Group Director of Safeguarding

University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; Bristol; On-site; GBP 88,000 - 102,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a visionary Group Director of Safeguarding to lead transformative initiatives across two dynamic NHS Trusts in Bristol. This pivotal role offers the chance to shape safeguarding strategies, ensuring the highest standards of care and safety for all patients. With a focus on multi-agency collaboration and national policy influence, you will drive change and enhance safeguarding practices. If you possess the expertise and leadership to make a significant impact in healthcare, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in safeguarding lead roles and legislation.
• Expertise in delivering strategic advice to senior management.

Responsibilities

• Lead safeguarding strategies across two NHS Trusts.
• Ensure safety and care standards for patients of all ages.

Skills

Leadership

Safeguarding legislation knowledge

Multi-agency collaboration

Conflict resolution

Analytical skills

Education

Professional Qualification in Health, Social Care or Education

Master’s Degree in relevant subject

Job description

Group Director of Safeguarding (Adults & Children)

Band 8d

Main area Nursing & Midwifery, Group Director of Safeguarding Grade Band 8d Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday) Job ref 387-TS0727-ALF

Site Trust Headquarters Town Bristol Salary £88,168 - £101,677 pa pro rata (subject to banding - dependant on experience) Salary period Yearly Closing 18/05/2025 23:59 Interview date 05/06/2025

As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Are you a visionary leader with a passion for safeguarding and a drive to make a meaningful impact? If so, this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for! We are seeking a Group Director of Safeguarding (Adults & Children) to take on a high-profile leadership role across two of the UK’s most dynamic NHS Trusts.

This pivotal position offers the chance to shape and lead safeguarding strategies across two remarkable hospital trusts - North Bristol Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) - ensuring the highest standards of safety and care for patients of all ages.

Working at the heart of forward-thinking, multi-award-winning organisations, you will have the autonomy to drive transformational change, influence national safeguarding policy, and foster strong multi-agency partnerships to protect those at risk.

Join us and be part of a Bristol Hospital Group that is leading the way in digital healthcare, sustainability, and safeguarding excellence. If you have the expertise, vision, and leadership to make a difference, we want to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

As a key member of the Group Chief Nursing senior leadership team, you will be supporting the Group Chief Nurse Portfolio which includes professional inclusive & compassionate leadership, accountability and responsibility for the identification, monitoring, implementation and ongoing review of the all-age safeguarding agenda across acute hospital healthcare services at North Bristol Trust & University Hospitals Bristol and Weston. Working in partnership with senior safeguarding colleagues across the ICS towards facilitation of improved integrated safeguarding partnership arrangements.

The post carries considerable autonomy in implementing national strategies and carries with it delegated responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the Bristol Hospital Group (NBT & UHBW). This is a significant leadership role, working internally and externally with key partners, in the development and implementation of national and local policies relating to safeguarding practice, acting as Bristol Hospital Group representative at national forums as required.

The post holder will interpret, implement and monitor portfolio-related national policies and statute, anticipating & reacting to emergent policies that impact the safety of patients and the reputation and working of the Group. They will facilitate transformation and ensure strategic alignment across the system and drive the uptake of initiatives that support excellence in safeguarding children, young people, & adults, who are at risk.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Substantial experience of delivering strategic level advice and guidance to senior managers and Directors
• Significant experience in working in adult and children and family services, including experience of working as a Safeguarding senior manager
• Significant experience in a safeguarding lead role with comprehensive knowledge of safeguarding legislation and policy, working across multiagency footprint and leading on the safeguarding agenda
• In depth knowledge and understanding of the legislation, law and current NHS Policy relating to safeguarding and legal processes
• Experience in developing and implementing governance/safety frameworks to support service and quality delivery, improvement and sustainability
• Significant senior management experience within a multidisciplinary environment across healthcare sectors including local service / community and health and social care partners who are associated with the speciality
• Clear understanding and knowledge of national direction/initiatives, e.g. NHS England, CQC, National Service standards associated with Safeguarding

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to communicate and build good working relationships with multi-disciplinary and multi-agency arenas.
• Expert ability to analyse and resolve complex issues, including conflict resolution
• Exercise a high degree of autonomy to make critical decisions and judgements
• Proven Leadership ability
• Experience of managing service changes
• Ability to write reports in short, changing timescales whilst subject to frequent interruptions
• Demonstrate capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales

Qualifications and Experience

• Professional Qualification (current registration) in either Health, Social Care or Education
• Master’s Degree in relevant subject or equivalent experience
• Teaching qualification or equivalent experience
• Experience of facilitating Executive Safeguarding Level Training.
• Possesses resilience and determination flexible and adaptable in a high-pressure environment.
• Focuses on achieving results of high quality in a safe and effective way
• Possesses excellent time-management skills and ability to work on own initiative and where required as part of a senior team
• Be result-driven and innovative with high level of personal integrity

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

· As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

· The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.

· UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

· To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.

· If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.

· The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.

· By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

· Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

IMPORTANT:

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Name Mark Goninon Job title Deputy Chief Nurse Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0117 342 3601 Additional information

Alternative contact:

Kath Mansfield, Executive Assistant to Chief Nurse and Midwife [e-mail]

We welcome enquiries from Candidates who wish to discuss the role further.

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