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Job summary

Main area
Safeguarding
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday)
Job ref
230-51997667-CORP-S
Employer
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Lewes House
Town
Nuneaton
Salary
£62,215 - £72,293 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
29/06/2025 23:59
Interview date
15/07/2025

Employer heading

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust logo

Head of Safeguarding

NHS AfC: Band 8b

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust opened in 1948 and provides a range of elective, non-elective, surgical, medical, women’s, children’s, diagnostic and therapeutic services to a population of more than 350,000 people.

The hub of the Trust is located on the outskirts of Nuneaton and its services cover a large footprint, including north Warwickshire, south west Leicestershire, and north Coventry. We also provide primary and community services across Coventry, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.

Our vision is "to EXCEL at patient care". If you think you've got what it takes, help us realise this and join #TeamEliot.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour aren’t as likely to apply unless they meet every qualification of non specialist roles.

We’re dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role and meet our values, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with everything in the Job Description or Person Specification– apply anyway or email the Recruiting Manager to discuss the role further 

We are proud to support the Armed Forces community. We are a Veteran Aware and Reservist Friendly organisation and welcome applications from Veterans, Reservists, Cadet Instructors, and family members of serving personnel. 

 

Job overview

Head of Safeguarding

37.5 hours per week

Permanent

Salary: £62,215 - £72,293 per annum

Closing Date: 29th June 2025

Interview Date: 15th July 2025

**This post may close early due to high numbers of applications, so you are advised to apply promptly. **

All correspondence for this vacancy will be sent by email; please check your account regularly including your Junk and SPAM areas.

A great and friendly place to work, so bring your passion, commitment and expertise and enjoy the opportunities to make a difference every day.

#JoinTeamEliot

The post holder will serve as a specialist safeguarding advisor, providing expert guidance on the care, treatment, and delivery of services for adults, children, and young people at risk of harm, including those in maternity services. They will champion a 'Think Family' approach and lead the Trust’s safeguarding agenda by ensuring policies align with current legislation and best practice.

This role includes line management of a safeguarding team and administrative staff, as well as representing the Trust at external safeguarding boards and partnerships. Key responsibilities include leading on areas such as Mental Capacity, Best Interests, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), PREVENT, Violence Against Women and Girls, MARAC, exploitation, Children in Care, safeguarding reviews, and domestic abuse-related deaths.

Main duties of the job

  • Provide safeguarding specialist knowledge, expert advice and guidance to the Trust regarding statutory safeguarding responsibilities. 
  • In conjunction with learning and development, coordinate an agreed programme of safeguarding training across the Trust. 
  • Lead on the dissemination and implementation of learning across the Trust from Serious Case Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews and other significant incidents in which there are safeguarding Adults or Children’s concerns. 
  •  Ensure that the Trust exercises its responsibilities regarding the Multiagency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) process in relation to domestic abuse and other service developments in the field of domestic abuse.
  • To provide robust, effective leadership and line management to the Named Nurses and Administrators within the safeguarding teams. Ensuring that the teams operate in accordance with Trust values and delivers services to the highest possible standards.
  • Ensure services are delivered in line with overall Trust and Division plans and objectives and within statutory and national policy direction for best practice.
  •  Ensure that successful initiatives and best practice are shared with all relevant GEH teams across the county and with local partners.
  • Be an excellent role model and exercise good effective leadership to the team.

Working for our organisation

Here at George Eliot our vision to excel at patient care’  takes centre stage.  An ever evolving clinically-led acute service provider we are on a journey to continually provide high quality, safe and responsive services delivered by inspiring, friendly and compassionate staff who share our corporate values which underpin everything we do.  Our values are not just words on a piece of paper, they bond us together, reflect our ambition and shape who we are:

Effective Open Communication

excellence and safety in everything we do

Challenge but support

Expect respect and dignity

Local health that inspires confidence

Benefits:  On-site nursery, 27 days minimum annual leave plus  bank holidays, cycle to work scheme, flexible working, in house training and development, buying and selling of annual leave, subsidised restaurant, tranquillity garden and generous subsidised on-site parking.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Adult and Child Safeguarding Lead will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of relevant elements of quality and safety within national guidance and legislation. This will be met through provision of policy, governance and service development around safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults across the organisation.

The post holder will in conjunction with the Director of Nursing develop the strategy for safeguarding both adults and children across the Trust ensure that all statutory requirements are met. 

The post holder will be responsible for the operational management of the Safeguarding Teams across the organisation.

The post holder will link with external statutory partners, representing GEH in this capacity across the region.  

The scope of the post includes accountability for delivery of a high-quality safeguarding service with development and implementation of effective systems and processes which are evidence based. The role requires collaborative working to develop effective inter-disciplinary and inter-agency relationships with all partner agencies in order to minimise the risks to these vulnerable groups.

The individual must maintain expertise, knowledge and professional leadership to the Trust regarding statutory responsibilities towards safeguarding and work closely with the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer to discharge their duty as the Trust’s Executive Lead for Safeguarding.

Person specification

Experience and Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Minimum of 3 years’ experience working in a senior safeguarding role
  • Significant experience of multi-agency partnership working in a community/acute setting
  • Significant experience of line management
  • Proven track record of leading and managing change
  • Significant experience in leading on policy and service development within a health setting
  • Experience of managing a budget
  • Experience of managing difficult/sensitive situations in a highly complex environment
  • Experience of working with service uses and carers
  • Evidence of involvement in audit, research and understanding quality issues
  • Evidence of supervision and clinical education of students or less experienced staff.

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Registered Nurse level 1
  • Batchelor degree in relevant health related area
  • Masters Qualification in relevant health area or evidence of equivalent experience
  • Management qualification or evidence of equivalent experience
  • Recognised health teaching/assessing qualification
  • Evidence of sustained personal and professional development.
  • Relevant validated clinical courses
  • Experiential learning
  • Evidence of supervisory management

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Evidence of significant professional development in the field of safeguarding children and young people
  • Abilities to undertake, interpret and utilise research, in order to ensure evidence based safeguarding children practice development
  • Strong analytical skills to advise others in the field of safeguarding practice
  • Must be able to work confidently in a multiagency environment
  • Must have a good understanding of multi disciplinary and multi -agency working
  • Must be able to make autonomous decisions regarding complex practice issues and organisational issues
  • Must have a good understanding of wider NHS developments and health and social policy
  • Must have excellent organisational skills and be flexible to frequent changes to planned workloads
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills across a wide range of situations including where there can be conflict and barriers to acceptance
  • Excellent oral, written communication, report writing, presentation and training skills to a wide audience both internal and externa
  • Manage change in a busy health environment and act as a change agent

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Excellent leadership, management and teamworking skills
  • Ability to motivate and influence others in a confident and positive manner
  • Able to deal with resistance and conflicting views of others
  • Must be able to prioritise workloads and have a flexible approach
  • Must operate within the Trust’s equality and diversity policies and guidelines
  • Excellent attention to detail

Other

Essential criteria
  • Ability to work flexibly to the needs of the service
  • Must possess good IT skills
  • Must be legally entitled to work in this country
  • Must be willing to undertake checks by the Disclosure & Barring Service to Enhanced Level
  • Must have access to independent transport

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.CTP The Ministry of Defence partnering with Right ManagementDisability confident employerStep into healthPride In Veterans

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Carol Bradley
Job title
Associate Chief Nurse
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07876393628
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