Designated Doctor for Safeguarding Children

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board

The closing date is 20 September 2024

Apply for this job

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Safeguarding Team for a Designated Doctor for Safeguarding Children. We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated candidate to join us who is willing to go that extra mile and to be part of a successful and effective team.

We are looking for someone who can bring their expertise and work as part of our system to enable health colleagues to deliver the highest standards of care in respect of child abuse and neglect.

We offer the successful candidate professional development through our safeguarding team, our regional network and our chief medical officer. We would welcome applications form individuals who are looking pursue avenues of research in relation to safeguarding children.

You will be working alongside other professionals including the designated nursesand Named GPs for safeguarding.You will be expected to take a strategic, professional lead in all aspects of the health service contribution to safeguarding children across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. This is a statutory role within the Integrated Care Boardin accordance with the roles and responsibilities set out in detail in the intercollegiate document - Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competences for Health Care Staff (2019).

As the Designated Doctor you will advise on questions of planning and strategy with regards to safeguarding children ensuring performance indicators are in place where child protection is concerned.

Main duties of the job

The role of the designated doctor for safeguarding children is to take a strategic and professional lead for safeguarding children across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, with the Designated and named professionals.

The Designated doctor provides advice to organisations, safeguarding partnerships and across healthcare services on questions of planning, strategy and commissioning with regard to safeguarding children.

The post holder works as a clinical expert to the ICB, children's social care, the health system, other local partners and the safeguarding children partnership in matters relating to safeguarding children.

The post holder will lead and support all activities necessary to ensure that organisations within healthcare services meet their responsibilities to safeguard and protect children and young people.

A key function of this role is to ensure a full contribution from medical and health services as part of an effective multi agency response when there are serious concerns about abuse, neglect or perplexing presentations.

Using their expertise, the Designated doctor for safeguarding children will provide clinical advice and supervision to paediatricians and other medical practitioners including the Named GPs about safeguarding children.

About us

NHS STW was established on 1 July 2022 as part of the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System (ICS) and is responsible for the strategic planning, commissioning, and monitoring of health and care services from a range of providers, to support our local population. These include GP and primary care services, hospital care, community healthcare and mental health services. We also have a duty to monitor these services to ensure they provide a high level of care and are value for money. We are clinically led and work closely with the 51 GP practices across the county.

In return, we provide a supportive environment in which to learn and develop, with the opportunity to further your skills and career within an exciting and evolving environment. Joining our inclusive and innovative team comes with a range of benefits including flexible & agile working arrangements, pension scheme and generous annual leave allowance. With our training schemes and support networks, you will be empowered to play a leading role in the future of healthcare, whatever your specialism or interest.

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin currently have an agile working policy, with a combination of working from home and office-based work. The role will require onsite working when required to meet the needs of the service.

Date posted

09 September 2024

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Consultant

Salary

£20,000 to £30,000 a session Salary £20,000 - £30,000 - 2 PA's per week.

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

942-ICB-6604357

Job locations

ICB Office Wellington Civic Centre

Larkin Way, Tan Bank

Telford

TF1 1LX


Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

Designated Doctor is a clinical expert and strategic leader, taking a strategic, professional lead on all aspects of the health service contribution to safeguarding children across the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin area.

The post holder will provide support to all providers and linking particularly with Named Child Protection and Safeguarding Children health professionals, local authorities, Police, local safeguarding partnerships (LSPs) and NHS England.

This role will be working across the Integrated Care System (ICS) and closely with the ICB Safeguarding Team (including Children in Care Team, Special Educational Needs and Disability Team and Child Death Service Team) to provide expert advice and guidance and ensuring all services under STW ICS meet the statutory requirements.

The post holder will be expected to demonstrate (or develop to) the Level 5 competency levels of the Intercollegiate Competency Framework Safeguarding Children.

