Job summary
This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for a highly motivated and enthusiastic nurse with experience of Children in Care and/or safeguarding children, with a genuine commitment to promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will have substantial experience as a paediatric nurse and be educated to degree level with evidence of further academic study relevant to safeguarding, children in care or the public health agenda.
As part of Safeguarding and Statutory Services you will be responsible for providing visible leadership, knowledge, and expertise in relation to safeguarding and children in care for all Trust staff. You will work with a range of multi-disciplinary colleagues as well as external health colleague's multi-agencies partners such as primary care, Local Authorities, Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships and Local Safeguarding Adult Boards.
You must be a registered nurse, with experience of safeguarding/children in care and knowledge of current statutory legislation and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. You should have experience of leading change and influencing practice, as well as working in multi-professional teams and across organisational boundaries, along with ensuring high quality information sharing, training and support.
As a senior member of the team, you will play a pivotal role in maintaining efficient and effective Children in Care systems within the Trust.
Main duties of the job
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse is an integral member of the Safeguarding and Statutory Services Team.
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse will work across Alder Hey, providing services in collaboration with partners from Health and Social Care settings.
The Specialist Nurse will develop, co-ordinate and support facilitation of access to a broad range of health services to ensure Children in Care, care leavers and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children's needs are met; and positive outcomes achieved.
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse will be responsible for -
- Developing and implementing policies relating to the health needs of children in care and care experienced.
- Provide speciality support and training to a wide range of professionals to enhance skill, knowledge, and practice.
- Work and collaborate with the Named and Designated Professionals for Children in Care across the three place areas Alder Hey serves.
- Work with colleagues across the trust to ensure best experience of care for Children, parents and carers.
- Promote the quality of Initial Health Assessments being undertaken and provide nursing support to compliment the Clinician function for Children in Care and Adoption medicals.
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse will work closely with the Safeguarding Specialist Nurses to help provide the day-to-day functions of Safeguarding and Statutory Services, by assisting to provide supervision, advice, and guidance within the Rainbow Team.
About us
The Children in Care team, work as part of the wider Safeguarding team. The Rainbow Centre at Alder Hey is situated on the ground floor near the Emergency Department and provides a 'hub' for the co-ordination of Safeguarding and Statutory Services. The role however will be delivered from across the trust site.
As a wider Safeguarding and Statutory Assessment service, we provide child protection medical examinations for children who have been physically harmed as well as a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for children requiring forensic medical examination following sexual assault. We also provide Initial Health Assessments (IHAs), Adoption Medicals and provide the Medical Advisor role for Fostering and Adoption.
Alder Hey has a large catchment area and provides secondary health care for the boroughs of Liverpool, Knowsley, and Sefton. It is also a tertiary referral centre for specialist services with a specialist Paediatric Intensive Care Unit which receives patients from the local and regional areas.
The team works closely with a range of specialities and departments, such as CAMHS and Crisis Care, ED and ADHD to support the care offered to Children in Care.
Specialist Nurses within our team are required to attend multi agency meetings, produce confidential medical / Court reports and respond to information requests from partner agencies. We also work closely with Local Authorities and Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships (LSCPs).
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse is an integral member of the Safeguarding and Statutory Services Team. The role is to support the Senior Team to fulfil the statutory and safeguarding obligations of the Trust.
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse will work across Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation Trust (AHCFT) providing services in collaboration with partners from Health and Social Care settings. Through professional engagement, the Children in Care Specialist Nurse will ensure that Children in Care receive the appropriate services to reach their full potential, as outlined in Promoting the Health and Wellbeing of Looked after Children (2015) and demonstrate Level 4 competencies outlined in the Intercollegiate document for Looked After Children (2020).
The post holder will develop, co-ordinate and support facilitation of access to a broad range of health services to ensure Children in Care, care leavers and unaccompanied asylum-seeking childrens needs are met; and positive outcomes for this vulnerable group are achieved.
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse will be responsible for developing and implementing policies relating to the health needs of children in care and care experienced children and young people across the Trust. In addition, they will provide safeguarding and speciality support and training to a wide range of professionals to enhance skill, knowledge, and practice. Working and collaborating with the Named and Designated Professionals for Children in Care across the three place areas Alder Hey serves is fundamental to the role within AHCFT.
As part of the role, the Children in Care Specialist Nurse will undertake audits, implementing findings to improve provision of a responsive Children in Care and safeguarding service for the Trust.
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse will work closely with the Safeguarding Specialist Nurses to help provide the day-to-day functions of Safeguarding and Statutory Services, by assisting to provide supervision, advice, and guidance within the Rainbow Team.
Main Responsibilities:
- To work as an active member of the Safeguarding and Statutory Services Nursing Team, participating in a range of Rainbow Centre and AHCFT activities.
