Trust policies within own area.
-
Undertake audits, produce factual reports based on findings, and ensure action plans and learning are shared with the appropriate management team.
-
Act as an autonomous practitioner when advising and supporting decision-making.
Serious Incident Involvement
-
Actively participate in investigations where a child has died or sustained life-threatening injuries due to abuse or neglect, ensuring adherence to statutory guidelines.
-
Commit to keeping up-to-date with current research and evidence, considering its implications for local safeguarding practice.
Personal Development and Wellbeing
-
Engage with regular safeguarding supervision and reflective practice.
-
Recognise the potential personal impact of working in safeguarding/child protection on self and others, seeking support when necessary.
Future Service Development
Other Duties
Person Specification
Qualifications / training
Essential
- Registered nurse with current NMC registration
- Specialist community public health nurse/health visitor/school nurse/mental health nurse/allied health professional
- Evidence of recent post basic training and on-going personal development
- Teaching qualification or equivalent
- Evidence of on-going training and relevant courses in safeguarding
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience of managing a complex caseload involving child protection issues.
- Extensive experience in a nursing environment
- Demonstrates significant experience in developing and /or delivering training packages.
- Can demonstrate innovation in practice
Desirable
- Mental health or Acute provider hospital experience
- Acute Healthcare experience
Skills/knowledge
Essential
- Highly developed specialist knowledge and understanding of government legislation relevant to vulnerable children, children in need and children in need of protection and its application.
- Good verbal/written communication skills required to communicate highly sensitive, contentious and complex information with empathy.
- Excellent time management skills to be able to plan and prioritise own workload where there may be competing demands on time.
- Ability to work under own initiative.
- Ability to facilitate and manage change.
- Ability to lead and motivate others
- Ability to plan and prioritise own workload and manage time effectively.
- Ability to travel to dispersed sites in a timely manner.
- Highly developed risk assessment and risk management skills
- Good IT skills.
- Evidence of previous safeguarding experience.
- Evidence of previous supervision experience.
- Experience of delivering training packages.
- Experience of multi-agency working
Personal qualities
Essential
- Ability to work as part of a team.
- To be highly motivated.
- Reliable.
- Self-awareness and an ability to develop good working relationships internally and externally.
Person Specification
Qualifications / training
Essential
- Registered nurse with current NMC registration
- Specialist community public health nurse/health visitor/school nurse/mental health nurse/allied health professional
- Evidence of recent post basic training and on-going personal development
- Teaching qualification or equivalent
- Evidence of on-going training and relevant courses in safeguarding
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience of managing a complex caseload involving child protection issues.
- Extensive experience in a nursing environment
- Demonstrates significant experience in developing and /or delivering training packages.
- Can demonstrate innovation in practice
Desirable
- Mental health or Acute provider hospital experience
- Acute Healthcare experience
Skills/knowledge
Essential
- Highly developed specialist knowledge and understanding of government legislation relevant to vulnerable children, children in need and children in need of protection and its application.
- Good verbal/written communication skills required to communicate highly sensitive, contentious and complex information with empathy.
- Excellent time management skills to be able to plan and prioritise own workload where there may be competing demands on time.
- Ability to work under own initiative.
- Ability to facilitate and manage change.
- Ability to lead and motivate others
- Ability to plan and prioritise own workload and manage time effectively.
- Ability to travel to dispersed sites in a timely manner.
- Highly developed risk assessment and risk management skills
- Good IT skills.
- Evidence of previous safeguarding experience.
- Evidence of previous supervision experience.
- Experience of delivering training packages.
- Experience of multi-agency working
Personal qualities
Essential
- Ability to work as part of a team.
- To be highly motivated.
- Reliable.
- Self-awareness and an ability to develop good working relationships internally and externally.
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).
