Job summary
The States of Guernsey are looking for a Designated Safeguarding Officer to join the Quality Assurance Service within Children and Family Community Services.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will act as the Designated Safeguarding Officer for the Bailiwick of Guernsey (including Alderney, Sark and other Islands) and will be responsible for ensuring the States of Guernsey fulfils its obligations for managing allegations against staff and volunteers working with children, young people and vulnerable adults in any setting.The Designated Safeguarding Officer is an independent role overseeing the management of allegations against persons in a position of trust who work with children or vulnerable adults across the Bailiwick of Guernsey. This role involves partnership working with the police, child and adult social care teams, Employers (including Charitable Boards) across the Bailiwick, and other relevant professionals. The Designated Safeguarding Officer will provide advice to employers or charitable Boards regarding the necessary steps to be taken, including providing advice on undertaking formal investigations which must reflect thoroughness, timeliness, and fairness and compliance with local legislation and employer obligations.As part of this role, the post holder will chair strategy discussions and coordinate multidisciplinary investigations. To ensure impartiality, the Designated Safeguarding Officer will not have any direct contact with the adult against whom the allegation has been made, or the child or vulnerable adult and their families at the centre of the allegation.
About us
The Island of Guernsey is in the English Channel in the Bay of St Malo, 50km off the north-west coast of France and 120km from the English coast.
Guernsey has a population of around 63,000 and in Alderney just under 2,000. Working in arelatively smallHealth and Social Care Service like ours means you can effectively work with colleagues across the services, health and social care professionals can collaborate not only with each other but also other agencies, the third sector and the community.
We offer an attractive relocation policy and competitive salaries withgreat careeropportunities, modern facilities, excellent training, revalidation and registration support and a healthy work-life balance.
As a health or social care professional who chooses to join our team, you can look forward to working in an environment that gives you the time to care that you hoped for when choosing this career.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will act as the Designated Safeguarding Officer for the Bailiwick of Guernsey
(including Alderney, Sark and other Islands) and will be responsible for ensuring the States of
Guernsey fulfils its obligations for managing allegations against staff and volunteers working
with children, young people and vulnerable adults in any setting.
The Designated Safeguarding Officer is an independent role overseeing the management of
allegations against persons in a position of trust who work with children or vulnerable adults
across the Bailiwick of Guernsey. This role involves partnership working with the police, child
and adult social care teams, Employers (including Charitable Boards) across the Bailiwick, and
other relevant professionals. The Designated Safeguarding Officer will provide advice to
employers or charitable Boards regarding the necessary steps to be taken, including providing
advice on undertaking formal investigations which must reflect thoroughness, timeliness, and
fairness and compliance with local legislation and employer obligations.
As part of this role, the postholder will chair strategy discussions and coordinate
multidisciplinary investigations. To ensure impartiality, the Designated Safeguarding Officer
will not have any direct contact with the adult against whom the allegation has been made,
or the child or vulnerable adult and their families at the centre of the allegation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will act as the Designated Safeguarding Officer for the Bailiwick of Guernsey
(including Alderney, Sark and other Islands) and will be responsible for ensuring the States of
Guernsey fulfils its obligations for managing allegations against staff and volunteers working
with children, young people and vulnerable adults in any setting.
The Designated Safeguarding Officer is an independent role overseeing the management of
allegations against persons in a position of trust who work with children or vulnerable adults
across the Bailiwick of Guernsey. This role involves partnership working with the police, child
and adult social care teams, Employers (including Charitable Boards) across the Bailiwick, and
other relevant professionals. The Designated Safeguarding Officer will provide advice to
employers or charitable Boards regarding the necessary steps to be taken, including providing
advice on undertaking formal investigations which must reflect thoroughness, timeliness, and
fairness and compliance with local legislation and employer obligations.
As part of this role, the postholder will chair strategy discussions and coordinate
multidisciplinary investigations. To ensure impartiality, the Designated Safeguarding Officer
will not have any direct contact with the adult against whom the allegation has been made,
or the child or vulnerable adult and their families at the centre of the allegation.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Social Work Qualification with current registration with professional regulator (Social Work England).
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience and evidence of being a highly skilled specialist practitioner, with recent experience as a Local Authority Designated Officer and/or PiPoT.
- A thorough understanding of the statutory processes and, regulations to safeguard children and adults and the management of allegations against staff and volunteers including chairing meetings.
- Significant experience within child protection and safeguarding and the undertaking of child protection and/or adult safeguarding investigations.
- Experience of writing reports to a high standard following reviews of individual cases, including for committees and senior management.
- Experience in designing and delivering safeguarding training.
- Experience of participating in Individual Management Reviews or participating in Serious Case or other learning Reviews.
- Be able to communicate complex and sensitive safeguarding information with staff at all levels demonstrating sensitivity to cultural and language differences.
- The ability to deal with complex and challenging situations in a calm and diplomatic manner
- The ability to evidence the application of HSCs CARE Values in practice.
- Excellent IT skills.
- To be able to establish and maintain highly effective working relationships with colleagues, multi-agency groups and individuals ensuring smooth and effective communication processes
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Social Work Qualification with current registration with professional regulator (Social Work England).
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience and evidence of being a highly skilled specialist practitioner, with recent experience as a Local Authority Designated Officer and/or PiPoT.
- A thorough understanding of the statutory processes and, regulations to safeguard children and adults and the management of allegations against staff and volunteers including chairing meetings.
- Significant experience within child protection and safeguarding and the undertaking of child protection and/or adult safeguarding investigations.
- Experience of writing reports to a high standard following reviews of individual cases, including for committees and senior management.
- Experience in designing and delivering safeguarding training.
- Experience of participating in Individual Management Reviews or participating in Serious Case or other learning Reviews.
- Be able to communicate complex and sensitive safeguarding information with staff at all levels demonstrating sensitivity to cultural and language differences.
- The ability to deal with complex and challenging situations in a calm and diplomatic manner
- The ability to evidence the application of HSCs CARE Values in practice.
- Excellent IT skills.
- To be able to establish and maintain highly effective working relationships with colleagues, multi-agency groups and individuals ensuring smooth and effective communication processes
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).
