Specialist Midwife/ Practitioner for Safeguarding

The post holder will assist the Named Midwife for Safeguarding, set, monitor and maintain robust safeguarding arrangements. They will contribute to training programmes and safeguarding supervision, ensuring that content and compliance meets the requirements set by local and national guidance.

As an integral part of the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) safeguarding service, the Specialist Midwife/ Practitioner for Safeguarding will provide advice and support to the health colleagues and partnership agencies, both within and external to the hospital setting.

The post holder will assist the Named Midwife for Safeguarding in ensuring that safeguarding provision continues to develop according to need, and is delivered in an evidence based, Think Family, focused manner, in accordance with the National and Statutory Safeguarding agendas.

There is an expectation that applicants will be able to work flexibly and be able to cover core business hours 9-5pm Monday - Friday, pro- rata and have the means to work from other sites across the NCA if necessary.

Main duties of the job

• In conjunction with the Named Midwife for safeguarding, other safeguarding professionals and specialist Midwives, ensure the delivery of a comprehensive vision for the continued development of safeguarding arrangements and provision within the maternity unit, community midwifery service and the wider organisation. This will include setting SMART goals and leading on projects and action plans.

• Ensure that there is effective, timely communication both internally and externally, which complements multidisciplinary/ interagency working.
• Ensure that there are appropriate pre-birth/ social work assessments completed and plans in place to safeguard vulnerable families. Participate in Strategy meetings and case conferences as required and ensure BadgerNet documentation is contemporaneous.

About us

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we're always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care , appreciate and inspire - to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

We are currently in process of updating our values. For the latest information around our values and behaviours, please visit our careers website:

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will:

• In conjunction with the Named Midwife for safeguarding, other safeguarding professionals and specialist Midwives, ensure the delivery of a comprehensive vision for the continued development of safeguarding arrangements and provision within the maternity unit, community midwifery service and the wider organisation. This will include setting SMART goals and leading on projects and action plans.

• Ensure that there is effective, timely communication both internally and externally, which complements multidisciplinary/ interagency working.

• Ensure that there are appropriate pre-birth/ social work assessments completed and plans in place to safeguard vulnerable families. Participate in Strategy meetings and case conferences as required and ensure BadgerNet documentation is contemporaneous.

• Assist the Named Midwife for safeguarding in developing the Safeguarding training strategy within Maternity services. Facilitate training with other safeguarding professionals across the Trust, to meet all educational/ training requirements, including the training of Consultant and Senior Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

• In collaboration with the Named Midwife and Nurses for Safeguarding children, and Assistant Director for Safeguarding Children, ensure that recommendations from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews and domestic homicides are implemented across the NCA, by delivering direct training and influencing policy and procedure.

• Assist with the planning, delivery and evaluation of the model of safeguarding Supervision alongside the Named Midwife for safeguarding in line with the NCA safeguarding supervision policy.

• Participate in the quality assurance and audit of court ordered professional reports, social updates on BadgerNet, case conference reports and referrals to Childrens and Adult social care.

• Lead and participate in audits as required.

• Support the Named midwife for safeguarding on relevant aspects of contextual safeguarding including Female Genital Mutilation modern slavery Child Criminal Exploitation OCGs Child sexual exploitation and human trafficking, Honour Based Violence (HBV) and Forced Marriage (FM).

• Work with multi agency partners to embed the early help agenda within midwifery services and support Midwives to complete Early Help Assessments (EHA).

• Work with the NCA domestic abuse lead and midwifery service leads, to enhance the recognition and response to domestic abuse by midwifery services.

Communications and Relationships:

• Provide leadership and a credible, accessible and approachable safeguarding service which empowers staff.

• Communicate a range of highly complex, sensitive and contentious topics to a range of professionals in varying situations.

• Analyse complex safeguarding children and adult situations and provide professional judgements as to a range of options, deciding on best courses of action to ensure the optimum outcome for service users.

• Develop and facilitate training linked to the training strategy.

• Respond to changes in legislation and statutory guidance and disseminate as required.

• Escalate any identified concerns relating to safeguarding practice, documentation, partnership working or any others issues to the Named Midwife for safeguarding in a timely manner,

• Attend safeguarding meetings/ undertakes work as delegated by the Named Midwife for safeguarding.

• Accesses supervision and support from the Named Midwife for safeguarding in order to maintain positive emotional wellbeing.

Analytical and Judgmental Skills:

• Gather, analyse and evaluate evidence in order to promote the health of service users.

• Gather, analyse and evaluate evidence to present in professional reports and audits in both care organisation and multi-agency forums.

