Head of Safeguarding

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics.

We are committed to recruiting to our values. Leading One Culture of Care underpins our values by creating an environment, tone and behaviours across all parts of the Trust that are fundamentally rooted in compassionate care.

We are open to considering a wide range of flexible working arrangements. There are opportunities to flex the days of the week, hours and times of work and place of work including: part-time, job-share, flexible working hours and the possibility to work from home when appropriate. Please talk to us during the interview process to discuss any flexibility that you may require.

We received our Silver Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers. This means that we provided its statement of intent to support all Defence personnel and we welcome application to work for us. Find out more - Why Choose CHFT?

Our Future Plans

The Department of Health and Social Care has awarded capital funding to invest in local health services at both Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. This is a significant investment and an opportunity to enhance services for our populations in Calderdale and Huddersfield and West Yorkshire for generations to come. To find out more, please visit https://future.cht.nhs.uk/

Job overview

Are you an experienced senior nurse, therapist or social worker with a passion for safeguarding & a commitment to delivering high-quality care for adults & children services? If so, this is your opportunity to lead & shape the safeguarding strategy within Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

As the Safeguarding Lead you will provide senior leadership, ensuring the highest standards of safeguarding practice across our Trust. You will work with an enthusiastic and committed team responsible for developing & implementing strategies, quality governance, & performance management to ensure safe and effective safeguarding services.

Main duties of the job

This role involves:

• Providing expert advice to ensure the safety of patients and colleagues
• Strategic Leadership - Shaping & delivering the Trust's safeguarding vision & compliance with statutory regulations.
• Quality Assurance - Ensuring safeguarding governance aligns with national standards supporting audit processes.
• Multi-Agency Collaboration - Representing the Trust at Local Safeguarding Boards and Partnerships & working closely with external stakeholders.
• Education & Training - Leading staff training & development in safeguarding best practices.
• Service Improvement - Driving continuous quality improvements to safeguarding processes & patient care.

Working for our organisation

We employ more than 6,500 colleagues who deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals, as well as in community sites, health centres and in patients' homes. We are proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation; listening and responding to the needs of our people - patients, colleagues and the local community.

At CHFT we have one culture of care; we care for each other in the same way as we care for our patients. As a leader, you will be part of a wider group of other CHFT people who are also working hard to be good leaders; in an organisation where colleagues are supported and valued.

We provide a range of services including community health care, urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care, sexual health and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main responsibilities of the post include:

• Leading on the strategic planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative practice in the management of the safeguarding agenda (adults and children); to promote health and well-being and prevent adverse effects on these due to safeguarding concerns not being managed.
• Leading on the development of evidence-based Trust Safeguarding Policies & Procedures, in line with those of the Safeguarding Partnerships and Boards.
• Managing the Integrated Safeguarding Team, ensuring effective recruitment, performance management, learning and development of staff.
• Monitoring the delivery of the Safeguarding agenda whilst promptly identifying and investigating any issues, changing priorities and implementing corrective actions where necessary.
• Engaging and collaborating effectively with colleagues across health and social care and other agencies e.g. education, police. Identify concerns about health and well-being and discuss approaches available in management strategies for patients identified with safeguarding issues.
• Identifying trends in health and well-being to be able to effectively manage safeguarding resources.
• Contributing to national research and the national policy agenda within Safeguarding
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across the multiagency partnership, and where appropriate with patients and the public, to define and clarify the strategic direction of safeguarding.
• Facilitating collaboration between primary and secondary care and other agencies to improve the quality outcomes for people undergoing Safeguarding concerns.
• Managing all resources effectively.

Person specification

QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

Essential criteria

• Registered Health or Social Care Practitioner
• Graduate in Health or Social care related subject
• Willing to undertake ongoing educational development
• Confident IT skills in the use of data collection spreadsheets, word processing and report writing
• Post registration qualification in Safeguarding

Desirable criteria

• Postgraduate Master's degree in appropriate health or social care related subject

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

Essential criteria

• Experience within safeguarding at a senior level
• Demonstratable extensive experience of working within the NHS & a good working knowledge of acute NHS Trusts
• Detailed knowledge and expertise of the safeguarding agenda including child protection vulnerable adults and domestic violence
• Portfolio of evidence demonstrating leadership, education and service development achievements
• Demonstrable evidence of setting and meeting clinical governance objectives
• Evidence of the proactive involvement in the supervision and development of members of the multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of the midwifery, children and vulnerable adult agenda
• Evidence of research skills
• Able to work within a given resource and demonstrate imaginative and effective use of resources
• Evidence of extensive expert professional knowledge of the safeguarding agenda supplemented by specialist training and CPD
• Able to demonstrate a wide knowledge of health and social care policy and its application in practice
• Be able to undertake/contribute to serious practice reviews, adults' reviews and Domestic Homicide reviews
• Be able to lead/oversee safeguarding quality assurance/improvement
• Be able to give appropriate advice to external agencies/organisations
• Has the ability to manage conflicting views and reconciles inter and intra professional differences of opinion
• Be able to influence improvements in safeguarding across the health economy
• Ability to meet deadlines and targets

Desirable criteria

• Have an understanding of the criminal justice system

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential criteria

• Excellent communicator
• History of reliability
• Excellent time management skills
• Evidence of skills in diplomacy and negotiation
• Evidence of effective people management
• Is able to make operational judgements involving complex facts/situations in relation to safeguarding concerns

Our vision is to provide One Culture of Care for one another in order that we can provide compassionate care for the people who use our services. We are passionate about creating a workplace where we work together to get results, encouraging colleagues to have their say, in order to co create the change we want to see. We take pride in the diversity of our workforce that's why we encourage applications from all. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants.

Please ensure your application is submitted with referees who can verify your employment/education history over the last three years and include valid email addresses for them. We will request electronic Factual Employment References from your previous employers. These references will be requested before you are issued with an unconditional offer of employment letter.

Candidates who require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the United Kingdom can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this position by assessing their circumstances against the criteria specified on the Check if you need a UK visa - GOV.UK website. We encourage all applicants to review these criteria carefully to understand their eligibility for sponsorship.

If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system. The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

You may be required to undertake a DBS. The Trust will administer the DBS check on your behalf and will recover the cost (Enhanced £54.40, Standard £26.40 or Basic £26.40) from your salary when you commence in post (including Internal staff). You will also be required to participate in the DBS Update Service and pay the £16 cost per year. This is a condition of your employment.

CHFT is part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

If you have any questions please contact ask.recruitment@cht.nhs.uk for assistance.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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

• JD & PS (PDF, 440.4KB)
• Job Description Appendix A (PDF, 259.2KB)