The Designated Doctor should:

Hold consultant status or senior post with equivalent professional training and experience within paediatric services

Have substantial clinical experience in the field of safeguarding / child protection and substantial experience of the legislation relating to children and young people including the court process

Be clinically active (or have held an active clinical position in the previous two years) in the field of safeguarding/child protection and, as part of their clinical commitments

Key Working Relationships

The post holder will need to build and maintain constructive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to:

Internal ICB staff including managers, colleagues, and senior management as appropriate

ICS partners, including portfolio leads, Local Authorities and Provider and Place Collaboratives

Local Safeguarding Partnerships

Non-NHS organisations

Members of the public and service users as appropriate

External consultancy, as required.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

The Designated Doctor will provide the safeguarding and medical expertise across the system on behalf of the ICB

Provide clinical advice, for example in complex cases or where there is dispute between practitioners

The Designated Doctor will provide supervision and professional development guidance to the network of Named Doctors within the system

Contribute to policy and statutory functions with a specific medical and safeguarding issue focus

Contributing an analytical approach to the working of the designated team

Work alongside the Looked After Children and Child Death Designated Doctor to ensure functions are met and not duplicated, providing overlap and cover when necessary

Operational Responsibility

Support and advise other professionals on the management of all forms of child maltreatment, including relevant legal frameworks and documentation.

Assess and evaluate evidence, write reports and present information to child protection conferences and related meetings where required.

Provide advice and signposting to other professionals about legal processes, key research and policy documents

Advise on safeguarding training needs and the delivery of training for all health staff within organisations across healthcare services

Play an active part in the planning and delivery of inter-agency training through local safeguarding partnerships

Work with other designated professionals to produce an overall review of the local healthcare services that identifies gaps in commissioning arrangements and information sharing between organisations and individuals

Provide advice to all specialist safeguarding/child protection professionals working within organisations delivering health services across the health economy on referrals/chronologies/writing individual management reviews/individual agency reviews/internal management reviews and within the framework of Working Together 2023

Provide advice on child protection case focused support and supervision for medical health staff at all levels within organisations across healthcare services that deliver health services

Monitor compliance of organisational safeguarding supervision strategies, providing advice and direction to healthcare services in the development of their safeguarding supervision strategy

To provide mentoring as required to the named doctors

Financial and Physical Resources Responsibility

To work with the budget holder for department/service and or project

To work with the ICB Commissioners to assist with the review of budgets for the service

Human Resources Responsibility

Meet the organisations and the professional body's requirements for training attendance

Attend relevant regional and national continuing professional development activities to maintain skills. This includes receiving specific training that relates to specialist activities.

Receive regular safeguarding/child protection supervision (quarterly as a minimum), peer review and undertake reflective practice

The Designated Doctor will have an annual appraisal under arrangements in place with the ICB

Information Management Responsibility

Responsible for the operation of one or more information systems

Manages, maintains, and develops directorate information system

Planning and Organisation Responsibility

Plan and organise broad range of complex activities; formulates, adjusts plans, or strategies/formulate long-term strategic plans, involving uncertainty, may impact across the whole organisation

Develops a range of plans/long term strategic plans for performance and service

Improvement in new areas across organisations

Policy and Service Development Responsibility

Work with other designated professionals to ensure that the health components of the procedures of the LSP are current.

Work with healthcare organisations across all healthcare services to ensure that appropriate policies, procedures, training, and audit are in place and that these are consistent with the policies of the LSP.

Assist and facilitate in the development of quality assurance systems across the health economy.

Research and Development Responsibility

Regularly undertake research and development activity

Undertakes complex audits/surveys related to programme

Freedom to Act

Works to general policies, has freedom to establish interpretation.

Interprets national guidelines for organisation

Analytical and Judgemental Responsibility

Provide advice to all organisations across the health community on the implementation of an effective system of safeguarding/child protection audit, training, and supervision.

Provide advice on clinical governance and standards to named professionals

Provide advice to the Senior Leadership Team about their responsibilities to ensure that performance indicators in relation to safeguarding/child protection are met

Ability to recognise and escalate issues or challenges raised internally and externally that may impact on safeguarding children and families and/or the reputation of the ICB

Communication Responsibility

Work as part of the STW Safeguarding team

Work with other designated professionals to agree team responsibilities

Liaise with, advise, and support named professionals across all healthcare services

Liaise with the NHS England regional safeguarding lead

The post holder will have good working relationships including the following professionals:

ICB Safeguarding Team

Members of the ICB Nursing and Quality Directorate

Contract Managers and Commissioners

Provider Safeguarding Teams / Named Children in Care Nurses and Doctors.

