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Job summary

Main area
Safeguarding Children Specialist Nurse
Grade
Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
Job ref
200-7875262-GO-ND
Employer
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
St Georges University Hospital
Town
Tooting
Salary
£58,133 - £65,261 per annum pro rata incl inner hcas
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
16/04/2026 23:59

Employer heading

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Safeguarding Children and Young People Clinical Nurse Specialist

Band 7

Job overview

 The applicant, as part of the safeguarding team will support the Named Nurse in meeting requirements set out in Working Together (2023). This work will incorporate the key elements of the Children Acts 1989 and 2004 and the National Service Framework for Children, Young people and Maternity Services (2004) and the Care Quality Commission Core Standard 7 (Safeguarding people who use services from abuse).

 The applicant will provide safeguarding children advice and support related to safeguarding children to all staff at gesh hospitals. They will be responsible for timely liaison, information sharing and escalation of safeguarding concerns for children/families who attend St Georges and represent safeguarding at St George’s in multidisciplinary meetings e.g. strategy, JAR, rapid reviews and child death review meetings.  In addition, they will contribute to providing safeguarding children supervision and safeguarding training to practitioners. The post holder will assist the Named Nurse in improving and facilitating robust communication pathways between hospital staff and professionals in the community, primary care and other agencies.

The applicant will work with the safeguarding team to undertake audits and support development and implementation of relevant policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding children. This will include disseminating learning and implementing recommendations from local and national Serious Case Review’s and quality improvement.

 

Main duties of the job

1.1 Provide safeguarding children advice to staff that is evidence based and underpinned by current legislative and national guidance.

 

1.2 Be available to provide day to day clinical safeguarding support to staff in response to presenting safeguarding children concerns including unexpected child deaths and repeat admissions due to poor mental health/self-harm.

 

1.3 To challenge unsafe practice and take relevant action to ensure appropriate safeguarding of children.

 

1.4 To provide effective and timely liaison and escalation of safeguarding concerns to the multi-agency network of professionals regarding children who access care at the hospital. This includes following up actions from strategy meetings and child protection conferences.

 

1.5 Support the Named Nurse for safeguarding children in the development and delivery of training programmes.

 

1.6 To participate in the provision of safeguarding children supervision to identified staff on a quarterly schedule or ad hoc basis.

Working for our organisation

St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC). 

 After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.

At gesh we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main duties and responsibilities

 2. Supporting and developing clinical safeguarding children practice

 2.1 To provide visible, effective leadership across the Trust, working closely with other members of the safeguarding team and wider hospital and community teams.

2.2 Provide advice and clinical safeguarding support to staff in relation to concerns about child safeguarding and protection in in all hospital and community departments.

2.3 To develop effective communication links and partnership working with multi-disciplinary/multi-agency practitioners which enhance the direct care of children in need, in need of protection or early intervention.

2.4 Carry out duties with a think family approach to ensure a comprehensive liaison system is in place.

2.5 Ensure all staff are familiar with the multiple gesh safeguarding children policies.

2.6 Provide support to staff involved in the child protection process through attending child protection conferences, strategy meetings and other interagency professionals meetings as the need arises and/or briefing practitioners in relation to these meetings.

2.7 Support staff in the preparation of written reports both in relation to formal child protection procedures and for legal proceedings.

2.8 To work with the Named Nurse for safeguarding children to implement appropriate quality assurance systems including audit and monitoring of professional standards.

2.9 Ensure record keeping is maintained in accordance with record keeping standards.

2.10 Participate, under the direction of the Named Nurses, in Individual Management Reviews (IMR) and contribute to serious incident (SI) investigations.

2.11 Ensure that the recommendations from Local and national learning is disseminated and embedded in practice.

2.12 Deputise for the Named Nurse, when required, to ensure continuity of service.

2.13 Escalate serious incidents, children/families of concern or arising themes of concern related to safeguarding children; identified in operational meetings/safeguarding children supervision or daily ward rounds, to the Named Nurse and the wider safeguarding team.

2.14 To work collaboratively with the safeguarding team to achieve the Trust Safeguarding Strategy and related national legislation.

