Safeguarding Specialist

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Safeguarding Specialist to join our team at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. As a Safeguarding Specialist, you will play a critical role in ensuring the Trust meets its organisational, national and local requirements and responsibilities in Safeguarding Adults, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and Prevent.

The successful candidate will provide clinical expertise within the Division, offering consultancy at Board and frontline practice level, on all aspects of safeguarding adults, the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and Prevent issues. You will be responsible for ensuring each service has systems and processes in place to safeguard adults at risk, working with partner agencies in line with Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) legislation and statutory guidance.

You will provide professional safeguarding leadership in situations which are complex, risky, uncertain, ambiguous or have conflicting professional opinions, ensuring adults at risk are protected from harm whilst respecting and protecting their human rights. You will also analyse highly complex information and situations and provide judgements as to a range of options, deciding on best action to ensure the optimum outcome for the adults, their families and carers, supporting staff to make person-centred safety plans.

• Provide clinical expertise within the Division, offering consultancy at Board and frontline practice level, on all aspects of safeguarding adults, the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and Prevent issues.
• Ensure each service has systems and processes in place to safeguard adults at risk, working with partner agencies in line with Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) legislation and statutory guidance.
• Provide professional safeguarding leadership in situations which are complex, risky, uncertain, ambiguous or have conflicting professional opinions, ensuring adults at risk are protected from harm whilst respecting and protecting their human rights.
• Analyse highly complex information and situations and provide judgements as to a range of options, deciding on best action to ensure the optimum outcome for the adults, their families and carers, supporting staff to make person-centred safety plans.
• Advise on Duty of Candour in safeguarding related incidents.
• Be involved in complex safeguarding enquiries and ensure any lessons learnt from SARs, DHRs and local Learning Reviews are shared with the SAMCAT group and are widely disseminated across the Division and Trust.
• Work closely with the Trusts Childrens Safeguarding Team/Named Professionals to develop best practice, for example, the Think Family approach, ensuring consistency of practice in relation to safeguarding across the organisation.
• Contribute to the Serious Case Review Panels or Learning Lesson Reviews and undertake an internal management review, when required, maintaining a log of Serious Adult Reviews (SARs),Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and Maternal Death Reviews (MDRs) in the Division. Be an active member (when appropriate), at times taking the lead, in the implementation of complex case review recommendations.
• Raise with Senior Management any key risks, issues and concerns relating to safeguarding practice in your locality/service areas.
• Lead on the Prevent agenda within your locality/service areas by being the point of contact for the Police Counter Terrorism Policing Unit and Prevent colleagues, in relation to patients about whom they have concerns.
• Act as the local decision maker with regard to whether frontline professionals need to make a Prevent referral, in collaboration with the Trust Prevent Lead and senior colleagues when required.
• Design, develop and deliver training sessions on Safeguarding Adults, MCA and Prevent in line with the Intercollegiate Document on Safeguarding Roles and Responsibilities and Skills for Health, in line with the Trusts expectations.
• Tailor training to meet the needs of participants, seeking feedback and evaluation, ensuring staff can reflect their learning and understanding back.
• Lead on providing annual team based training supporting staff to ensure that all staff have the key skills and knowledge required based on expert, evidence-based best practice.
• Review Datix incident forms that reference safeguarding and make recommendations to the service on actions required.
• Support the Head of Safeguarding Adults in the review and development of policies that relate to safeguarding and MCA.
• Facilitate the provision of a helpful and respectful service to patients, relatives and carers by providing an accessible responsive point of reference in relation to safeguarding adults, MCA and DoLS, and Prevent, upholding the principles of the Care Act and Mental Capacity Act in all communications.
• Ensure that each relevant team area has a DoLS tracker and to be responsible for monitoring that this is kept up to date and in line with statutory duties. As part of meeting the Trust statutory duties, ensure that staff have the required knowledge and skills to maintain the DoLS trackers
• Interpret national policy and guidance, case law or new legislation into local strategies and policies and take responsibility for updating own knowledge and keeping abreast of changes to practice through case law and legislative changes and take a lead to implement within the relevant Division
• Have an in depth knowledge of the relevant Multi-Agency Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures, Care Act statutory duties and other local NHS and Local Authority organisations Safeguarding Adults policies and procedures and promote understanding within the Division.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development with relevant further qualifications.
• Enquiry Officer and / or Safeguarding Adults Managers training
• Teaching Qualification

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Safeguarding Specialist who has a strong background in safeguarding adults, mental capacity act and deprivation of liberty safeguards. You will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively under pressure and to deal with conflicting demands. You will also have a strong understanding of governance/risk and reporting systems and processes in organisational and multi-agency context.

You will have a relevant qualification in safeguarding and mental capacity act, with evidence of continuing professional development. You will also have experience of working in a relevant community or specialist area, including evidence of safeguarding within practice. You will have demonstrable experience of teaching others and evaluating learning, with experience of staff management and supervision.

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, as well as opportunities for professional development and career progression. You will work in a dynamic and supportive team, with access to a range of training and development opportunities. You will also have the opportunity to work with a range of stakeholders, including patients, families and carers, to ensure that safeguarding adults is at the heart of everything we do.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We are committed to diversity and inclusion, and to creating a workplace that is welcoming and inclusive for all.

To apply for this role, please submit your application through our website. We look forward to hearing from you.