Deputy Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced safeguarding professional to join the newly formed Bristol NHS Foundation Trust as Deputy Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children.

Working closely with the Named Nurse and Lead for Safeguarding Children, the postholder will play a key role in providing specialist safeguarding leadership, advice and assurance across the organisation. This is an opportunity to work across a diverse range of acute and specialist services and to help shape consistent, high-quality safeguarding practice as our new Trust develops.

We are looking for an experienced, motivated and compassionate practitioner with significant safeguarding children expertise, strong leadership and communication skills, and the confidence to influence, challenge, and support practice across a complex organisation.

Main duties of the job

The Deputy Named Nurse will support the Named Nurse and Lead for Safeguarding Children in the delivery of the Trust's statutory safeguarding responsibilities. The postholder will provide expert advice and professional leadership to staff managing complex safeguarding concerns and promote high standards of safeguarding practice across the organisation.

Key responsibilities will include providing safeguarding supervision; supporting the development and delivery of safeguarding training; contributing to policies, procedures and service development; and supporting safeguarding assurance, audit, performance monitoring and reporting.

The postholder will contribute to statutory safeguarding reviews, including Rapid Reviews and Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, and will support the management of allegations against staff where there is a safeguarding children element.

A key part of the role will be developing strong relationships with clinical teams, senior leaders and multi-agency partners, representing the Trust within relevant safeguarding forums and contributing to a culture of professional curiosity, constructive challenge, learning and continuous improvement.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Support the Named Nurse and Lead for Safeguarding Children in providing professional leadership for the safeguarding children agenda.

Provide expert advice and support in complex safeguarding situations, including risk assessment, escalation and decision-making.

Lead and contribute to safeguarding children training, supervision and workforce development. Line manage and provide professional support to members of the safeguarding team.

Develop and maintain effective relationships with clinical teams, senior leaders and multi-agency safeguarding partners.

Represent the Trust at relevant multi-agency safeguarding meetings, forums and partnership arrangements.

Contribute to Rapid Reviews, Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews and other statutory safeguarding reviews.

Support the management of allegations against staff and liaison with Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO).

Contribute to the development, implementation and review of safeguarding policies, procedures and guidance.

Lead identified areas of the safeguarding children workplan and support service development and continuous improvement.

Support safeguarding governance and assurance through audit, performance monitoring, data analysis and reporting.

Contribute to quarterly and annual safeguarding reporting and provide assurance on the quality and effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements.

Promote learning from safeguarding incidents, reviews, audits and research and support its translation into clinical practice.

Provide professional challenge and influence practice to ensure that children and young people are effectively safeguarded across all Trust services.

Promote the voice and lived experience of children, young people and families within safeguarding practice and service development.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.