Expectation and job roles |
Expectation – accountability by those who hold senior system leadership roles to provide an environment and leadership that enables delivery of services and clinical practices where Health care staff and professionals demonstrate trauma-informed practice and a public health approach to improve whole of life health outcomes.
These professionals lead by example, championing the value and importance of safeguarding. General job role categories are listed below. Some role categories differ across the four nations of the UK but the expectation of competence and expertise is the same.
General job role categories
- Executive and non-executive directors of organisations delivering NHS health care (see below)
- Senior managers in organisations delivering NHS health care
- Executive and non-executive directors of third sector organisations providing care to children and young people. mental health, hospices, residential care, family planning services, sexual health services
- Executive and non-executive directors of commissioned independent health care providers which may treat children and young people
- Senior managers in third sector organisations providing care to children and young people
Senior managers in commissioned independent health care providers which may treat children and young people
UK nation-specific job role titles |
England: executive and non-executive directors of NHS ICBs and NHS Trusts including community health care, mental health and ambulance services, senior managers in NHS Trusts who are responsible for services which may provide care to children and young people
Scotland: executive and non-executive directors of NHS Health Boards and senior managers in NHS Boards who are responsible for services which may provide care to children and young people
Wales: executive and non-executive directors of NHS Wales Health Boards and Trusts, and senior managers in NHS Wales Health Boards and Trusts who are responsible for services which may provide care to children and young people
Northern Ireland: executive and non-executive directors of Health & Social Care Boards and senior managers in Health and Social Care Trusts who are responsible for services which may provide care to children and young people including community health care and mental health
Overview of senior system leadership |
It is the duty of Trust Boards, Health Boards, Health & Social Care Boards to ensure that the appropriate governance (including clinical governance) arrangements are in place for the effective safeguarding of children and young people (including children and young people in care), and vulnerable adults. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring that services are adequately resourced, supported by appropriate policies and procedures and that their effectiveness is measured and regularly reported to the Board.
The Board also have a responsibility to ensure effective partnership arrangements with the boards of other organisations that share these responsibilities within the scope of their organisation’s work. This includes effective and appropriate information governance, which includes the necessary sharing of information required to keep children, young people, and vulnerable adults safe. The specific roles of Chair, Chief Executive of ICB/Chief Executive of Health Board (Scotland)/Chief Executive of Health & Social Care Board (Northern Ireland), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Executive Lead, Lead Executive Officer (can have various titles), Non-Executive Lead, and Responsible Officer are detailed below, and where relevant, the associated responsibilities and competencies with these senior system leadership roles have been outlined.
Chair
Maintains oversight, challenges when necessary, and provides assurance that the role and responsibilities of the organisation, in relation to safeguarding children and young people, and children and young people in care, are met.
Key responsibilities
- promote a positive culture of safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care across the organisation, e.g. safer recruitment practices, restricted access to children and young people, children and young people that are unaccompanied, whistle blowing, training and support of staff, to ensure that there are effective governance procedures, and that these procedures/outcomes are reported to the Board
- ensure that there are robust governance processes in place to provide assurance about patient safety and quality of care in safeguarding children and young people and reduce health inequalities for children and young people in care
- ensure safeguarding children and young people, children and young people in care, and adult safeguarding policies and procedures work effectively together, including when working across agencies
- support seamless transition from child and adolescent services to adult services
- ensure effective sharing of information on , committees, and groups, and with the Board
- appoint an executive lead for safeguarding, and Child protection and children and young people in care and ensure that they are supported in the role by the Board
Chief Executive of ICB/Chief Executive Trust, Chief Executive of Health Board (Scotland)/ Chief Executive of Health Boards/Trusts (Wales)/Chief Executive of Health & Social Care Board (Northern Ireland)
Accountable to the Government, the Chief Executive is required to ensure that robust governance and accountability reporting frameworks are in place to ensure all health care staff are competent and able to discharge their child protection responsibilities. This should align with NHS accountability and assurance frameworks relating to safeguarding across the four nations. These are regulatory frameworks within which health and social care professionals practice and the established professional accountabilities that are currently in place within the NHS and local authorities.
Key responsibilities
- promote a positive culture of safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care across the organisation, e.g. safer recruitment practices, restricted access to children and young people, children and young people that are unaccompanied, whistle blowing, training and support of staff, to ensure that there are effective governance procedures, and that these procedures/outcomes are reported to the Board
- ensure that there are robust governance processes in place to provide assurance about patient safety and quality of care in safeguarding children and young people and reduce health inequalities for children and young people in care
- ensure safeguarding children and young people, children and young people in care, and adult safeguarding policies and procedures work effectively together, including when working across agencies
- support seamless transition from child and adolescent services to adult services
- ensure effective sharing of information on , committees, and groups, and with the Board
- appoint an executive lead for safeguarding, and child protection and children and young people in care and ensure that they are supported in the role by the Board
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Provides strategic leadership and promotes a culture of learning, professional curiosity, and collaborative working with other agencies.
