Safeguarding Children Advisor in London

The post holder will be an integral member of the safeguarding children team and will support with the arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and their families in the Camden 0-19 and community service. This will include the provision of specialist safeguarding children advice and support to staff to promote good professional practice in safeguarding children and the delivery of supervision and training to all levels of staff across CNWL trust. In collaboration with the Named Nurse, contribute to the development and review of policies and procedures and take part in audit and other initiatives. Deputise for the Named Nurse as required.

Main Duties:

• To have excellent knowledge of legislation local/national policies and procedures that are relevant to health care provision for vulnerable children.
• To provide clinical leadership, specialist advice and support on safeguarding children issues to practitioners, managers and other staff.
• Have the ability to make judgments about highly complex situations, requiring analysis, interpretation and comparisons of a range of options and escalation of concerns where necessary.
• Support managers to ensure safeguarding children supervision is provided across the trust.
• To contribute to and where appropriate, to lead in quality improvement initiatives across 0-19 and community services.
• Support practitioners in multi-agency working such as attendance at child protection conferences/strategy meetings and in the preparation of written reports for conferences and legal proceedings.
• To ensure that clinical governance principles are an integral part of all safeguarding children arrangements.
• Liaise with local Children's Services MASH (multi-agency safeguarding hub) teams and provide health information as appropriate as well as contribute to multi-agency planning and decision making.

Partnership and Communications:

• To promote and develop collaborative interagency working on all issues relating to safeguarding children working closely with staff in CNWL, local statutory and voluntary agencies in order to develop and deliver high standards of practice to children and families.
• To liaise with a range of professionals both in CNWL and in the wider health economy to ensure effective information sharing where safeguarding concerns are known about a child, young person or their wider family.
• Participate in Trustwide staff team meetings where needed to advise and support regarding safeguarding children issues and ensure staff maintain a Think Family and Together with Families approach in their work.
• Participate in working parties and task and finish groups both internally and externally to ensure that the safeguarding of children, young people and their families is always considered in any change management process.
• To advise on legal matters, liaising with and supporting clinical managers and practitioners in court attendances where appropriate.

Education, Training and Development:

• Work collaboratively with others to identify individual and group training needs and contribute to the development of the CNWL safeguarding children training strategy.
• To participate in the planning, delivery and evaluation of a range of safeguarding children training programmes including Trust Induction programmes.
• To contribute to the training sub-group of the LSCB and collaborate in the development of training programmes for all practitioners whose work brings them into contact with children and families.
• Ensure own knowledge, skills and training are maintained through continued learning and development activity.

Supervision:

• To ensure that staff have access to high quality safeguarding supervision through a range of activities such as group supervision or direct reflective supervisory work with practitioners.
• Ensure accurate recording of supervision in a child's electronic record and their parent/carer record where appropriate, and in staff appraisal documents.
• Monitor the effectiveness of safeguarding supervision through case reviews and audits of practice.

Clinical Governance and Performance:

• To work with the named professionals, clinical governance team, service managers and operational directors to identify any areas of risk for the Trust regarding safeguarding children and contribute to managing and reducing those risks.
• Contribute to the collection, reporting and presentation of data relating to safeguarding children activity.
• To evaluate and review safeguarding practice and ensure that staff have knowledge of and are able to utilise current local/National policies and guidance.
• To contribute to the review and implementation of Trust standards and policies relating to safeguarding children.
• In collaboration with the named professionals conduct audits to evaluate safeguarding children practice and contribute to the annual audit plan.

Other:

• Demonstrate flexibility in carrying out any other duties commensurate with the grade and in line with the developmental nature of the post.
• To take responsibility for own professional development.

Person Specification:

• Registered Nurse or other professional qualification e.g. Social work
• Specialist Community Public Health Nurse Qualification
• Educated to degree level
• Experience of working with vulnerable families
• Experience working with children and families
• Working in a multi-agency team
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
• Knowledge of legislation relating to safeguarding
• IT skills
• Ability to motivate self and plan workload
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to lead and motivate staff