Paediatric Liaison Specialist - safeguarding children

The paediatric liaison specialist contributes to the strategic development and operational implementation of the safeguarding agenda across The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The post holder will develop, promote and facilitate appropriate referral and liaison between hospital services at The Hillingdon Hospital and Mount Vernon Hospital, Urgent Care Centre, Health Visitors, School Nurses and other community practitioners as required. Acting as a professional resource and link between Acute, Community and Primary Care services establishing good communications within these areas including wards, out-patients, A&E and maternity services. The post holder will support and work closely with the Named Professionals and Safeguarding Children Advisor in partnership to provide specialist advice on the management of safeguarding children, ensuring that children and young people and unborn who encounter services at the Trust, including children of adult patients where safeguarding
concerns are identified, are safeguarded and their welfare promoted in accordance with Department of Health guidance ' Working Together to Safeguard Children' (2023), Laming Enquiry and the National Service Framework for children and relevant national recommendations and guidelines.

This will improve and facilitate robust methods of communication enabling professionals to become more effective in identifying vulnerability indicators in children, young people and families and ensure School Nurses/Health Visitors are involved in effective discharge planning arrangements of children as appropriate. The service aims to achieve long-term health gains for children by sharing information enabling preventative work, targeted support and early intervention to improve the health and well-being of all children (including the unborn).

There is an expectation that the post holder will participate in and undertake audit as required and provide data and information as requested by the organisation to promote a quality service and support research and evidence based practice and provide day to day management of the paediatric liaison administrator.

Responsibilities and key result areas to include:

1. Vision, Strategy and Business development

The Paediatric Liaison post is the key conduit and pivotal to ensuring good communication between the acute setting and community services, ensuring that effective communication pathways and systems are in place to share information about children.

Provide specialist knowledge, advice and guidance and be a point of contact.Analyse and assess safeguarding situations appropriately and act accordingly. Demonstrate clinical effectiveness and application of policies and procedures in practice.

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute Hospital in the London Borough of Hillingdon and offers a wide range of services including accident and emergency, inpatient care, day surgery, outpatient clinics and maternity services. The Trust's services at Mount Vernon Hospital include routine day surgery, delivered at a modern treatment centre, a minor injuries unit and outpatient clinics.

The safety and well-being of our patients and of our staff is paramount and we are making urgent improvements to address this - particularly in infection prevention and control. We are making progress and going forward by working in partnership with local GPs, charities,
community services, academic partners, our local authority, neighbouring hospitals and the wider North West London Integrated care system, and ensuring that we listen and work in partnership with our local population. We are absolutely focused on ensuring that our hospitals
provide high quality, safe and compassionate care, while drive forward the building of the new Hillingdon Hospital.

We have over 3,500 members of staff that are proud to care for nearly half a million people, with a vision to be an outstanding provider of healthcare through leading health and academic partnerships, transforming services, to provide the best care where needed.

Actively contribute to forums by disseminating evidence based practice nationally and locally via conferences, publications and websites.

2. Leadership, Culture and Values and People

Initiate, develop and review policies in partnership with other agencies to promote best practice and safe ways of working within related healthcare settings.

Provide, receive and communicate (verbal and written) highly complex information in order to provide liaison action for factors that can adversely affect the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of children, young people and families e.g. safeguarding children, children in need, maternal/child deaths, sharing of unpleasant news, domestic abuse.

Participate in clinical governance audits, research and development, risk management, clinical supervision and training and development of staff. Carry out clinical risk assessments within the organisation guidelines.

Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records in accordance with the record keeping policy- responsible for ensuring that all client records are up to date by means of written and computer generated records and in accordance with agreed timescales.

3. Governance, Quality and Performance

Provide specialist knowledge, skills and experience of the liaison role and act as an advisor to others and contributing to updating policy

Work in direct accordance with NMC standards, policies and procedures alongside of The Hillingdon Hospital Trust guidance, policies and procedures.

Participate in the induction programmes for new staff.

Contribute to the design and delivery of a Trust - wide safeguarding children training programme.

Act as a role model, lead by example through practice with positive attitude and presentation.

Participate in appraisals and personal development plans of self and colleagues

Line management of liaison administrator

To act as a resource within THH concerning current development within the service, taking forward initiatives to share best practice, acting as a clinical role model within the team by demonstrating high levels of clinical practice.

Take responsibility for own continuous professional development, maintaining a sound level of professional knowledge and competence in line with your Personal Development Plan agreed at annual appraisal. Ensure attendance at all required (mandatory) training.

Present information in arenas such clinical and professional meetings and use developed interpersonal skills to ensure appropriate and effective liaison is facilitated.

Complete a Quarterly report to be presented to the Joint Safeguarding Committee and contribute to annual Board report.

Ability to accurately collect, input, interpret and present data.