- Attending multi-disciplinary and multi-agency meetings to represent Safeguarding and Statutory Services, for example Discharge Planning Meetings and Strategy Meetings.
- Impart specialist Children in Care knowledge and guidance to all staff at Alder Hey in regard of children and young people.
- Develop and deliver mandatory and key topics training in line with the Safeguarding and Children in Care training strategy.
- Supporting oversight and timely completion of Initial Health Assessments (IHA), Adoption Medicals and Adult Health Reports.
- Ensure IHAs undergo robust Quality Assurance processes to meet agreed local, regional, and national standards; working to support and educate clinicians on quality standards.
- Where clinically indicated, undertake the completion of health assessment conversion reports.
- Develop and maintain data collection systems to evidence outcomes of service delivery processes, working closely with the Children in Care administration team and Operational Management.
- Contribute to Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and assist in collating both quantitative and qualitative data, for internal and external reporting.
- Provide supervision across the organisation to practitioners working with Children in Care.
- Support the process for IHA and Adoption Medicals, including risk assessment where need potentially indicated, provide support in the undertaking of assessments where clinically indicated and support service development of medicals completed.
- On-going development of a child and young person-centred, outcomes focussed, Children in Care Service which can effectively demonstrate the voice of the child.
- Use and/or develop evidence-based, health promoting interventions and build relationships with internal and external services to support deliver of them.
- Provide a liaison role that can support sign posting to services and provides a link with internal teams and departments to ensure Children in Care have the most appropriate and timely access to services.
- Develop and monitor the impact of service provision via clinical governance and audit, undertaken jointly with other external Children in Care Teams; and in partnership with children, their families/carers and external agencies.
- Work in close collaboration with, or as part of, the multi-agency Children in Care Services, to deliver co-ordinated and coherent services to Children in Care, care experienced children and young people and their families and carers.
- To work in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and scope of professional practice at all times.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of Safeguarding and Children in Care policies and procedures.
- Support care planning discussions for children/young people entering the care system or being adopted.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse is an integral member of the Safeguarding and Statutory Services Team. The role is to support the Senior Team to fulfil the statutory and safeguarding obligations of the Trust.
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse will work across Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation Trust (AHCFT) providing services in collaboration with partners from Health and Social Care settings. Through professional engagement, the Children in Care Specialist Nurse will ensure that Children in Care receive the appropriate services to reach their full potential, as outlined in Promoting the Health and Wellbeing of Looked after Children (2015) and demonstrate Level 4 competencies outlined in the Intercollegiate document for Looked After Children (2020).
The post holder will develop, co-ordinate and support facilitation of access to a broad range of health services to ensure Children in Care, care leavers and unaccompanied asylum-seeking childrens needs are met; and positive outcomes for this vulnerable group are achieved.
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse will be responsible for developing and implementing policies relating to the health needs of children in care and care experienced children and young people across the Trust. In addition, they will provide safeguarding and speciality support and training to a wide range of professionals to enhance skill, knowledge, and practice. Working and collaborating with the Named and Designated Professionals for Children in Care across the three place areas Alder Hey serves is fundamental to the role within AHCFT.
As part of the role, the Children in Care Specialist Nurse will undertake audits, implementing findings to improve provision of a responsive Children in Care and safeguarding service for the Trust.
The Children in Care Specialist Nurse will work closely with the Safeguarding Specialist Nurses to help provide the day-to-day functions of Safeguarding and Statutory Services, by assisting to provide supervision, advice, and guidance within the Rainbow Team.
Main Responsibilities:
- To work as an active member of the Safeguarding and Statutory Services Nursing Team, participating in a range of Rainbow Centre and AHCFT activities.
- Attending multi-disciplinary and multi-agency meetings to represent Safeguarding and Statutory Services, for example Discharge Planning Meetings and Strategy Meetings.
- Impart specialist Children in Care knowledge and guidance to all staff at Alder Hey in regard of children and young people.
- Develop and deliver mandatory and key topics training in line with the Safeguarding and Children in Care training strategy.
- Supporting oversight and timely completion of Initial Health Assessments (IHA), Adoption Medicals and Adult Health Reports.
- Ensure IHAs undergo robust Quality Assurance processes to meet agreed local, regional, and national standards; working to support and educate clinicians on quality standards.
- Where clinically indicated, undertake the completion of health assessment conversion reports.
- Develop and maintain data collection systems to evidence outcomes of service delivery processes, working closely with the Children in Care administration team and Operational Management.
- Contribute to Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and assist in collating both quantitative and qualitative data, for internal and external reporting.
- Provide supervision across the organisation to practitioners working with Children in Care.