2.15 Promote best practice and encourage an environment in which change can be initiated and supported.

2.16 The post holder will be required to travel to surrounding areas at any time throughout the duration of his/her contract – in order to attend meetings/deliver safeguarding children supervision, where other MDT staff are based.

2.17 Ensure that the voice of the child is central to all aspects of safeguarding and child protection practice.

3. Education, training and development

 3.1 Participate in the designing, implementation and evaluation of safeguarding children training within gesh.

3.2 Ensure that all learning relating to safeguarding matters are disseminated, understood and implemented throughout the organisation, providing a consistent and co-ordinated approach to safeguarding.

3.3 Provide support and feedback to the Named Nurse to ensure the safeguarding agenda is embedded into strategic and operational decision making within gesh.

4. Policy and research

4.1 Ensure safeguarding practices are in line with local and national policies.

4.2 Use local and national data to inform and improve practice, for example, lessons from SCRs.

4.3 Develop and participate in audits to monitor, evaluate and improve the quality and effectiveness of child-centred practice.

4.4 Assist in the development of policies and guidelines needed to support effective safeguarding of children.

4.5 Assist in evaluating and reviewing current practice in relation to safeguarding and the scope for further developments through participation in project work and research using clinical audit and evidence-based practice.  

5. Professional development:

5.1 To work in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, and Trust Policies and Procedures.

5.2 Identify own training needs through objective setting and the development of personal development plans discussed at appraisals.

5.3 Maintain own professional knowledge and standards by maintaining a sound understanding of the legislative framework and the wider policy context appropriate to safeguarding of children.

5.4 The post-holder will actively engage in continuing professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance their skills, ensuring practice remains current, evidencebased, and aligned with organisational standards.

5.5 The postholder will participate in regular personal supervision to support reflective practice, professional accountability, and ongoing development within the role.  

General 

6.1  To have responsibility for the Health, Safety and Welfare of self and others and to always comply with the requirement of the Health and Safety Regulations.

6.2  To always ensure confidentiality, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act and its amendments.

 6.3  To work in accordance with the Trust’s Equality and Diversity policy to eliminate unlawful discrimination in relation to employment and service delivery.

 6.4  To always promote equal opportunities for staff and patients in accordance with the Trust’s policies to ensure that no person receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of: age; disability; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race (ethnicity); religion or belief; sex (gender); gender reassignment or sexual orientation.

 6.5  To ensure skills are up-to-date and relevant to the role, to follow relevant Trust policies and professional codes and to maintain registration where this is a requirement of the role.

6.6  To comply with the Trust’s No Smoking Policies.

6.7  To undertake such duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the grade and the needs of the service.

The job description is not intended to be exhaustive, and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances, needs of the service and after consultation with the post holder.

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Registered Children’s Nurse / Community Nursing (Health Visiting/School Nursing) / midwife
  • Safeguarding children training Level 3 or above
  • Safeguarding supervision qualification

Shortlisting

Essential criteria
  • Registered Children’s Nurse / Community Nursing (Health Visiting/School Nursing) / midwife
  • Safeguarding children training Level 3 or above
  • Knowledge of professional accountability in relation to safeguarding children.
  • Providing safeguarding children supervision
  • Evidence of involvement in child protection case management.
  • Inter-agency / multi- professional working
  • Carrying out clinical audit and evaluating outcomes and implementing findings.
  • Leading, facilitating and supporting change in practice.
  • Creating and delivering training and other educational programmes
  • Excellence in verbal and written Communication
  • IT literacy including use of Microsoft word and Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Presentation and teaching skills
  • Knowledge of national safeguarding policies and statutory child protection processes
  • Knowledge of the think family approach
Desirable criteria
  • BSc (Hons) or working towards one
  • Safeguarding children university course
  • Safeguarding supervision qualification
  • Experience of working in MASH
  • Leadership training
  • Teaching / trainer qualification

Observation

Essential criteria
  • Presentation and teaching skills
  • Previous experience in Safeguarding children
  • Identifying concerns from given scenario

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDCapital Nurse, LondonNo smoking policyAge positiveArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardDisability confident employerStep into healthDisability Advice Line

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Fungai Chakanyuka
Job title
Named professional Lead Safeguarding Children
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
02087251814
Additional information

Contact the safeguarding children team on 02087251717

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