Safeguarding Adult Practitioner

Job overview

The CHS Integrated Safeguarding Team provides expert advice, guidance, and training to all Croydon Health Services (CHS) staff across community and acute settings, enabling them to effectively fulfil their statutory responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.

Our aim is to promote high‑quality safeguarding practice that improves outcomes for adults, children, and young people, including those who are looked after or preparing to leave care. We achieve this through strong professional leadership, the provision of robust and timely support and guidance, and the delivery of comprehensive and inclusive safeguarding training programmes.

The Safeguarding Practitioner role is a developmental opportunity, it enables the post holder to build specialist safeguarding knowledge and skills through supervised practice, receiving mentorship from the Band 7 Safeguarding Advisors, and gradually increasing responsibility, supporting career progression to a more senior safeguarding role.

The Safeguarding Practitioner will contribute to the delivery of a highly visible, responsive and accessible safeguarding service across all areas of Croydon Health Services (CHS), working flexibly and dynamically across both the acute and community settings within the Borough of Croydon.

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Main duties of the job

Safeguarding Advice & Support

• Provide safeguarding advice to staff across clinical and non‑clinical areas

Training, Education & Workforce Development

• Support the Safeguarding Team in delivering safeguarding training in accordance with Intercollegiate requirements. Current training provision consists of one training day per week, with delivery shared across the safeguarding team.
• Promote and support staffs understanding of the Safeguarding principles, policies/procedures and law/legislations, including; Care Act (2014), Mental Capacity Act (2005), DoLS/Liberty Protection Safeguards, PREVENT.

Policy, Quality & Governance

• Support in the completion of Audits.
• Promote safe, person‑centred practice aligned with organisational values and statutory duties.

Safeguarding Activity

• Provide staff with support and advice, escalating cases that require additional support to the Safeguarding Advisors.

Partnership & Multi‑Agency Collaboration

• Support with health research for the risk management forums; Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), Prevent/Channel panels.
• Help strengthen effective multi‑agency collaboration and information sharing.

This job description provides an outline of the role and its responsibilities. Duties may evolve over time in response to the changing needs of CHS services and the professional development of the post holder.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached JD/ supporting document for further information.

Key Responsibilities

• General skills
• Works to the standards of proficiency set by relevant professional and regulatory bodies (NMC).
• Provide safeguarding advice and guidance to staff, using evidenced based practice. Recognising where a referral is required, or escalation to others is appropriate.
• Ensuring that decision making is clearly and accurately reflected within the electronic patient records.
• Participating in the completion of audits, and health research.
• Flexible and agile working across both acute and community sites, delivering support/advice to all services that require.
• Liaise with internal and external agencies to support improved health/social outcomes.
• Work as part of the Integrated Safeguarding Team, contributing to the development, implementation, and delivery of the Safeguarding Strategy in collaboration with colleagues across the wider safeguarding team.
• Work as part of the Integrated Safeguarding Team, contributing to the development of Policies and Procedures, and Standards of Practice.
• Approaches every individual with care, compassion and sensitivity, ensuring these values are evident across all aspects of practice.
• Leadership
• Act as a positive role model, demonstrating professional behaviour and upholding Trust values.
• Demonstrates equality, diversity and openness, building and sustaining effective working relationships.
• Manages self and aligned activities on a day‑to‑day basis within a dynamic and unpredictable environment.
• Delegates effectively and organises and prioritises workload to ensure safe and timely service delivery, including the management of referrals, utilising agreed local support mechanisms (e.g. manager).
• Clearly articulates expected clinical standards, monitors performance against these standards, identifies shortfalls and takes prompt action to address them.
• Takes responsibility for their own health and safety and that of others within the working environment, always ensuring safe and compliant practice.
• Learning and Development
• Actively undertake all training required to maintain and enhance professional proficiency, responding to changes in service delivery, emerging evidence, and new techniques, ensuring competence in accordance with professional body standards.
• Regularly reflects on and evaluates own practice, identifying development needs and setting meaningful objectives through the appraisal process and clinical supervision.
• Contributes to research, audit, or other service development activities relevant to the clinical area, supporting the generation and application of evidence‑based practice.
• Assist with the training delivery, supporting the learning and development of others, including students, preceptees and colleagues, promoting a positive learning culture.
• Partnership and Team Working
• Actively develops and maintains effective working relationships within the Trust and with external agencies and partner organisations.
• Identifies and fosters opportunities for collaborative working, initiating and sustaining partnerships that enhance and improve service delivery.
• Contributes effectively to multidisciplinary team working, maintaining clear communication with external care providers, voluntary organisations and other agencies, acting as a credible and knowledgeable point of contact.

5 Professional Responsibilities

• Be familiar with, The London Safeguarding Adults Pan‑London Procedures.
• Adhere to local information‑sharing protocols and systems.
• Know the appropriate safeguarding contact numbers and escalation routes.
• Participate in required safeguarding training and supervision.
• Maintain professional boundaries and comply with the relevant codes of conduct.
• Maintain the highest standards of professional conduct to uphold public confidence, in accordance with NMC and Code of Conduct, and the CHS Trust Values.
• Promote a consistently professional image and remain fully accountable for one’s own clinical practice, ensuring all actions reflect safe, competent and ethical care.
• Always demonstrate professionalism, including in communication, decision‑making, documentation and interactions with patients, colleagues and partner agencies.
• Work in accordance with the Trust’s Values, consistently demonstrating the behaviours expected of all staff. The post holder must carry out their role in a Professional, Compassionate, Respectful and Safe manner at all times, in line with organisational values, standards and behaviours.
• Adhere to all CHS policies and procedures, ensuring safe, compliant and accountable practice across all areas of work.
• Take responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of themselves and others, always complying with Health and Safety Regulations and the Trust’s Health and Safety policies and procedures.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times, ensuring that any information obtained during employment is shared only with those acting in an official capacity, and strictly in accordance with the Data Protection Act and its amendments.
• Work in accordance with the Trust’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, eliminating unlawful discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity in both service delivery and employment. This applies regardless of age, disability, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, religion, belief, sexual orientation or domestic circumstances.
• Adhere to the Trust’s Infection Control Policy, procedures and guidelines, always practising strict hand hygiene during clinical duties.
• Comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All staff—paid or unpaid—have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. This requires the post holder to:

Note:

• A child is defined as anyone under the age of 18, including unborn children.
• A adult is someone who is 18 and above.
• Work within the relevant Professional Body’s Code of Professional Conduct and Scope of Professional Practice, maintaining high standards of professionalism and accountability.
• Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time, consistent with the responsibilities and grade of the post.

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.