Specialist Safeguarding Practitioner (Children)

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen within the Think Family Safeguarding Service for an enthusiastic and skilled Specialist Practitioner within the Safeguarding Children's Team. This post is 37.5 hours, full time, permanent position.

Would you like to work as part of a friendly, passionate, and caring safeguarding team?

We are seeking a highly experienced practitioner with a strong interest in safeguarding children and have a genuine commitment to safeguarding under a whole family strategy.

The post holder will be expected to demonstrate a sound understanding of the issues relating to children within a safeguarding context. The Specialist Safeguarding Practitioner Think Family (Children) will work closely with Named Safeguarding Professionals and multi-professional clinical teams to ensure that the Trust’s statutory responsibilities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children are met.

Please note that this vacancy may close early if a sufficient number of applications are received. We encourage interested candidates to apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Candidates are required to show evidence of their original certificates for qualifications to the interview panel.

Main duties of the job

Safeguarding at Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust encompasses, promoting the welfare of children/young people and adults considerate of a Think Family approach to protect from harm. The post holder will be expected to demonstrate a sound understanding of the issues relating to children, young people, and families within a safeguarding context.

Working closely with Named Safeguarding Professionals and multi-professional clinical teams to ensure that the Trust’s statutory responsibilities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people, adults and their families are met.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To work with all staff to provide support, advice and expert guidance to assist in exercising duties and responsibilities for safeguarding of children, young people, adults and their families
• To deputise for Named Safeguarding Professionals within the WWL Think Family Safeguarding Team
• To be a competent, knowledgeable, and visible practitioner, ensuring the provision of a high-quality Think Family Safeguarding Service.
• Assess, implement, plan, and evaluate care and interventions for service users with complex safeguarding needs.
• To complete safeguarding audits as per the Think Family Safeguarding Audit calendar.
• Maintain and develop own levels of specialist knowledge and skills in relation to safeguarding and clinical practice. To access regular clinical supervision for own personal and professional development, whilst ensuring participation with management supervision and annual performance reviews.
• Work collaboratively as part of the WWL Think Family Safeguarding Service, in the continued progression and development of such ensuring delivery of the Think Family Safeguarding Strategy.
• Referral of safeguarding concerns as per statutory processes, local and internal policy, and procedure, to ensure coordinated approach in meeting the needs of service users who are at risk of/suffering abuse and/or neglect.
• Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure children, young people, adults and their family’s needs are met.
• To escalate safeguarding concerns, internally and externally as per local, regional and National directives.
• To assist with the development, implementation and evaluation of action plans and recommendations of lessons learned from Children Safeguarding Practice reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews, brief learning reviews and Domestic Homicide reviews. Ensuring timely and regular review of such to provide assurance.
• To support managers and staff in the delivery of high-quality care throughout the journey of the child, young person, adult, and families (particularly with respect to robust discharge planning) by promoting innovative and progressive attitude to the continual improvement of safeguarding practice.
• Provide safeguarding supervision and case management guidance, inclusive of supporting staff to professionally challenge, where safeguarding concerns have not been adequately addressed.  To identify emerging themes and inform future training and support needs.
• Facilitate good standards of record keeping, report and statement writing in line with NMC, other professional regulatory bodies and Trust guidelines.
• Attend as required all appropriate safeguarding meetings, to advocate on behalf of service users, acting as a support to staff or as a representative of the Trust.
• To promote a right’s-based approach in the safeguarding of service users and their families