Designated Nurse Safeguarding Children, Children in Care in Middlesbrough

North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board is seeking an enthusiastic individual with a passion for improving outcomes for children, young people and care leavers to join our Safeguarding Team. This strategic role provides safeguarding leadership, expert advice and assurance, supporting the ICB to discharge its statutory safeguarding duties and commissioning responsibilities. In line with NHS England's Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework (2026), the postholder will work across strategic and operational interfaces to strengthen governance, provider assurance, partnership working, workforce development and continuous quality improvement for babies, children, young people, children in care and care leavers.

The role will promote learning from statutory reviews, audits, incidents and performance; identify risks and gaps in provision; and ensure the voices and lived experiences of children, young people and families inform commissioning and system improvement. We are looking for an experienced safeguarding practitioner with strong leadership, analytical and influencing skills to provide advice and professional challenge. The post will predominantly cover Tees however it is expected some hours will be allocated to Durham. Base will be North Ormsby Health Village.

Main duties of the job:

• Support the Chief Nurse and Director of Nursing providing strategic and professional safeguarding leadership across the North East and North Cumbria health and care system.
• Fulfil the statutory functions of the Designated Nurse for Safeguarding Children, Children in Care and Care Leavers in accordance with relevant legislation, statutory guidance and the NHS England Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework.
• Act as a vital source of expert advice, guidance and constructive professional challenge to ICB colleagues, the Board, executive leaders, commissioned services and relevant agencies on complex, sensitive or contentious safeguarding matters.
• Provide strategic commissioning advice on safeguarding, promoting the best start in life, reducing inequalities and improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.
• Develop and maintain robust safeguarding governance, reporting and assurance arrangements across NHS-funded and commissioned services.
• Ensure safeguarding requirements are embedded within commissioning, procurement, contracting, quality schedules and service specifications, and seek assurance that commissioned providers discharge their statutory responsibilities.

Job responsibilities:

• Build effective relationships across organisational boundaries and influence policy, service development, commissioning decisions and system-wide improvement.
• Develop and monitor safeguarding standards, key performance indicators, quality measures, audit programmes and improvement plans.
• Analyse complex qualitative and quantitative information to identify themes, inequalities, risks, gaps in provision and opportunities for improvement, escalating concerns through appropriate governance routes.
• Support learning and improvement arising from child safeguarding practice reviews, child death reviews, domestic abuse-related reviews, safeguarding audits, incidents and other relevant assurance activity.
• Participate in child death review arrangements and ensure learning informs commissioning, quality assurance and service improvement.
• Promote effective information sharing, professional curiosity, trauma-informed practice and meaningful engagement with children, young people, families and care-experienced people.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• Essential: Registered Nurse 1st Level - e.g. RN, with current registration. Additional Specialist qualification in Community Public Health Nursing and Adult Nursing or equivalent experience. Post graduate experience, skills and training relating to safeguarding to the level of master's degree. Teaching qualification or equivalent experience. Experience of working in children and family services. Experience of working as a Named Nurse Children Safeguarding / Cared For Children & Care Leavers. Experience of strategy development. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office with advanced keyboard skills.
• Desirable: Management qualification or equivalent experience for both children's and adult nursing or equivalent experience. Budgetary management experience. Change management experience.

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.