• Analyse complex safeguarding situations and provide professional judgements as to a range of options, deciding on best courses of action to ensure the optimum outcome for the child, family and other service users.

• Manage contentious and emotive information, providing advice on the management of sensitive cases.

• Monitor the quality and quantity of data and information, taking all necessary actions to deal with any problems. In collaboration with the Named Midwife for safeguarding,
  • Collate and analyse all information obtained using appropriate methods,
  • Synthesise the data and information and develop justifiable and realistic conclusions and recommendations.

Planning and Organisational Skills:

• Decide priorities for own work schedule, balancing other service related and professional demands, ensuring that these remain in accordance with those of the midwifery and safeguarding services as a whole.

• Attend, and chair when required, staff meetings and participate in discussions concerning the running of the service.

• Actively contribute to and support agreed developments and directorate/trust objectives.

• Plan, develop and lead on appropriate service developments and quality improvements within the safeguarding service. This will include ad-hoc training and safeguarding supervision sessions.

Physical Skills:

• Demonstrate competency in standard computer skills including: use of keyboard, access to and use of word documents, basic management of excel.

• Ability to develop and amend word documents accurately on Windows 10 and above. Ability to develop and amend Excel spreadsheets accurately.

• Competent using standard databases.

• Access to email including sending, receiving, opening and adding attachments.

• Manage IT equipment securely.

• Manage paper records and following information governance procedures competently.

• Ability to drive or access and use public transport appropriately

Responsibility for Patient Care:

• Provide professional leadership and accountability to ensure the delivery of a high quality, patient centred service that meets the needs of the patient, and the Safeguarding agenda.

• Engage and work effectively with patients and partner agencies to identify concerns about health and well-being and discuss approaches available in management strategies for patients identified with safeguarding issues.

• Work in partnership with both external and internal stakeholders to incorporate prevention and management of Safeguarding into the planning development and evaluation of programmes for health promotion and early help.

• Monitor and evaluate safeguarding landscape in health and well-being taking appropriate action to so as to distribute and develop safeguarding resources effectively.

• Adopt a shared decision making approach when advising on consent whilst respecting individuals dignity, wishes and beliefs as far as possible recognising the importance of the Safeguarding requirements.

• Follow a process of reasoning which demonstrates and enhances capacity for problem solving, critical analysis and critical decision making. Interpret all of the available information and make justifiable assessments.

• Work in collaboration with all interested parties to improve and optimize outcomes for children and young people.

• Support the empowerment of children, young people and their families (as appropriate) to exercise choice and influence decision-making ensuring appropriate training development and support exists across the organisation.

Responsibility for Policy/Service Development:

• To ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are in place within the organization and are in line with legislation, statutory guidance and Multi agency requirements.

• Contribute to the development, implementation and dissemination of organizational policies and procedures.

• Ensure that safeguarding is appropriately considered in the development and implementation of all organisational, divisional and directorate policies and procedures

• Encourage case discussion, reflective practice and the monitoring of trends at a local level.

• Actively influence, lead and participate in service developments across the care organisations and at local, regional and national levels ensuring the safeguarding agenda is promoted and understood.

Responsibilities for Financial and Physical Resources:

• Ensure appropriate and effective systems are in place to manage aspects of service including staff, environment, financial budgetary management, service delivery
• Work in partnership with senior leaders responsible for budget setting, monitoring and controlling the financial resources.

• Manage the service with an awareness of the budget.

• Identify and report on the resource implications of proposed and likely developments in the service.

• Work collaboratively with the senior management team in the preparation of bids for financial resources.

• In consultation with the senior management team develop clear plans for acquiring, allocating and managing financial resources to ensure:
  • Support the trusts visions and values
  • Take account of current and future constraints.

• Demonstrate clear procurement and commissioning processes Identify any problems with financial resource use/availability and make recommendations which are consistent with safeguarding objectives and organisational policies.
• Plan and schedule the efficient and effective use of material resources/supplies and actively manage variances.

Person Specification

Essential

Essential

• oNMC registered Midwife/ Nurse. Educated to Diploma/ Degree level.
• oHave completed specific training in the care of babies / children and young people.
• oCurrent Driving licence / access to car during work time, or willing to travel using public transport.
• oHas experience in facilitating safeguarding supervision sessions/ has supported the facilitation of safeguarding supervision sessions
• oAttended MCA/ DoLS training.
• oMinimum 3 years Registered Midwife/ Nurse with Nursing and Midwifery Council.
• oExcellent communication skills.
• Evidence of significant professional development in all aspects of safeguarding including: Child protection , Early help, adult safeguarding, Contextual safeguarding.
  Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

236-NCA-NM238-24#J-18808-Ljbffr

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