Detailed job description and main responsibilities

In conjunction with the Head of Safeguarding and the Named Nurse for children and young people ensure NUH is represented at all Children’s Partnership subgroups across the area.

To provide safeguarding children supervision (statutory) to the midwifery safeguarding children’s advisor and midwives.

In conjunction with the Head of Safeguarding, to identify key safeguarding children quality indicators and ensure that there are appropriate systems in place across maternity services to monitor these.

Report maternity progress against these indicators to the Trust’s Safeguarding Committee, ICB, NHSE and statutory regulators as required.

Ensures all adverse incidents and near misses are reported through the correct NUH processes and is responsible for supporting the implementation of recommendations related to safeguarding children practice reducing the risk of recurrence of the incident within maternity services.

Lead on developing and reviewing quality standards for safeguarding in maternity as advised locally and nationally and undertake regular audit of safeguarding practice, working closely with the Named Nurse and Named Doctors within the governance framework within the Trust.

Assists staff in the preparation of reports and statements for court, and prepare and support staff through the process.

Use interagency contacts effectively to access research in other professional fields that may impact on health services. 

Incorporates recommendations from Children’s Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPR) into the training programme and delivery.

Produces comprehensive report in order to feedback agency actions to senior managers and the Children’s Partnership. 

To advise on strategic and operational planning within the Trust in relation to safeguarding children and young people. 

Responsible for the development and updates of all policies in relation to all aspects of safeguarding midwifery and in partnership with the NUH Safeguarding Team and Head of Safeguarding, implement, manage and regularly review Safeguarding policies, procedures and guidelines. These will reflect statutory requirements and recommendations from local and national reviews and inquiries.

In conjunction with the Named Doctors and Named Nurse for Children, lead on developing and reviewing Quality Standards for Safeguarding as advised locally and nationally and undertake regular audit of safeguarding practice, working closely with the governance framework within the Trust. 

To provide annual statistical information relating to safeguarding issues to inform and influence the provision and development of services. 

Ensure the Trust maintains a robust system of administration for safeguarding case monitoring, including the database.

            Ensure a programme of audit is in place to assure that key policies and practices are being implemented appropriately.

            Ensure that all untoward incidents and near misses are reported by staff within the area of responsibility in accordance with the Trust policy, and that appropriate mechanisms are put in place to investigate serious clinical incidents under the direction and guidance of the Risk Management Department and Safeguarding Leads.

            Ensure that any risks or near misses observed in clinical practice are acted upon to minimise avoidable harms working with the clinical staff to identify root causes and lessons learned in practice.

            Ensure the service meets/exceeds healthcare standards and specific standards for their service i.e. CQC, NICE.

In conjunction with the Head of Safeguarding and the wider safeguarding  team  develop and implement a trust safeguarding children training policy in line with legislation, statutory guidance and best practice, research findings, recommendations of Children’s Safeguarding Practice reviews and Individual Management Reviews.

Contribute to the development and implementation of the Partnership multi- agency training strategy.

Contribute towards midwifery education and teaching programmes as required. 

Ensure a robust training strategy exists for all staff on safeguarding within the Trust in conjunction with the Adult Lead Nurse, Named Nurse and Learning and Organisational Development. 

Develop, co-ordinate and participate in the Trusts training programme and act as a resource and source of advice to all staff. 

To ensure there is ongoing training needs analysis, which evaluates the effectiveness of Safeguarding training and identifies future training needs within the Trust.

Promote a research culture, which enables staff to take a questioning approach to their practice and support nursing research and innovative projects as required.

Supports, encourages and facilitates safeguarding children’s supervisors and staff to develop professionally and where relevant, undertake research opportunities to promote innovative practice.

Demonstrate highly developed skills to be able to effectively communicate and disseminate information at all levels. 

Maintain clear lines of communication as lead for the service, with external partner agencies, such as children’s social care, Nottinghamshire Healthcare, providing peri-natal mental health services and the ICB. Strategically manage difficult conversations between key stakeholders if conflict arises in decision making, ensuring the best interest of the baby/ child is paramount. 

Work with the specialist midwifery teams to support their work in ensuring needs of vulnerable families, including maternal mental health, vulnerable migrants’ group, complex needs, learning disabilities and neurodiverse conditions have reasonable adjustments as required. Ensure any barriers to communication for patients and families are resolved and sign posting for support services is undertaken. Adapt communication styles to meet the needs of the patients and their families, employing services such as interpreter to overcome any language barriers. 

Employ effective communication, negotiation and influencing skills to enable effective change management with stakeholders at all levels (including senior management) who may hold differing and contentious views and be able to communicate highly complex information to diverse audiences. Recognises and manage and resolving where possible, areas of conflict.

Provide clear and detailed written reports for the Legal Team as required, including expert reports for HM Coroner, Family Law Courts and the Police. 

Build and develop improved links with user specialty teams and ensure optimal cross divisional working, aiming for a seamless service across boundaries.

Provide expert safeguarding midwifery leadership and represent the Trust at local, regional and national level.

Seeks and maintains collaborative relationships with other agencies in relation to safeguarding children.

Promotes and demonstrates effective communication at all levels both written and oral.

Provide specialist support to the clinical team in dealing with the complex needs of different client groups and when imparting or receiving sensitive, complex or contentious information.

Provide advice and support at Safeguarding Allegations meetings, following ‘Person in a Position of Trust Guidance’ (PiPOT), undertaking referral to external agencies as required. 

Recognise barriers to communications for staff, such as working in a complex stressful environment with upsetting case review. Utilise strategies to provide team support, including Trauma- Risk Management TRIM sessions and debrief meetings as required.

To ensure organisational/professional practice reflects current local and national policy, and information from research, reviews or inquiries. 

To continue joint working initiatives to strengthen both partnership working and communication within other areas of Health, Social Care, Police, Education, Voluntary Sector and the Public, for the safeguarding of vulnerable children and families. 

Ensure that there are robust systems in place within the Trust to disseminate and process Safeguarding information relating to, but not exclusive to, missing children and families, and child deaths or serious incidents. 

To represent the Trust on local and external groups, such as Nottingham Safeguarding Children’s Partnership and NSCP subgroups. 

To advise the Trust on National health improvement projects relevant to Safeguarding and influence practice related to these initiatives.  

To maintain in conjunction with the Safeguarding team, the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Young People intranet website.

Liaise closely with other health, social care professionals, police and legal departments to ensure a coordinated approach and high-quality care is provided. 

Establish and maintain communication with appropriate stakeholders on potentially complex and stressful topics in a range of situations in a manner that is understandable and is likely to achieve engagement.

In conjunction with the clinical ward teams, seek patient feedback to improve services and care standards.

Challenge in a positive manner, current working practices and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

Advise the Trust Safeguarding Adult and Children and Young People’s Committee on the implementation of effective systems of audit.

Contribute, as clinically appropriate, to serious case reviews/case management reviews/significant case reviews, and individual management reviews/ individual agency reviews/internal management reviews. 

Disseminate lessons learnt from serious case reviews / case conferences reviews, and advise on the implementation and monitoring of recommendations. 

Continue to develop the Named Professional role within the Trust taking an active role in self-development, reviewing own performance, identifying own needs and attending supervision, in accordance with the Intercollegiate Document (2019).