Employer East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridgeshire) Employer type NHS Site The Hex, Cambridgeshire Constabulary Headquarters Town Huntingdon Salary £57,528 - £64,750 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 14/06/2026 23:59 Interview date 26/06/2026
Band 8a
East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust delivers expert healthcare in people’s homes, community hospitals and local settings across the East of England.
Our nurses, therapists, clinicians, support teams and partners work together to provide coordinated care that supports independence, recovery and wellbeing. We believe people are best cared for close to home, in the communities where they live and belong.
By combining professional expertise with strong local relationships, we help people stay well, feel supported and access the right care at the right time. Expert healthcare, close to home, trusted by our communities.
Different ideas, experiences and backgrounds make us stronger and more creative and applications from all walks of life are welcomed. Our processes ensure that all applicants are treated fairly at every stage of the recruitment process.
East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to creating a modern and inclusive work environment. We actively promote flexible working opportunities where possible to meet the needs and wishes of our workforce and maintain and improve their wellbeing. We also offer flexible working patterns and we would encourage you to discuss this with the recruiting manager before or during the application process if this would interest you.
We welcome applications from people who share our values and can help us deliver outstanding care in our local community.
Before applying for this vacancy, please make sure you’re familiar with ongoing GOV.uk sponsorship eligibility criteria which will impact the organisations ability to provide sponsorship, whether this is currently or in the future.
Please note, our selection processes are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills. Please be advised that the use of AI in applications i monitored. We remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills.
Job overview
Are you an experienced safeguarding professional with a passion for driving quality and managing risk? Join East of England Community Health & Care Services as our MASH Health & Children in Care Service Lead, where you’ll play a critical role in ensuring the safety of vulnerable children and adults through effective multi-agency collaboration.
This is a pivotal leadership role, requiring a strong understanding of safeguarding legislation, risk management, and partnership working. You’ll oversee quality assurance, compliance, and continuous improvement within our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub and our Children in Care service helping to shape best practices and improve outcomes for those at risk.
Why Join Us?
* Be part of a dedicated, forward‑thinking team committed to safeguarding excellence
* Work in a dynamic, multi‑agency environment with key partners, including social care, health, and police
* Enjoy a supportive workplace that values innovation, development, and staff well‑being
If you’re a proactive leader with expertise in safeguarding and risk, we’d love to hear from you!
Apply today and make a real difference in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.
Main duties of the job
The post holder is responsible and accountable for the delivery of the MASH health service and the Children in Care team including clinical responsibility for the safeguarding of service users who are open to MASH Health and the initial and review health assessments for children who become looked after. They will be responsible for the operational running and team management.
The post holder will ensure and develop quality assurance and improvement and the clinical governance of the services. The post holder influences service strategies and has input into decision‑making at the senior management level. The post holder will provide operational leadership, and direction across the service to drive improvements and a culture of learning.
The post holder will have responsibility for the operational management of the Multi‑Agency Safeguarding Hub health team and the children in care team providing clinical leadership and highly developed subject matter expertise to team, The Trust and as a senior leader in the safeguarding partnership. The post holder has strategic oversight across the safeguarding partnership to develop collaborative working practices.
Working for our organisation
Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.
There’s one reason why our services are outstanding – and that’s our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.
If you share our passion for innovative and high‑quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading‑edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder is responsible and accountable for the delivery of the MASH health and children in care service including clinical responsibility for the safeguarding of service users who are open to MASH Health and the children in care team. The post holder will ensure and develop quality assurance and improvement and the clinical governance of the services. They will be responsible for the operational running and team management. The post holder influences service strategies and has input into decision‑making at the senior management level. The post holder will provide operational leadership, and direction across the service to drive improvements and a culture of learning.
The post holder will have responsibility for the operational management of the Multi‑Agency Safeguarding Hub health team and the children in care health team providing clinical leadership and highly developed subject matter expertise to team, The Trust and as a senior health leader in the safeguarding partnership. The post holder has strategic oversight across the safeguarding partnership to develop collaborative working practices.
The post holder will co‑ordinate and lead the MASH health team to share health information lawfully following requests for information in line with national legislation and local partnership policy. The post holder is responsible for ensuring the triage and prioritisation of work dependent on risk to children, using analytical and judgement skills. The post holder uses professional judgement whilst being mindful of any potential emotional impact on staff and pressures on capacity within very specific timeframes.
