About this role
Job summary
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?o Be part of a dedicated, forward-thinking team committed to safeguarding excellenceo Work in a dynamic, multi-agency environment with key partners, including social care, health, and policeo 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 with 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.
About us
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.
Job description Job 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 with 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 escalate 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 ResponsibilityBudget 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 Essential
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
Desirable
Experience of liaising and working directly with safeguarding partnership boards Knowledge of National MASH standards
Qualifications & Training Essential
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 Essential
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 negotiation 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 Competent IT skills 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
Desirable
Proficient using Systm1
Safeguarding Essential
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 escalate cases and successfully do so at service leadership level as per local policy where there are professional differences 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
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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 East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)
Address The Hex, Cambridgeshire Constabulary Headquarters
Huntingdon
PE29 6NP
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.eastofenglandcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)