About this role
Job summary
We are seeking applications for the role of the Lead Designated Nurse for Safeguarding in Black Country ICB until the end of March 2028. This post will be open to staff on a fixed term contract or secondment basis. There may be scope to extend but this will not be known until closer to March 2028.
The postholder will be responsible for strategic and operational management of the ICB designated safeguarding functions and ensuring the ICB fulfils all statutory safeguarding duties. As such they will be knowledgeable and able to demonstrate considerable experience in all aspects of safeguarding relating to adults and children.
The post holder must be familiar with all aspects of safeguarding legislation and best practice.
The postholder will work alongside other Lead Designated colleagues and provide safeguarding system leadership for a defined area (s), managing the local safeguarding team and workstream including the related strategic plan for their area(s) of activity. They will work with partners across the sector in the delivery of strategic priorities.
Work will be varied including provision of advice to strategic commissioners and specialist advise relating to individual cases, oversight and management of team members and deputising for the Associate Director for Safeguarding and Partnerships.
Main duties of the job
Ensuring the ICB can demonstrate fulfilment of all Statutory Safeguarding functions as outlined in the Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework.Work closely with ICB colleagues in contracting and commissioning to ensure that all commissioned and contracted services adhere to the safeguarding requirements.Work closely with colleagues across the Health Economy providing specialist advice and safeguarding leadership in the delivery of key improvements.Ensure learning is disseminated and implemented and demonstrate the impact on children, adults and families.Work closely with local Safeguarding Boards and Safeguarding Partnerships in the delivery of their multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and improvement plans, leading and coordinating key pieces of work supporting the LSP and DSPIdentify, escalate and mitigate safeguarding riskUtilise the ICB safeguarding reporting and governance infrastructure fully to ensure that the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements is understood.Interpret new requirements from legislative requirements for the organisation and ensure delivery
About us
Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) brings together the NHS, local councils and voluntary sector partners to support 2.7 million people. Our vision is to make the area the healthiest place to live and work by improving life chances and reducing inequalities.
As an employee, you will demonstrate our system values, champion inclusion and help address health inequalities so everyone can thrive. In return, the ICB offers a supportive, ambitious and inclusive workplace, with opportunities to develop and work with partners to deliver meaningful change.
The ICB is committed to a workforce that reflects the population of Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull. We promote equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from everyone who meets the role criteria, regardless of age, gender, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.
The ICB is a registered Disability Confident Employer. We welcome applications from disabled people and will shortlist suitable applicants who meet the essential criteria.
Employees formally notified that they are at risk of redundancy within the organisation will receive priority consideration for this vacancy if they meet the roles essential requirements. This supports redeployment and helps minimise compulsory redundancies.
Job description Job responsibilities
1. Ensuring the ICB meets all statutory safeguarding duties as defined in related documents including the Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework (SAAF) 2024, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, Intercollegiate Documents for Children and Adults 20025 and all relevant legislation including:Children Act 1989 and 2004;Care Act 2014;Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Liberty Protection Safeguards (when implemented);NHS Act 2006;Domestic Abuse Act 2021;Serious Violence Duty 2023
Ensuring that the NHS can take forward the Safeguarding reforms being implemented as part of the Family First Partnership Programme.
Strategic Leadership
1. Support the Associate Director for Safeguarding and Partnerships in the statutory delivery for Safeguarding Adults and Children designated functions for a defined Place and for related workstreams at Place and System.
2. Act as the expert professional advisor to the Local Safeguarding Partnership and Board on safeguarding matters related to health.
3. Act as the expert professional advisor to the ICB on safeguarding matters including risks, priorities and statutory compliance.
4. Act as the expert professional advisor across the health economy as required.
5. Influence commissioning to ensure that safeguarding is embedded in all services, quality and transformation programmes.
6. Support the Associate Director for Safeguarding and Partnerships in the interpretation of national policy and legislation relating to safeguarding.
7. Lead and support the development of Policy and Procedures related to safeguarding.
8. Direct and support innovation and ensure efficiency and productivity is achieved in safeguarding through effective working at Place.
9. Provide leadership and direction on key safeguarding areas as part of the wider portfolio supporting other safeguarding nurses.
10. Responsible as line manager for a delivery of statutory safeguarding functions at place, line management of the specialist safeguarding nurse and for wider delivery of agreed safeguarding portfolio priorities across the footprint including devising of training fir safeguarding.
System Assurance and Quality
1. Support NHSE and the ICB in the system assurance processes relating to NHS Provider organisations in line with the NHSE Quality Strategy and including a range of Safeguarding Tools including SCAT and SCRT.
2. Ensure safeguarding is addressed as part of the service specifications, contract performance measures and service level agreements with provider organisations, and in the review of their on-going performance.
3. Provide assurance to the ICB Board that all commissioned and contracted providers meet statutory safeguarding requirements as outlined within the SAAF.
