Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide secretariat and administrative leadership to the Safeguarding Partnership Boards and Sub-Groups. Lead operational functions, including managing the deployment of resources from the Safeguarding Partnership budget, identifying alternative income streams and delivering solutions to operational issues to ensure that the Safeguarding Partnership Boards fulfil their function of protecting vulnerable Islanders and secure value for money.
Lead the production of the Safeguarding Partnership business plan, project plans and action plans.
Identify, manage and co-ordinate work streams within the sub-group structure to ensure progress of the Safeguarding Partnership objectives, ensuring delivery, monitoring and reporting on progress.
Support and advise the Independent Chair and Chairs of relevant sub-groups and working groups.
Ensure compliance with all applicable legislation, guidance, policies, procedures etc. Identify when action is needed, in order for policy, procedures, activities and documentation to remain effective and relevant, ensuring that the Safeguarding Partnership Boards are compliant with statutory, mandatory and best practice requirements.
Assist in drafting policies, procedures and protocols necessary for the development of effective safeguarding practices.
Share best practice and lead the development of structured, robust and engaged inter-agency policy, legislation, strategy and planning to promote and improve the safeguarding of children and adults.
Monitor changes in relevant legislation, policy, trends and other national developments, research and prepare detailed briefs (verbal and written) for the Independent Chair and Board/Sub Group members and development. The outcome will be improvements to Safeguarding across the Island.
Build strong relationships and networks, individually or in conjunction with the Independent Chair and Board/Sub Group members; represent the island in inter jurisdictional activities, share best practice and promote the safeguarding agenda. Develop a network and strong links between members, agencies and with other interested parties, and across jurisdictions, departments, industry / business and other key stakeholders, including the public and their representatives.
Develop and maintain systems for collecting and reporting multi-agency safeguarding performance information.
Develop and monitor an assurance process for all partner agencies to ensure safeguarding is prioritised and there are systems in place to implement this.
Direct the multi-agency safeguarding training programme; plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate training to ensure it is of the highest quality and commensurate with needs. This will raise awareness and improve best practice.
Manage and monitor the processes arising from Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) or Local Safeguarding Practice Reviews; to include co-ordination of SCR Panels, ensuring protocols and procedures are strictly adhered to and supporting organisations and officers through the exacting demands and challenges of the process.
Act as primary point of contact for independent authors commissioned to undertake reviews and ensure local processes reflect current best practice from other jurisdictions.
Ensure learning needs identified through case reviews are incorporated into training programmes, where appropriate.
Be lead officer for unanticipated child/adult death reviews in Guernsey and Alderney and liaise with the Jersey Safeguarding Partnership to manage the Joint Child Death Overview Panel.
Manage multi-agency complaints, championing openness and responsiveness to complaints, comments and questions, thereby enhancing transparency. Highlight any lessons and recommendations to the Independent Chair.
Represent the Independent Chair at meetings and in the media where needed. Develop and deliver communication and engagement strategies that make the most effective use of all types of media in actively promoting the safeguarding of children and adults, whilst supporting the principles of openness, quality and equal opportunities.
Manage all communication events and publications, including leading on awareness raising campaigns, promoting the Safeguarding Partnership through organisation of an annual conference, newsletters, developing and maintaining the Safeguarding Partnership website and through media engagement.
Monitor and respond to issues that arise in the media in a professional and confidential manner. Co-ordinate the preparation and publication of SPB responses to consultations. Coordinate and manage media enquiries, working closely with the Independent Chair and the States Communications team to formulate appropriate strategies.
Be primary point of contact for the Safeguarding Partnership, represent and promote the work of the partnership among staff groups, within partner agencies and in the wider community.
Consider the most effective mode(s) of engagement, in order to involve the public, frontline staff and wider stakeholders in safeguarding, thereby ensuring outcomes are appropriate, deliverable and informed.
Liaise with partner agencies and jurisdictions to monitor consistency and share good practice; seek opportunities to develop joint working groups to improve outcomes and efficiency.
Work closely with staff groups across agencies to identify learning needs and incorporate into relevant learning and development programmes.
Ensure the control of information in respect of individual cases is in accordance with data protection legislation and regulations.
Manage the Safeguarding Partnership support team in line with States of Guernsey policies and procedures and ensure employees are aware of their obligations under these.
To ensure a focus on children and other vulnerable groups and advocate for the inclusion of consultation with them in all policy and service developments.
