Job overview
As the Named Midwife for Safeguarding, you will play a key role in supporting the Head of Safeguarding to ensure that effective, compassionate, and legally sound safeguarding practices are in place across Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Your work will focus on protecting vulnerable children and families, while guiding and supporting staff in meeting their statutory responsibilities under the Care Act, Children’s Act, and Mental Capacity Act.
This role offers the chance to take on meaningful leadership, support positive change, and help ensure the safety and dignity of those most at risk.
Main duties of the job
Hold the Named Midwife for Safeguarding role for the Trust and will work closely with the Named Doctors for Safeguarding Children and Young People (as required) in supporting all activities necessary to ensure that the Trust meets its statutory responsibilities in safeguarding children as defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 and the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004.
The Named Midwife will participate in partnership working including the Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards sub-groups as appropriate.
Together with the other Named Safeguarding Professionals for Adults and Children, advise police, social care, and other agencies on health matters regarding safeguarding children in the hospital and hospital outreach services.
To ensure safe and robust safeguarding systems and processes are in place across the Trust in relation to safeguarding children and young people.
To provide expert advice to the Trust Board in matters relating to Child Protection and Safeguarding Children.
Support the safeguarding team in delivering quality services.
Provide expert advice, information and support to professionals and carers about Safeguarding Vulnerable patients as stipulated in local and national strategies. Ensuring and supporting new and current policies and procedures are implemented within the Trust.
Working for our organisation
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities
Clinical, Patient and Family Care
1. Support patients and families as required during the safeguarding process.
2. Analyse information and provide recommendations for incorporation into clinical practice.
3. Actively work with clinical teams, using specialist knowledge and experience.
4. Make decisions in conjunction with colleagues which directly influence patient care. Assist others in decision making.
5. Gain consent for the safeguarding process, assess mental capacity and risk assess as appropriate and also when agreed as part of partnership working with the Safeguarding Referral teams (Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton).
Person specification
Education
Essential criteria
6. Possession of a relevant degree or demonstrate equivalent in experience and knowledge.
7. Registered Midwife
8. Evidence of ongoing professional development
9. Teaching / Supervision qualification
10. Experience of delivering training
Desirable criteria
11. To have/ working towards a degree/ masters
12. Up to date with Level 4 Multiagency Safeguarding Children’s Training (as per roles and competencies for Health Care Staff Intercollegiate document 2018)
Knowledge
Essential criteria
13. Confident & influential in driving changes/improving standards and working with various internal and external groups and agencies.
14. Understanding of local/ national Safeguarding policy and procedures
15. Multi-agency worker and ability to work co-operatively and manage conflict within the multi-agency systems
16. Demonstrates an awareness of the complex issues when working across organisations and disciplines and understands key elements of change management
17. Knowledge of national policy/research and legislation relating to the safeguarding agenda
Desirable criteria
18. Experience in holding a named professional role in Safeguarding/ detailed experience/ involvement in safegaurding
Experience
Essential criteria
19. Currently practicing in a safeguarding role or previous experience in safeguarding
20. Knowledge of local and national guidance and research in relation to Safeguarding Children and Young People.
21. Knowledge of legal framework and of political and policy changes affecting Safeguarding Children and Young People.
22. Experience of close liaison with multi – disciplinary team and multiagency staff.
23. Experience of working with safeguarding policies and procedures.
Desirable criteria
24. Experience of delivering and receiving safeguarding supervision.
Personal skills
Essential criteria
25. Excellent oral and written communication skills including presentations and publications
26. Ability to work independently and as part of a team, as well as across departmental, organisational professional boundaries
27. Computer Literacy
28. Patient centred approach
29. Ability to analyse and interpret data
Other
Essential criteria
30. Self-motivated and an enthusiastic individual
31. Able to work autonomously as well as within a team
32. Able to maintain high standards of confidentiality
33. Confident and assertive
34. Able to communicate with people from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds
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.