Job summary
This postholder will hold the statutory role of Named Doctor for Children in Care (Looked After Children) on behalf of Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust.
Named Doctors have a key role in promoting good professional practice within their organisation, providing advice and expertise for fellow professionals, and ensuring robust arrangements are in place.
The role of Named Doctor for Children in Care moves beyond generic care to a higher level of operational expertise achievable through extensive experience and a higher level of education.
Main duties of the job
The Named Doctor works in partnership with the Named Nurse for Safeguarding and Associate Director Safeguarding & Statutory Services to:
- Develop strong internal Children in Care policies, guidelines, and protocols.
- Ensure that Children in Care are reflected and considered across the organisation.
- Support the management and quality assurance of statutory health assessments.
- Improve the health outcomes for Children in Care and Care Leavers by working with the individual, their carers, the corporate family, and the wider community to affect change via innovative practice and collaborative working.
- Stimulate the awareness of the health needs of this client group, influencing policies that affect health and the facilitation of health enhancing activities.
- Effectively communicate Children in Care knowledge, research and findings from audits, challenge poor practice and address areas where there is an identified training/development opportunity.
- Facilitate and contribute to internal and multi-agency audits, and statutory inspections.
- Conduct Children in Care training needs analysis, and to commission, plan, design, deliver and evaluate single and inter-agency training and teaching for staff within the Trust.
- Support the delivery of Initial Health Assessment (IHA) clinics and work with the Named Nurse to ensure continuous quality improvement. Provide specialist advice and supervision to staff who have direct contact with Children in Care and Care Leavers.
About us
As one of Europe's biggest and busiest children's hospitals, at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, we treat everything from common illnesses to highly complex and specialist conditions.In addition to our main hospital site, we offer paediatric services at a number of community sites and hold local clinics across Merseyside, Cumbria, Shropshire, Wales and the Isle of Man. We also provide specialist inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs in our recently relocated and newly opened state of the art facility.
Alder Hey has a thriving research portfolio and leads research into children's medicines, infection, inflammation and oncology. We are becoming recognised as one of the world's leaders in children's healthcare and research. We contribute to public health, lead cutting-edge research and teach the next generation of children's specialists. Alongside this is ourInnovation Hub, a dedicated space where clinicians and industries can come together to create new products and technologies.
We know that a children's hospital is different and that our job is more than just treating an illness. To us, every child is an individual. As well as giving them the very best care, we set out to make them feel happy, safe and confident as they play, learn and grow. At Alder Hey we are here to look after a child and their family and that includes mums, dads, brothers and sisters.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties
- Support all activities necessary to ensure that the organisation meets its responsibilities for Children in Care and Care Leavers.
- Be responsible to and accountable within the managerial framework of the employing organisation.
- At all times and in relation to the roles and responsibilities listed, work as a member of the Statutory Services Team.
Leadership and Advisory Role
- Advise local police, childrens social care and other statutory and voluntary agencies on health matters with regard to Children in Care.
- Liaise closely with other specialist services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), sexual health, and services for disabled children.
- Support the Associate Director for Safeguarding and Statutory Services to advise the Trust Board on matters pertaining to Children in Care.
- Contribute to the planning and strategic organisation of Safeguarding and Statutory Services in respect of Children in Care.
- Work with other Named, Specialist and Designated Professionals to plan and develop the healthcare organisations strategy for services for Children in Care.
- Ensure advice is available to other professionals and services across the organisation on day to-day issues about Children in Care and their families, including involvement in Fostering and Adoption Panels where required.
Clinical Role
- When required undertake health assessments for Children in Care and provide written reports on the health of prospective carers as appropriate.
- Support and advise colleagues in the clinical assessment and care of children and young people, whilst being clear about others personal clinical professional accountability.
- Provide advice and signposting to other professionals about legal processes, key research, and policy documents.
- Lead and support the development of clinical pathways such as Blood Borne Virus and provide management and oversight where appropriate.
- In line with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 15189 all employees who work within a forensic setting are required to provide a DNA sample as part of the Staff Elimination Database (SED) for the purpose of eliminating their DNA from any forensic samples taken at the SARC. The Named Doctor for Children in Care would be required to provide a DNA sample.
Co-ordination and Communication
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties
- Support all activities necessary to ensure that the organisation meets its responsibilities for Children in Care and Care Leavers.
- Be responsible to and accountable within the managerial framework of the employing organisation.
- At all times and in relation to the roles and responsibilities listed, work as a member of the Statutory Services Team.
Leadership and Advisory Role
- Advise local police, childrens social care and other statutory and voluntary agencies on health matters with regard to Children in Care.
- Liaise closely with other specialist services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), sexual health, and services for disabled children.
- Support the Associate Director for Safeguarding and Statutory Services to advise the Trust Board on matters pertaining to Children in Care.
- Contribute to the planning and strategic organisation of Safeguarding and Statutory Services in respect of Children in Care.
- Work with other Named, Specialist and Designated Professionals to plan and develop the healthcare organisations strategy for services for Children in Care.
- Ensure advice is available to other professionals and services across the organisation on day to-day issues about Children in Care and their families, including involvement in Fostering and Adoption Panels where required.
Clinical Role
- When required undertake health assessments for Children in Care and provide written reports on the health of prospective carers as appropriate.
- Support and advise colleagues in the clinical assessment and care of children and young people, whilst being clear about others personal clinical professional accountability.
- Provide advice and signposting to other professionals about legal processes, key research, and policy documents.
- Lead and support the development of clinical pathways such as Blood Borne Virus and provide management and oversight where appropriate.
- In line with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 15189 all employees who work within a forensic setting are required to provide a DNA sample as part of the Staff Elimination Database (SED) for the purpose of eliminating their DNA from any forensic samples taken at the SARC. The Named Doctor for Children in Care would be required to provide a DNA sample.
Co-ordination and Communication
Person Specification
Education and Training
Essential
- Full GMC registration
- On the GMC's Specialist Register OR within six months of CCT at time of scheduled interview.
- Valid Level 3 Safeguarding and Children in Care Training
- Valid BLS Training
- Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
- Hold consultant status or a senior post with equivalent training and experience.
- Evidence of continuous personal / professional training relating to Children in Care
Desirable
- MBA
- Leadership qualification
- Valid APLS and NLS (this may be mandatory for some posts).
Person Specification
Education and Training
Essential
- Full GMC registration
- On the GMC's Specialist Register OR within six months of CCT at time of scheduled interview.
- Valid Level 3 Safeguarding and Children in Care Training
- Valid BLS Training
- Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
- Hold consultant status or a senior post with equivalent training and experience.
- Evidence of continuous personal / professional training relating to Children in Care
Desirable
- MBA
- Leadership qualification
- Valid APLS and NLS (this may be mandatory for some posts).
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
