Director of Safeguarding

Job overview

We are looking to welcome an exceptional leader to join our corporate senior team as Director of Safeguarding.

The role is professionally embedded within the Chief Nurse director team, offering board level exposure and development for aspiring executive applicants.

We can offer you the opportunity to succeed in leading a team providing an exceptional safeguarding service, whilst developing your own professional career and expanding your leadership potential.

As Director of Safeguarding, you’ll be fundamental in leading our safeguarding strategy and empowering colleagues to deliver effective safeguarding practice, by working collaboratively within and across services to promote better health and social care outcomes.

Main duties of the job

Reporting directly to the Deputy Chief Nurse, you’ll provide strategic leadership for safeguarding vulnerable people across the Trust and ensure that the Trust meets its statutory and regulatory obligations.

As the most senior safeguarding professional in the Trust, you’ll ensure that the highest standards of safeguarding are delivered in line with national, regional, and local policy and guidance.

This is arguably the most exciting time to join Somerset Foundation Trust. Following our merge in April 2023 we are the only NHS trust in mainland England to deliver integrated acute, community, mental health and learning disabilities services. This provides a unique opportunity to enhance the safeguarding offer we provide to our 13,000 colleagues and in turn the Safeguarding Advisory Service they offer to our patients, families, and the public of Somerset.

We are looking for a solutions focussed, experienced safeguarding professional who is passionate about service delivery in this challenging but all-important service.

Working for your organisation

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is a unique Trust in England that provides services from two acute hospitals in Somerset (Yeovil District Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital), 13 community hospitals across the county, community services, mental health and learning disability services and approximately a quarter of the county’s GP practices via its subsidiary Symphony Healthcare Services.

We believe that the broad range of services that we offer within one organisation put us in a better position to provide mental and physical health services for our population, helping people to enjoy healthier lives with improved equitable access to the specialist care and treatment they need, when they need it.

The aim of our Safeguarding Service is ‘to empower Trust colleagues to deliver effective safeguarding practice, by working collaboratively within and across services to promote better health and social care outcomes.’

Our safeguarding strategy, which was developed in consultation with colleagues, patients, and system partners, sets out how as a trust we will play our part in delivering this aim.

Please email sophie.lawson-blake@somersetft.nhs.uk if you would like to see a copy of the safeguarding strategy and the full Job Description and Person Specification for the role.

For further details / informal visits contact Hayley Peters, Chief Nurse

Email address: Hayley.Peters@Somersetft.nhs.uk

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered health, social care, education or police professional educated at graduate level

Desirable criteria

• Post graduate studies relevant to the role or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant post qualifying experience of specialist safeguarding practice at a senior strategic level with some experience in the NHS.

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• An expert, operational and strategic level of understanding of Safeguarding Adults, Children, Domestic abuse and MARAC