The post holder with support the children in care team manager to ensure service delivery is within statutory time frames from both an initial and review health assessment perspective as well as the care leaving processes from health perspectives.
The post holder will lead the team to work with multi‑agency partners to secure a timely consensus about what needs to happen to safeguard and promote a child's welfare. The post holder will use high level expertise to professionally challenge and elevate professional differences at a senior leadership level where this is required using highly developed interpersonal and communication skills in a sensitive and contentious environment and in line with local and national policy.
The post holder will work autonomously making complex service delivery decisions with consideration for competing operational priorities within The Trust and those of multi‑agency partners. The post holder is responsible for all current and ongoing future planning and organisation of the MASH Health and Children in Care Health Service.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The post holder will provide day to day operational management of the MASH health Service including all staff (MASH practitioners and administrative staff). The post holder is responsible for the creation and implementation of the MASH Health operational framework and maintenance of policy standard operating procedures.
The post holder will offer the line management support to the children in care Team managers to support smooth running of the teams.
To lead the development of and the monitoring of governance arrangements for the MASH health & CIC Services through expert clinical practice. This will include systems for ensuring quality assurance, auditing, clinical risk management, clinical audit, evidence‑based practice and professional development and training.
The post holder will be responsible for the review and response to all DATIX incidents and any complaints that relate to the MASH health & CIC Services and ensure that there is opportunity to identify and implement learning.
To ensure that supervision, training and development opportunities are in place to support the MASH health practitioners and administrators in carrying out the functions of their role, as per local Trust policy.
To work with partner agencies at service lead level to develop Cambridgeshire and Peterborough MASH services to deliver a high‑quality safeguarding service and explore ways to develop safe effective services that promote the safety and wellbeing of children.
The post holder identifies clinical risks and escalates appropriately, taking action to mitigate harm. The post holder monitors the quality of MASH health practice & CIC practice through audit, benchmarking and research activity, and ensure concerns are escalated and solutions to mitigate risk are identified.
Responsible for succession planning and for identifying opportunities for future planning and service development.
The post holder will be responsible for all preparation required for CQC inspections.
Communication
The post holder is required to represent the MASH health & CIC services as service lead across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough at senior leadership level both internally and externally. They will need advanced communication and negotiating skills due to the highly complex nature of the work.
The post holder leads on organisational challenges requiring extensive and assertive communication skills across a wide range of staffing levels in a contentious and complex safeguarding environment. The post holder maintains effective professional relationships.
The post holder has responsibility to ensure communication systems are in place for the health practitioners and administrators within the MASH health & CIC services ensuring that all staff are clear about their roles/responsibilities and understand the service and organisation objectives, vision and values.
To ensure that there are robust processes and systems in place to disseminate and process information regarding vulnerable children, and families open to MASH health to relevant CCS departments and services.
Responsibility to complete MASH Health & CIC service reports as directed by CCS Senior Leadership.
Responsible for completion of quarterly report and present MASH performance data and updates at CCS Cambridgeshire Operational Safeguarding Group.
To represent the MASH health Service at MASH operational board and strategic meetings as directed. The post holder will use networking skills and ability to form positive alliances.
To represent the performance of the children in care teams at internal and external boards including celebrating successes and leading any improvement areas identified.
The post holder will be responsible for making decisions which will involve the handling and delivery of conflicting views, sensitive information and drawing conclusions that may be contentious.
The post holder will provide and receive complex, sensitive and contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using developed interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere.
Important relationships job holder must maintain:
* EEC HCP senior leadership, Service Leads, Named Nurses Clinical Leads and Team managers.
* Named Nurses and Lead safeguarding practitioners across wider health organisations ie Acute hospitals, primary care and other community providers.
* Cambridgeshire County Council- Heads of Service MASH and Assessment teams, team managers.
* Peterborough County Council - Heads of Service MASH and Assessment teams, team managers.
* Cambridgeshire Constabulary- MASH Detective Chief inspector, Detective Inspector. Sergeants.
* ICB Designates and Deputy designates.
Budgetary Responsibility
* Budget holding responsibility.
* Authorised signatory.
* Orders equipment.
