Safeguarding Supervisor

Somerset County Council; Taunton; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Taunton is seeking a safeguarding advisor to contribute to public health nursing and safeguarding practice. The ideal candidate will have a background as a registered nurse or an equivalent degree, alongside practical safeguarding experience. Responsibilities include attending MASH meetings, assessing needs for children and families, and collaborating with partner agencies. Competitive benefits include a generous leave policy and employee assistance programs.

Benefits

30 days' annual leave

Staff discounts at gyms

Employee Assistance Program

Flexible working arrangements

Auto-enrollment in pension scheme

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse or equivalent level of professional safeguarding practice.
• Practical safeguarding experience preferably with children and young people.
• Sound working knowledge of Public Health Nursing policies and guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Operate in the safeguarding team as a Front Door Practitioner.
• Attend strategy discussions and MASH meetings.
• Identify vulnerable children and respond to safeguarding incidents.

Skills

Communication skills

Digital system proficiency

Ability to manage sensitive situations

Initiative

Education

Registered Nurse or equivalent degree

Post graduate training in safeguarding

Job description

• This role provides the opportunity to work across the county.
• 30 days' annual leave (in addition to bank holidays).
• The contract offered is permanent and full-time (37.5 hours per week).
• You are a registered Nurse or have a degree or equivalent level of professional safeguarding practice e.g. social worker, education or police. You will:
• Have awareness and working knowledge of current safeguarding legislation, guidelines and best practices.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of the Public Health Nursing role.
• Practical safeguarding experience in a specialist capacity preferably with children and young people.
• Are confident in using digital systems for documentation, communication, and data analysis.
• Can manage challenging and sensitive situations with professionalism and empathy.

Were proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if theres anything you want to talk about before you apply.

Main duties of the job

As a safeguarding advisor, you will be operating in the safeguarding team as a front door practitioner where you will be attending/researching strategy discussions, and MASH meetings to give specialist knowledge regarding public health nursing. Working alongside partner agencies you will be actively contributing to the assessment of need and risk for children, adults and their families to safeguard and promote their welfare.

Your day-to-day work will involve:

• Identifying those children who are vulnerable and/or at risk of harm, responding appropriately to incidents of actual or suspected abuse and to ensure the child protection practices is in line with local and national guidelines and policies.
• Investigating and escalating complaints and incidents at a team level.
• Working with PHN team and wider safeguarding system to improve outcomes for children and families.
• Liaising with other agencies, professionals and organisations to keep them well informed of service provision and with consent, advise on individual cases.
• Attending professionally related working groups which are involved in developing and agreeing local policies, protocols and standard setting to identify and respond to local health needs.

About us

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

Job responsibilities

Role Purpose

Operate in the safeguarding team as a Front Door Practitioner. To attend orresearch strategy discussion, and MASH, meetings to give specialist knowledgeregarding public health nursing.Work alongside partner agencies to actively contribute to the assessment of needand risk for a child(ren), adults and their families, to safeguard and promote theirwelfare.To Interpret equality, diversity, and rights in accordance with legislation, policies,procedures and good practice.Take responsibility for safeguarding outcomes for children and collaborate with keypartners to address identified safeguarding and public health nursing needs.Develop and foster effective professional relationships with system partners, but notlimited to; First Response, Lighthouse, Southwest Ambulance Service andSomerset Foundation Trust Safeguarding teams.Have sound working knowledge of Public Health Nursing SOPS/Policies andGuidelines.

Accountabilities

Prioritise work and manage time effectively by utilising individual skills, knowledgeand competencies.

Leadership

Attend professionally related working groups as appropriate (MASHoperational group, PHN Best Practise), which are involved in developingand agreeing local policies, protocols and standard setting to identify andrespond to local health needs.Participate in projects, pilots, research and audit as and when required bythe service.

Participate in clinical supervision on a regular basis as per policy andguidelines for best practice.

Provide support and participate in group safeguarding supervision withcolleagues and peers across health services.

To take initiative where necessary, prioritising workload.Working with stakeholders

Work in partnership with other agencies, particularly health services,education and social care.Liaise with other agencies, professionals, organisations to keep theminformed of service provision and with consent, advise on individual cases.

Attend and contribute to PHN team meetings as required to facilitateeffective communication within children and young peoples services.

Access PHN service recording system to provide research and recording,ensuring accurate record keeping using SBAR framework.SafeguardingIdentify those children who are vulnerable and/or at risk from harm.Respond appropriately to incidents of actual or suspected abuse and toensure that child protection practice is in line with local and nationalguidelines and policies, and Public Health Nursing service.

Work with PHN team and wider safeguarding system to improve outcomesfor children and families.Understanding current legislation, identifying signs of abuse, and knowinghow to report concerns.

Be mindful of the confidential and sensitive natures of much of the work,always adhering to service data protection policies.Service Improvement

Maintain a working knowledge of, and participate at a local level in, thedelivery of public health nursing targets, local delivery plan, business plan,benchmarking and governance plans and Childrens National ServiceFramework targets, ensuring that practice reflects their objectives.

Investigate and escalate / share report complaints and incidents at a teamlevel (as appropriate) and in accordance with the service complaints andincident reporting policies and complete risk assessment.

Identify improvements to service provision, policies and procedures,recommend and initiate improvements in service delivery to clients and toimplement changes in practice, where appropriate.

Person Specification

Skills

• Skilled in working across health, education, and social care sectors to ensure coordinated safeguarding responses.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to convey complex information clearly and sensitively.
• Competent in maintaining accurate, timely, and confidential records using frameworks such as SBAR.
• Ability to research, interpret, and analyse information to inform safeguarding decisions and risk assessments.
• Confident in using digital systems for documentation, communication, and data analysis.
• Capable of managing challenging and sensitive situations with professionalism and empathy.
• Able to take initiative, lead safeguarding discussions, and contribute to service development.
• The post holder requires commitment to a wide range of values that underpin this
• work, including being non-judgmental, person-centered, trauma informed and gender responsive.
• Passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of others and addressing health inequality.
• Access to a car with appropriate business insurance.

Qualifications

• RN (Registered Nurse) or a Degree or equivalent level of
• professional safeguarding practice e.g. social work, education,
• or police.
• SCPHN (HV or SN)
• Post graduate training in safeguarding
• Registration with a professional body
• SCPHN (HV or SN).
• Post graduate training in safeguarding.
• Registration with a professional body.

Experience

• Awareness of legislation, guidelines, and best practice.
• Committed to promoting inclusive practice and understanding
• the impact of trauma, gender, and cultural factors.
• Practical safeguarding experience in a specialist capacity
• preferably with children and young people.
• Public Health Nursing Knowledge and a demonstrated
• understanding of PHN practices.
• Ability to identify, assess, and respond to safeguarding concerns
• in line with current legislation and best practice.
• Demonstrates commitment to ongoing professional
• development and reflective practice.
• Experience of multi-agency working and collaborating across
• services.

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.