Designated colleagues across the region

Police

Key Managers in other health, social care and voluntary service agencies

NHSE Regional and National Safeguarding Teams

Local Safeguarding Partnerships

Local Community Safety Partnerships

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

Designated Doctor is a clinical expert and strategic leader, taking a strategic, professional lead on all aspects of the health service contribution to safeguarding children across the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin area.

The post holder will provide support to all providers and linking particularly with Named Child Protection and Safeguarding Children health professionals, local authorities, Police, local safeguarding partnerships (LSPs) and NHS England.

This role will be working across the Integrated Care System (ICS) and closely with the ICB Safeguarding Team (including Children in Care Team, Special Educational Needs and Disability Team and Child Death Service Team) to provide expert advice and guidance and ensuring all services under STW ICS meet the statutory requirements.

The post holder will be expected to demonstrate (or develop to) the Level 5 competency levels of the Intercollegiate Competency Framework Safeguarding Children.

The Designated Doctor should:

Hold consultant status or senior post with equivalent professional training and experience within paediatric services

Have substantial clinical experience in the field of safeguarding / child protection and substantial experience of the legislation relating to children and young people including the court process

Be clinically active (or have held an active clinical position in the previous two years) in the field of safeguarding/child protection and, as part of their clinical commitments

Key Working Relationships

The post holder will need to build and maintain constructive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to:

Internal ICB staff including managers, colleagues, and senior management as appropriate

ICS partners, including portfolio leads, Local Authorities and Provider and Place Collaboratives

Local Safeguarding Partnerships

Non-NHS organisations

Members of the public and service users as appropriate

External consultancy, as required.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

The Designated Doctor will provide the safeguarding and medical expertise across the system on behalf of the ICB

Provide clinical advice, for example in complex cases or where there is dispute between practitioners

The Designated Doctor will provide supervision and professional development guidance to the network of Named Doctors within the system

Contribute to policy and statutory functions with a specific medical and safeguarding issue focus

Contributing an analytical approach to the working of the designated team

Work alongside the Looked After Children and Child Death Designated Doctor to ensure functions are met and not duplicated, providing overlap and cover when necessary

Operational Responsibility

Support and advise other professionals on the management of all forms of child maltreatment, including relevant legal frameworks and documentation.

Assess and evaluate evidence, write reports and present information to child protection conferences and related meetings where required.

Provide advice and signposting to other professionals about legal processes, key research and policy documents

Advise on safeguarding training needs and the delivery of training for all health staff within organisations across healthcare services

Play an active part in the planning and delivery of inter-agency training through local safeguarding partnerships

Work with other designated professionals to produce an overall review of the local healthcare services that identifies gaps in commissioning arrangements and information sharing between organisations and individuals

Provide advice to all specialist safeguarding/child protection professionals working within organisations delivering health services across the health economy on referrals/chronologies/writing individual management reviews/individual agency reviews/internal management reviews and within the framework of Working Together 2023

Provide advice on child protection case focused support and supervision for medical health staff at all levels within organisations across healthcare services that deliver health services

Monitor compliance of organisational safeguarding supervision strategies, providing advice and direction to healthcare services in the development of their safeguarding supervision strategy

To provide mentoring as required to the named doctors

Financial and Physical Resources Responsibility

To work with the budget holder for department/service and or project

To work with the ICB Commissioners to assist with the review of budgets for the service

Human Resources Responsibility

Meet the organisations and the professional body's requirements for training attendance

Attend relevant regional and national continuing professional development activities to maintain skills. This includes receiving specific training that relates to specialist activities.