People Management
The post holder will provide day to day operational management of the MASH health & CIC Services including all staff. The post holder is responsible for all the following: appraisals; sickness absence; disciplinary and grievance matters; recruitment and selection decisions; personal and career development; departmental workload and allocation.
Develop and empower all members of the team to perform to high standards and to innovate.
Responsibility for the creation, implementation and review of the MASH health operational framework so that policies remain up to date and to ensure service aims and staff roles and responsibilities are clear.
Support CIC team managers to ensure clinical guidance is up to date and aligned to stator guidance.
Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process.
Person specification
Experience
* Experience in working with community caseloads comprising high dependency/complex family issues and child protection
* Highly developed, subject matter expertise and specialist knowledge across the range of work procedures and practices relating to MASH health and safeguarding, underpinned by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience
* Demonstrates expert knowledge of local policy and National legislation relevant to role
* Responsibility for the planning and allocation of work for a service or team
* Direct line management of a team or service
* Experience of devising and delivering training packages to a range of groups and across agencies on a range of safeguarding relevant topics
* Experience of devising, co‑ordination and delivery of clinical or practice supervision in safeguarding children
* Advanced evidence gathering skills, synthesising large volumes of health information and analysing risk to children within short timeframes
* Experience working within a Safeguarding leadership role
* Experience of partnership working with Police, Local Authority, Voluntary agencies
* Experienced in the creation, implementation and review of health operational frameworks including policies and SOPS, business action planning
* Experienced in leading on planning, implementation and analysis of audits undertaken both internally and with multi‑agency partners
* Experience of liaising and working directly with safeguarding partnership boards
* Knowledge of National MASH standards
Qualifications & Training
* First level registration with NMC-RGN, RMN, RCN, SCPHN qualification
* Educated to Masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area
* Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development
Knowledge & Skills
* Excellent communication and high‑level negotiation skills both verbal & written
* Highly developed interpersonal skills
* Knowledge and appreciation of equality &diversity issues and relevant policies
* Clinical governance and risk management knowledge and experience
* In depth and expert knowledge of legislation, guidance, systems & processes related to all aspects of safeguarding children Agenda
* Networking skills and ability to form positive alliances
* Advanced analytical & problem‑solving skills
* Proven senior leadership skills
* Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions and to resolve problems in relation to project or service delivery
* Ability to understand a broad range of complex information quickly and making decisions where opinions differ/no obvious solution
* Standard keyboard skills and ability to communicate through IT using packages such as Word, Outlook, Excel for data collection and analysis, and PowerPoint for presentations
* Report writing skills to convey complex information
* Ability to work flexibly as part of a team
* High level planning and organisational skills
* Ability to concentrate for tasks, report writing and when providing staff supervision
Safeguarding
* Demonstrable knowledge and experience to act as a recognised expert in the field of safeguarding, child protection and the MASH
* Be the responsible subject matter expert for the team and provides highly specialised supervision and guidance to ensure complex information sharing and risk analysis decisions are made accurately and safely in the MASH health team
* Appreciates the significance of safeguarding and interprets this accurately for all individual children and young people/vulnerable adults whatever their life circumstances
* Ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults
* Ability to recognise the need to escalat…
* Is up to date with local policy changes, legislation and current events to disseminate to the team
* Can demonstrate how they have promoted ‘best practice’ and inspire team members to do the same
* Shows a personal commitment to safeguarding children
Equal Opportunities - We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. Additionally, people with disabilities that fall under the Disability Confident Scheme will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification). All sites are Smoke Free.
Immigration Status – East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust is a diverse employer and welcomes all job applications. However, potential applicants should note that although the Trust is registered with the Home Office as a sponsor organisation for migrant workers, sponsorship can only be offered against eligible roles. If you are an applicant from outside the UK and do not already hold a self‑grown right to work, we recommend you check the Home Office eligibility requirements before making an application.
Our safe recruitment pre‑employment checks are undertaken before an appointment is confirmed and may include a DBS check. Where the role requires you to drive, we’ll ask you to validate your driving licence online via the DVLA.
Redeployment - Please note that in the first instance priority for this vacancy will be given to staff who are on the Trusts Redeployment Register.
Closing and Interview Dates - This vacancy may close early if sufficient applicants are received.
Data Protection - A privacy notice detailing how we will handle your data is attached to this advert as a document.
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