Key responsibilities
- promote a positive culture of safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care across the organisation, e.g. safer recruitment practices, restricted access to children and young people, children and young people that are unaccompanied, whistle blowing, training and support of staff, to ensure that there are effective governance procedures, and that these procedures/outcomes are reported to the Board
- ensure that there are robust governance processes in place to provide assurance about patient safety and quality of care in safeguarding children and young people and reduce health inequalities for children and young people in care
- ensure safeguarding children and young people, children and young people in care, and adult safeguarding policies and procedures work effectively together, including when working across agencies
- support seamless transition from child and adolescent services to adult services
- ensure effective sharing of information on , committees, and groups, and with the Board
- appoint an executive lead for safeguarding, and child protection and children and young people in care and ensure that they are supported in the role by the Board
Core competencies |
Health care staff at this level should:
- build, maintain, and sustain an effective relationship with the individual subject matter experts for safeguarding children and young people, and children and young people in care at levels 4 and 5
- develop and implement decision making processes between multi-agency working and nominated senior leaders for safeguarding boards
- facilitate the sharing of effective and appropriate information related to safeguarding/child protection and children and young people in care to achieve safeguarding objectives
“Everyone including care experienced people deserve adequate care from the people who are supposed to help us and I feel that it is important for the NHS to know what they are doing at the moment and to work to improve for the future so that care experienced people get the same support and help as everyone else does.”
Executive Lead/Executive Director
Supports the Chief Executive to ensure the ICB, Trusts (England), Health Board (Scotland), Health Board/Trust (Wales), Health & Social Care Board (Northern Ireland) functions effectively, and is employed by the health care provider to focus on internal matters.
Key responsibilities
- ensure that the role and responsibilities of the Board, in relation to safeguarding children and young people, children and young people in care, and are met, in order to ensure that the organisation adheres to relevant national guidance and standards for safeguarding children and young people, and children and young people in care
- promote a positive culture of safeguarding children and young people, and children and young people in care; for example, ensuring there are procedures for safer staff recruitment, chaperoning, and that staff and patients are aware that the organisation takes child protection and children and young people in care’s issues seriously and will respond to concern about the welfare of children and young people
- ensure appropriate support is available to protect staff, , and students in relation to the emotional toll of this field of work which may include complaints, and ensure provider has appropriate mechanisms and procedures in place to protect staff from physical violence and aggression
- throughout the organisation is in line with the relevant guidance this includes having policies and procedures in place that are regularly audited and that their effectiveness is reported to the Board, either directly, or if indirectly, through a sub-committee chaired by a non-executive committee member
- ensure there are clear clinical and care governance processes and systems in place
- ensure there are appropriate level 4 and 5 professionals available to advise and provide support
- ensure that services at all levels are resourced to support/respond effectively to the needs of safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care
- ensure that an effective safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care training strategy is resourced and delivered, including training the Executive level itself.
- ensure that an effective safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care supervision strategy is resourced and delivered, including multi-agency working where needed
- ensure that appropriate, safe, multi-agency, and partnership working practices, and information sharing practices operate within the organisation and with relevant partner organisations; where appropriate the NHS Board should be represented by health professionals in level 5 senior strategic lead/designated child protection roles
Lead Executive Officer
This role may have various titles; however, the focus is on operational leadership and delivery.
Key responsibilities
- work with the Board to ensure that safeguarding and children and young people in care are positioned as core business in strategic and operating plans and structures
- oversee, implement, and monitor the ongoing assurance of safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care arrangements and reporting on these in line with the organisational structure to help the Board meet its responsibilities
- ensure the adoption, implementation, and auditing of relevant policy, strategy, and guidance in relation to safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care
- within commissioning organisations, ensure the appointment and support of levels 4 and 5 professionals in safeguarding children and young people, and children and young people in care
- within commissioning organisations, ensure that provider organisations are scrutinised, held accountable and quality assured for their safeguarding children and young people, and children and young people in care arrangements
- within both commissioning and provider organisations, ensure support of lead professionals (levels 4 and 5) for staff across primary and secondary care and independent practitioners to implement safeguarding children and young people, and children and young people in care arrangements
- ensure that there is a programme of training and mentoring to support those with responsibility for safeguarding children and young people, children and young people in care, and care leavers
- work in partnership with other groups including commissioners/providers of health care (as appropriate), local authorities/councils/health and social care trusts, police and appropriate or relevant organisations, including the third sector, to provide high quality best practice in safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care
- ensure that serious incidents relating to safeguarding are reported immediately and managed effectively in a timely way
- ensure that the role and responsibilities of the organisation Board includes an understanding of their corporate parenting responsibility
Non-Executive Lead
Not employed by the provider, therefore provides an external focus, through influencing and challenging, to ensure decisions of the Board are robust and patient centred.
Key responsibility
- provide informed scrutiny on behalf of the Board, including maintaining oversight, challenging, and providing assurance of the organisation’s performance regarding its obligations for safeguarding children and young people and children and young people in care
Responsible Officer
Shared accountability (with senior leaders) for the clinical governance processes in the health care organisation and holds responsibility for overseeing the performance of doctors and for the organisational revalidation process. The role holder is usually the Medical Director or an organisation’s Chief Medical Officer.
Key responsibilities
- undertake the same responsibilities as other Board members
- develop appropriate knowledge and undertake training to discharge key duties to support doctors and nurses in relation to safeguarding and child protection, in the context of the designated body
- oversee the appraisal and revalidation process for doctors