Receive regular safeguarding/child protection supervision (quarterly as a minimum), peer review and undertake reflective practice

The Designated Doctor will have an annual appraisal under arrangements in place with the ICB

Information Management Responsibility

Responsible for the operation of one or more information systems

Manages, maintains, and develops directorate information system

Planning and Organisation Responsibility

Plan and organise broad range of complex activities; formulates, adjusts plans, or strategies/formulate long-term strategic plans, involving uncertainty, may impact across the whole organisation

Develops a range of plans/long term strategic plans for performance and service

Improvement in new areas across organisations

Policy and Service Development Responsibility

Work with other designated professionals to ensure that the health components of the procedures of the LSP are current.

Work with healthcare organisations across all healthcare services to ensure that appropriate policies, procedures, training, and audit are in place and that these are consistent with the policies of the LSP.

Assist and facilitate in the development of quality assurance systems across the health economy.

Research and Development Responsibility

Regularly undertake research and development activity

Undertakes complex audits/surveys related to programme

Freedom to Act

Works to general policies, has freedom to establish interpretation.

Interprets national guidelines for organisation

Analytical and Judgemental Responsibility

Provide advice to all organisations across the health community on the implementation of an effective system of safeguarding/child protection audit, training, and supervision.

Provide advice on clinical governance and standards to named professionals

Provide advice to the Senior Leadership Team about their responsibilities to ensure that performance indicators in relation to safeguarding/child protection are met

Ability to recognise and escalate issues or challenges raised internally and externally that may impact on safeguarding children and families and/or the reputation of the ICB

Communication Responsibility

Work as part of the STW Safeguarding team

Work with other designated professionals to agree team responsibilities

Liaise with, advise, and support named professionals across all healthcare services

Liaise with the NHS England regional safeguarding lead

The post holder will have good working relationships including the following professionals:

ICB Safeguarding Team

Members of the ICB Nursing and Quality Directorate

Contract Managers and Commissioners

Provider Safeguarding Teams / Named Children in Care Nurses and Doctors.

Designated colleagues across the region

Police

Key Managers in other health, social care and voluntary service agencies

NHSE Regional and National Safeguarding Teams

Local Safeguarding Partnerships

Local Community Safety Partnerships

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Evidence of GMC registration
  • Active registration within paediatric field
  • Paediatric experience
  • Safeguarding children experience

Desirable

  • Previous ICB or designated role
  • Competent safeguarding supervisor

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working within the safeguarding children's field
  • Evidence of strategic safeguarding practice
  • Experience of teaching and training

Desirable

  • Experience of delivering safeguarding supervision

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to respond and safely manage safeguarding queries
  • Undertake research and audit
  • Ability to work with multi-disciplinary colleagues and within safeguarding partnerships

Desirable

  • To demonstrate experience of working within the safeguarding field
  • To be able to recognise the need for peer support
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Evidence of GMC registration
  • Active registration within paediatric field
  • Paediatric experience
  • Safeguarding children experience

Desirable

  • Previous ICB or designated role
  • Competent safeguarding supervisor

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working within the safeguarding children's field
  • Evidence of strategic safeguarding practice
  • Experience of teaching and training

Desirable

  • Experience of delivering safeguarding supervision

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to respond and safely manage safeguarding queries
  • Undertake research and audit
  • Ability to work with multi-disciplinary colleagues and within safeguarding partnerships

Desirable

  • To demonstrate experience of working within the safeguarding field
  • To be able to recognise the need for peer support

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.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board

Address

ICB Office Wellington Civic Centre

Larkin Way, Tan Bank

Telford

TF1 1LX


Employer's website

https://www.shropshiretelfordandwrekin.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board

Address

ICB Office Wellington Civic Centre

Larkin Way, Tan Bank

Telford

TF1 1LX


Employer's website

https://www.shropshiretelfordandwrekin.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

For questions about the job, contact:

Chief Nursing Officer

Vanessa Whatley

Vanessa.Whatley@nhs.net

07813965359

Date posted

09 September 2024

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Consultant

Salary

£20,000 to £30,000 a session Salary £20,000 - £30,000 - 2 PA's per week.

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

942-ICB-6604357

Job locations

ICB Office Wellington Civic Centre

Larkin Way, Tan Bank

Telford

TF1 1LX


Supporting documents

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