Designated Nurse Looked After Children – 1.0WTE
Designated Nurse Safeguarding children / Looked after children – 1.0WTE
NHS AfC: Band 8b
An exciting opportunity has arisen for 2 postholders who are experienced nurses in safeguarding children and care experienced children to be part of the changing shape of NHS commissioning in Cheshire and Merseyside. Our current organisational structure supports effective working both locally and across Cheshire and Merseyside as an Integrated Care System.
The population of Cheshire and Merseyside is diverse and growing and we are keen to see that diversity recognised within our own workforce. As an employer we seek to open opportunities for our staff to gain new skills, gain knowledge and develop careers in heath and care.
We welcome students, staff, people of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientation, physical abilities, backgrounds, and philosophies and those who are accepting of others. Our goal is to support all of our workforce in their work, if you believe you can bring your skills and experiences and an open-minded approach into our fast paced and dynamic organisation, we are committed to providing a positive and supportive experience for all of our staff.
Please note: Although these posts are formally aligned to the Place of Sefton and Wirral, the team operates within a Cheshire and Merseyside cluster arrangement. These specific role sits within the Merseyside Cluster, which currently includes St Helens, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley, and Liverpool.
The post holder will play a key leadership role in Safeguarding Children and Looked After Children, while also contributing across the Merseyside Health Economy, Merseyside Safeguarding Partnerships and Merseyside Corporate Parenting Boards. This role is essential in ensuring that the ICB meets its statutory safeguarding and looked after children's responsibilities.
The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate significant skill and expertise in Looked After Children and knowledge of safeguarding children. A key focus of the role will be quality and improvement of looked after children and care leaver arrangements and the post holder will work with a variety of health and multi-agency partners to oversee this. Establishing and maintaining professional strategic relationships with Key stakeholders within Sefton and Wirral, Cheshire and Merseyside and the Northwest of England.
Cheshire and Merseyside ICB are a highly complex organisation serving a population of over 2.5 million people across nine Places (Boroughs including local Authorities), 17 NHS Provider organisations, 51 PCNs plus Northwest Ambulance service as well as third sector and voluntary organisations. Cheshire and Merseyside are the third largest ICS in the country, and regarding scope of organisations the ICS is double the size of the next largest ICS.
The successful applicants will be based in the geographical location Sefton and Wirral (one of the 9 Places) and will work closely with the Designated Professionals for Safeguarding Adults, Designated Nurses Safeguarding Children and Looked After Children, Designated Doctors and Named GPs for Safeguarding across NHS Cheshire & Merseyside ICB as part of a wider enthusiastic and dedicated safeguarding team.
The post holder will be required to:
Communicate and provide highly complex safeguarding and looked after children information across the health economy to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
Present highly complex information about projects, initiatives and services to a wide range of stakeholders in a formal setting such as the Merseyside Safeguarding Children Partnerships, Corporate Parenting Boards and Child Death Overview Panel.
Commit to working and engaging constructively with NHS Commissioned providers, health services and other key stakeholders on a range of potentially contentious issues.
Nurture key relationships and maintain networks both within the NHS and other networks such as the Safeguarding Children Partnerships, Corporate Parenting Boards and Child Death Overview Panels internally and externally, including national networks.
Lead and coordinate the looked after children response to external and internal inspections such as: Ofsted, CQC, JTAI's Peer reviews etc.
Support collaborative working across health services, underpinned by appropriate pathways and policies to safeguard children and looked after children.
Please see job description and person specification for more detail.