JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Head of Safeguarding (Children and Adults)
Team/Directorate: Care Directorate
Salary range/pay band: £52,963 – £59,360 per annum
Reports to: Director of Care
Hours:37.5 hours per week
Location: Across both hospice sites (based at Christopher’s, Guildford)
Job holder: Vacant
Part 1: Job Profile
a) Main purpose of job
As Head of Safeguarding the post holder will be the designated safeguarding lead who is responsible for the development and delivery of business strategy, safeguarding practice, process and systems for children, young people, and adults with responsibility for ensuring the delivery of key objectives and requirements for safeguarding across Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, whilst demonstrating effective inter-agency partnership working. The Post holder will be directly line managed by the Director of Care and will be required to maintain daily oversight of the safeguarding, social work and transition service, escalating risks to the Director of Care. The post holder will act as a visible role model creating a supportive ethos to empower staff to contribute to the delivery of high-quality safeguarding practice across SSCH, working in partnership with the wider organisation and external statutory services. The post holder will have a high level of legal literacy of law that interfaces with the safeguarding, social care and transition agenda.
b) Work relationships
SCCH care is delivered by four clinical areas under the direct operational management of the Heads of Care. The nature of Safeguarding work necessitates good relationships, awareness and understanding of these clinical areas, multi-disciplinary professionals and the wider work of the charity:
• Inhouse
• Community Nursing
• SPACE (specialist palliative care team)
• Family Support Services (psychosocial care)
The post holder will act as the organisational expert regarding safeguarding across the wider organisation.
The post holder will work in partnership with internal and external professionals involved in the care of children, young adults and families. This includes contact within external professional networks to enhance individual knowledge and skills, to ensure alignment with guidance and regulations, and to continually review Safeguarding, Social Work and Transition Care.
c) Scope of job
The postholder is required to act as a specialist resource in the prevention, identification, assessment and management of children and adults at risk, promoting collaborative working with other agencies.
The post holder will work closely with the clinical areas, to safeguard individuals where there is a lack mental capacity or where there is a need for support or question around a person’s decision-making ability.
The post holder will be involved in policy formation and implementation and will be expected to respectfully challenge decision making and present an evidence-based argument to promote excellence in safeguarding and mental capacity practice.
The post holder is responsible for ensuring and enhancing the quality, safety and effectiveness of social work and transition care offered to SSCH children and families. This involves developing professional knowledge and skills of the team, to respond to evolving needs within children’s and adult palliative care.
The post holder will be required to provide and present expert safeguarding advice and reports both verbal and written to the Directors, Board, other forums as well as externally at local, regional or national level.
Work will predominantly take place in-person at Shooting Star House or Christopher’s. Some travel to schools, colleges, residential settings and family homes may be required. Hospice care is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, therefore the post holder may be required to work occasional Saturdays, Sundays, and bank holidays.
Part 2:
a) Main duties and key responsibilities
Safeguarding
• To lead Safeguarding work that supports the delivery of innovative, clinically excellent, evidence-based practice in relation to children and adults who are identified as being at risk of harm, including those affected by domestic abuse and substance misuse.
• To ensure effective processes are in place that enable the Safeguarding Team to respond to staff seeking support, with specialist child protection, adult protection and safeguarding knowledge, support and guidance.
• To ensure Safeguarding work is carried through, in particular when competing priorities arise within the Safeguarding Team.
• To work collaboratively with partner agencies across health, social care, education and others to safeguarding children and adults at risk and promote welfare.
• To represent SSCH at multi-agency meetings in respect of safeguarding issues, including multi-disciplinary strategy meetings and child/adult protection case conferences/review meetings when required.
• To communicate highly sensitive and complex information appropriately in multi-agency forums. To support and empower the wider team in communicating highly sensitive and complex information to colleagues, partner agencies, families and individuals with professionalism.
• To support professionals working with complex cases, utilising highly developed clinical and communication skills to ensure robust decision making and appropriate response to safeguarding concerns.
MCA Dols
• To leads on statutory compliance in respect of DoLS/LPS.
• To design, develop and implement strategies, policies, procedures and guidance for MCA and LPS regulations, including quality assurance mechanisms and analysis.
• Provide expert oversight and advice to staff in relation to MCA and DoLS/LPS. To ensure that standards are appropriated applied so that patients are cared for in the least restrictive manner within the options available to them.
• To ensure that all DoLS/LPS applications are completed and processed.
Advisory
• To ensure extensive knowledge of the safeguarding agenda. To acquire and review national learning and information concerning safeguarding, including domestic abuse, substance misuse, public protection, child exploitation, channel, and modern-day slavery.
• To identify new ways of working in response to national drivers and local need. To challenge decisions when appropriate and implement agreed actions.
• To report to Heads of Care and Directors any potential risks and non-compliance.
• To contribute to the development of strategy, policies and protocols that facilitate safe, effective and timely information sharing processes, reflecting current legislation and national policy.
• To participate in morbidity and mortality meetings, journal club, study days and teaching sessions.
Education
• To oversee the planning and delivery of training programmes for safeguarding children, adults and the wider safeguarding agenda.
• To work with the Heads of Care to identify current and emerging training needs across the clinical areas.
• To contribute to a staff supervision and wellbeing programme that promotes safe practice and supports and empowers practitioners in their professional development. To facilitate learning and increase self-awareness of resilience and burnout. To ensure a provision of specialist safeguarding supervision.
• To work with the Practice Education and Quality Team to develop and deliver a comprehensive MCA and DoLS/LPS programme of training.
• To maintain personal and team knowledge of safeguarding legislation including the MCA, Gillick competency and DoLS national, regional and local procedures and practices.
Governance
• To ensure effective policies, procedures and systems are in place for Safeguarding, MCA and DoLS/LPS in accordance with legislation and statutory and regulatory requirements.
• To actively undertake clinical audits and monitor and collects statistical data in relation to MCA/DoLS/LPS and safeguarding children and adults at risk.
• Ensure that the Director of Care, relevant committees, and groups are briefed on issues relating to safeguarding, particularly where a case may present serious concerns for SSCH.
• To produce reports and presentations as required, indicating themes, key developments and risks.
• To thoroughly investigate internal incidents and attend multi-agency reviews, ensuring effective systems are in place for learning and sharing lessons both internally and with statutory partners.
• To contribute to service evaluation to ensure equity of service and maintain high quality service provision.
• To consider ways in which technology can enhance the safeguarding work of SSCH and to propose developments.
Please contact Lisa Denis Director of Care [ lisa.dennis@shootingstar.org.uk ] for more information.
