Job summary
Are you passionate about protecting vulnerable families and making a real difference in maternity care? We're looking for a dedicated Named Midwife for Safeguarding to lead the way in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children across our services.

In this pivotal role, you'll provide expert advice and support on safeguarding issues, acting as a key resource for the multidisciplinary team. You'll champion best practice, share your specialist knowledge, and empower colleagues through education and training tailored to those working in maternity care.

As the Named Midwife for Safeguarding, you will play a vital part in shaping and driving forward our safeguarding agenda. You'll work closely with the Head of Safeguarding, Directorate and frontline staff to uphold our duty to protect children from harm, while ensuring our policies and guidelines remain current, evidence-based, and aligned with national standards.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will:

• Hold the Named Midwife for Safeguarding role for the Trust and will work closely with the Named Doctors for Safeguarding Children and Young People (as required) in supporting all activities necessary to ensure that the Trust meets its statutory responsibilities in safeguarding children as defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 and the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004.
• The Named Midwife will participate in partnership working including the Local Safeguarding Children's Boards sub-groups as appropriate.
• Together with the other Named Safeguarding Professionals for Adults and Children, advise police, social care, and other agencies on health matters regarding safeguarding children in the hospital and hospital outreach services.
• To ensure safe and robust safeguarding systems and processes are in place across the Trust in relation to safeguarding children and young people.
• To provide expert advice to the Trust Board in matters relating to Child Protection and Safeguarding Children.
• Support the safeguarding team in delivering quality services.
• Assist with the development of processes and procedures for safeguarding ensuring that prevention of abuse and safeguarding systems are in place to minimise risk.
• Deliver a quality service to people with care and support needs. Increase the skills and confidence of trust staff to manage people with safeguarding concerns more confidently.

About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

Job responsibilities
As a Named Midwife for Safeguarding, the post holder will work within Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS FT supporting the Head of Safeguarding to ensure that comprehensive and robust arrangements are in place for vulnerable children and families alongside supporting staff in meeting their legal obligations in relation to the Care Act, Childrens Act and Mental capacity Act.

Please see attached to the advert a job description and person specification for further details. Please ensure you read this document carefully. Please note, if your application is successful you will be required to present original certificates of qualifications that are listed in the person specification under essential.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Midwife
• Possession of a relevant degree or demonstrate equivalent in experience and knowledge.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Teaching / Supervision qualification.
• Experience of delivering training.
• Evidence of personal and professional development in safeguarding adults.
• Up to date with level 3 Multiagency Safeguarding Children's Training (as per Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff Intercollegiate document 2018).

Desirable

• To have/ working towards a degree/ masters
• Up to date with Level 4 Multiagency Safeguarding Children's Training (as per roles and competencies for Health Care Staff Intercollegiate document 2018)

Experience
Essential

• Currently practicing in a safeguarding role or previous experience in safeguarding
• Knowledge of local and national guidance and research in relation to Safeguarding Children and Young People.
• Knowledge of legal framework and of political and policy changes affecting Safeguarding Children and Young People.
• Knowledge of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Mental Capacity Act and associated health and social care legislation.
• Knowledge of data protection and NHS code of confidentiality.
• Experience of working with safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Experience of close liaison with multi - disciplinary team and multiagency staff.

Desirable

• Experience of delivering and receiving safeguarding supervision.
• Awareness and understanding of the wider health and safety, clinical risk, and quality issues.
• Awareness and understanding of equality and diversity.
• Evidence of managing clinical incidents and /or complaints.
• Experience in producing Committee/Board reports and presenting to meetings.
• Experience of assessing training needs, planning, and delivering multidisciplinary/multi-agency training. oDevelopment and delivery of training programmes and strategies both single and multi-agency, and experience of pre and post registration training/inter-agency child safeguarding education, training, and development.

Knowledge
Essential

• Confident & influential in driving changes/improving standards and working with various internal and external groups and agencies.
• Understanding of local/ national Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Multi-agency worker and ability to work co-operatively and manage conflict within the multi-agency systems
• Demonstrates an awareness of the complex issues when working across organisations and disciplines and understands key elements of change management
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality at all times
• Knowledge of national policy/research and legislation relating to the safeguarding agenda

Desirable

• In depth Knowledge of Safeguarding Frameworks and Legislation.
• Ability to extract data and generate reports

Personal Skills
Essential

• Excellent oral and written communication skills including presentations and publications
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, as well as across departmental, organisational professional boundaries
• Computer Literacy
• Patient centred approach
• Ability to analyse and interpret data

Desirable

• Experience in managing high caseloads, experience in high level reporting

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.