- Support the process for IHA and Adoption Medicals, including risk assessment where need potentially indicated, provide support in the undertaking of assessments where clinically indicated and support service development of medicals completed.
- On-going development of a child and young person-centred, outcomes focussed, Children in Care Service which can effectively demonstrate the voice of the child.
- Use and/or develop evidence-based, health promoting interventions and build relationships with internal and external services to support deliver of them.
- Provide a liaison role that can support sign posting to services and provides a link with internal teams and departments to ensure Children in Care have the most appropriate and timely access to services.
- Develop and monitor the impact of service provision via clinical governance and audit, undertaken jointly with other external Children in Care Teams; and in partnership with children, their families/carers and external agencies.
- Work in close collaboration with, or as part of, the multi-agency Children in Care Services, to deliver co-ordinated and coherent services to Children in Care, care experienced children and young people and their families and carers.
- To work in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and scope of professional practice at all times.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of Safeguarding and Children in Care policies and procedures.
- Support care planning discussions for children/young people entering the care system or being adopted.
Person Specification
Education & Training
Essential
- Current Registered Children's Nurse (RSCN/ RN Child
- 1st Level Degree.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development and training
- Specialist Community Public Health Nursing BSc/PG Dip (SCPHN)
Desirable
- Masters Degree or working towards.
- Qualification in safeguarding supervision.
Experience
Essential
- Extensive current/recent experience of working with children and their families in a health setting.
- Evidence of working in highly stressful environments.
- Substantial experience of multi-agency working
- Conducting safeguarding supervision
- Ability to formulate policies and protocols
- Planning, delivering and evaluation of training
- Experience of professional challenge and escalation within Safeguarding and Children in care arena
- Experience of working with Children in Care and/or Care Leavers
Desirable
- Community Experience
- Understanding of Adoption processes from a health perspective
- Accredited Supervision qualification
- Experience of supporting children/families with safeguarding concerns
- Experience of undertaking research
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Demonstrates evidence of relevant continued professional development
- Demonstrates evidence of relevant post registration development.
- Demonstrates expert knowledge of local and national policy relating to the safeguarding and children in care
- Demonstrates expert interpersonal, communication and leadership skills
- Multi-agency/team working
- Ability to work co-operatively and manage conflict within the multi-agency arena.
- Demonstrates expert report writing skills.
- Demonstrates high standard of presentation and leadership skills
- Demonstrate Knowledge of within the context of the wider determinant of Public Health
- Ability to prioritise competing demands, work effectively to specific timescales and demonstrate good organisational skills.
- Demonstrates motivation
- Ability to collate and summarise complex information and critically analyses.
- Demonstrates IT skills to a high standard including PowerPoint, data and spreadsheet management. Ability to navigate, document and review Electronic Patient Record Systems.
Desirable
- Evidence of advanced audit and research skills
- Demonstrates ability to negotiate and manage change
Person Specification
Education & Training
Essential
- Current Registered Children's Nurse (RSCN/ RN Child
- 1st Level Degree.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development and training
- Specialist Community Public Health Nursing BSc/PG Dip (SCPHN)
Desirable
- Masters Degree or working towards.
- Qualification in safeguarding supervision.
Experience
Essential
- Extensive current/recent experience of working with children and their families in a health setting.
- Evidence of working in highly stressful environments.
- Substantial experience of multi-agency working
- Conducting safeguarding supervision
- Ability to formulate policies and protocols
- Planning, delivering and evaluation of training
- Experience of professional challenge and escalation within Safeguarding and Children in care arena
- Experience of working with Children in Care and/or Care Leavers
Desirable
- Community Experience
- Understanding of Adoption processes from a health perspective
- Accredited Supervision qualification
- Experience of supporting children/families with safeguarding concerns
- Experience of undertaking research
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Demonstrates evidence of relevant continued professional development
- Demonstrates evidence of relevant post registration development.
- Demonstrates expert knowledge of local and national policy relating to the safeguarding and children in care
- Demonstrates expert interpersonal, communication and leadership skills
- Multi-agency/team working
- Ability to work co-operatively and manage conflict within the multi-agency arena.
- Demonstrates expert report writing skills.
- Demonstrates high standard of presentation and leadership skills
- Demonstrate Knowledge of within the context of the wider determinant of Public Health
- Ability to prioritise competing demands, work effectively to specific timescales and demonstrate good organisational skills.
- Demonstrates motivation
- Ability to collate and summarise complex information and critically analyses.
- Demonstrates IT skills to a high standard including PowerPoint, data and spreadsheet management. Ability to navigate, document and review Electronic Patient Record Systems.
Desirable
- Evidence of advanced audit and research skills
- Demonstrates ability to negotiate and manage change
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).
