In August 2019, RCPCH published Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Paediatricians to ensure that members fully understand the competencies that are required of them at Level 3 and 3+ (Paediatricians and Paediatricians in training).
The content here in this document has been taken from the full intercollegiate document Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for healthcare staff, published by the Royal College of Nursing in January 2019. It describes the competencies for those working at Level 4 as well as setting out the model job description for these roles
Job purpose
It should be noted that the Named and Designated professional are distinct roles and as such must be separate post holders.
It should also be noted that these roles are dedicated posts and should not be combined with responsibilities for adult safeguarding or looked-after children.
The job descriptions of specialist professionals should reflect an appropriate workload, covering both roles and responsibilities for child protection and for the rest of their work. Job descriptions should be agreed by the employing organisation.
All provider organisations should have a named doctor or nurse for child protection, a named midwife (in organisations delivering maternity services), a named health professional in ambulance organisations and named GP for organisations commissioning.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Duties
- Support all activities necessary to ensure that the organisation meets its responsibilities to safeguard/protect children and young people.
- Be responsible to and accountable within the managerial framework of the employing organisation.
- At all times and in relation to the roles and responsibilities listed, work as a member of the organisation’s safeguarding/child protection team.
Sponsorship - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Duties
- Support all activities necessary to ensure that the organisation meets its responsibilities to safeguard/protect children and young people.
- Be responsible to and accountable within the managerial framework of the employing organisation.
- At all times and in relation to the roles and responsibilities listed, work as a member of the organisation’s safeguarding/child protection team.
Leadership and advisory role
- Support and advise the board of the healthcare organisation about safeguarding/child protection.
- Contribute to the planning and strategic organisation of safeguarding/child protection services.
- Work with other specialist safeguarding/ child protection professionals on planning and developing a strategy for safeguarding/child protection services.
- Ensure advice is available to the full range of specialties within the organisation on the day-today management of children and families where there are safeguarding/child protection concerns.
- Provide advice (direct and indirect) to colleagues on the assessment, treatment and clinical services for all forms of child maltreatment including neglect, emotional and physical abuse, fabricated or induced illness (FII), child sexual abuse, honour-based violence, trafficking, sexual exploitation, detention and within the prevent strategy.
Please see JD attached for full details