4. Lead safeguarding elements of quality assurance including contract monitoring; quality schedules;CQC interface;Serious Incident oversight
5. Ensure providers meet safeguarding standards through contractual monitoring, quality schedules and serious incident oversight.
6. Analyse safeguarding data, themes and intelligence to identify system risks and drive improvement.
7. Ensure learning from reviews (SARS, CSPRS, DARDR, CDOPs) is embedded across the system.
8. Develop approaches to evidence impact and outcome of interventions to improve safeguarding practice.
Multi-agency Partnership
1. Represent the ICB atSafeguarding Adult Boards;Safeguarding Children Partnerships;Domestic Abuse Boards;Prevent/ Channel Panels;Strategic MAPPA;Community Safety Partnerships
2. Ensure effective Multi-Agency Arrangements are in place including information sharing.
3. Provide expert health input into multiagency safeguarding reviews as required.
Expert Clinical Advice
1. Provide expert safeguarding advice as required within the ICB and with all stakeholders.
2. Support and contribute information, give advice to help resolve complex enquiries that may have legal, ethical and professional implications.
3. Work with Business Intelligence to support commissioners with safeguarding performance and population risk indicators to inform commissioning decisions and monitoring frameworks.
4. Provide up to date specialist advice to support safeguarding related policy development
5. Provide specialist advice on complex safeguarding cases involving all forms of abuse;Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty;Domestic Abuse;Exploitation (CSE, CCE, Modern slavery)
6. Digital safeguarding oversight.
7. Supporting system resilience.
Learning, improvement and Governance
1. Leading and supporting safeguarding innovation and transformation.
2. Ensure learning from incidents, audits and all reviews is translated into practice and system improvements includingSafeguarding Adult Reviews;Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews;Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews
3. Maintain oversight of learning implementation from all reviews.
4. Lead the ICBs governance framework including safeguarding related policies, procedures and audit.
5. Produce high quality safeguarding reports for the ICB, SABS and SCPs.
6. Ensure accurate and timely completion of SCRT.
7. Maintain oversight of safeguarding risks and ensure timely escalation.
Workforce Development
1. Ensure training aligns with Intercollegiate Documents.
2. Provide and receive supervision allowing for reflection and restoration.
3. Provide professional leadership to Named and Specialist Safeguarding professionals across the system.
4. Support primary care with safeguarding advice.
Person Specification
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Essential
A demonstrable understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion with evidence of personal impact in these areas
Skills and Abilities Essential
Ability to manage a complex workload under pressure and to delegate appropriately in order to deliver deadlines Standard keyboard skills Ability to engage and listen to others to inform professional practice Maintains emotional resilience and maturity Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal Able to present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups Ability to influence and persuade others Ability to lead, empower and motivate colleagues and stakeholders
Autonomy Essential
Able to use initiative to decide relevant actions and make recommendations, with the aim of improving deliverables Ability to make decisions autonomously when required, working to tight and often changing timescales
Qualifications Essential
Registered Nurse (NMC) Masters degree or equivalent qualification in the relevant specialism/a related field, or equivalent level of demonstrable experience Evidence of professional and personal development at senior management level
Desirable
Leadership/ Management Qualification Additional Safeguarding qualification Experience in commissioning Experience in quality assurance
Mobility Essential
Ability to travel to sites across the cluster as required
Experience Essential
Extensive Safeguarding experience at a senior level In depth knowledge of Children Act 1989/2004; Care Act 2024; Working Together 2023; SAAF; MCA/DOLS; Domestic Abuse Act Multi-agency Partnership Working Leading safeguarding systems Managing complex cases Workforce development/ training and provision of supervision Oversight of Provider safeguarding arrangements Participation in a wide range of statutory safeguarding reviews (SARs, DHRs and CSPRs) Evidence of ability to make significant and successful contributions at a senior level Evidence of strong analytical and problem-solving skills Experience of developing robust operational and strategic plans and strategies Clear and in-depth understanding of national NHS strategy and policy, and ability to translate this into strategic and operational outcomes Experience in building and nurturing strong and positive relationships with a range of stakeholders Knowledge of IT platforms relevant to the role Experience of managing potentially challenging, sensitive or contentious situations and/or characters
Desirable
Experience of working in the NHS in addition to another sector Experience of directly line managing a team
Personal Qualities Essential
Ability to lead, empower and motivate colleagues and stakeholders Openness and honesty Respectful of others with the ability to listen and provide feedback constructively, acknowledging individual contributions An effective team player Caring and considerate in all environments Professionalism Good timekeeping
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Black Country Integrated Care Board
Address Black Country Integrated Care Board
Wolverhampton Civic Centre
St Peter's Square
Wolverhampton
WV1 1SH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://blackcountry.icb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)