Child Protection Nurse Specialist 2

Job/Role Summary

• Provide child protection advice and support to all community nursing staff across the Trust
• Provide child protection supervision to individuals and groups of community nurses
• Support staff in the preparation for initial and 1st review case conference – Case management with staff prior to the case conference to include risk analysis.
• Support staff in preparation of reports for case conferences, care proceedings, adoption reports
• Ensuring that the child’s welfare is paramount in situations where there may be conflicts of interest
• Maintaining and developing effective communication mechanisms to ensure a high profile for the child protection agenda within the trust.
• Developing recommendations and action plans subsequent to audits which will inform practice issues, system development and manage poor performance in Child Protection work
• Development of policies and procedures for community nurses in child protection work
• Promoting evidence-based practice and incorporating it into practice
• Promoting, monitoring and maintaining a high standard in record keeping in line with NMC directions

Specific qualifications and experience required

• Registered General Nurse
• Registered Health Visitor
• Diploma in Health Visiting
• Third Level qualification
• A minimum of 3 years experience as a Health Visitor excluding courses
• Evidence of working with vulnerable families and knowledge of the Children Order NI 1995 Legislation
• Good communication skills (verbal and written) Desirable criteria
• Community Practice Teacher in Health Visiting

Career Milestones

The experience I gained in posts I had held previously within general nursing and as a registered midwife helped inform my practice as a Health Visitor. I was then able to gain insight into a holistic approach to care with the client in their own home. I participated in a project as a research Health Visitor on the Young Peoples’ Health project where I worked with young people to identify their health needs through focus groups and a questionnaire. This helped evolve skills in developing a needs-led service based around the user. During my health visiting years I completed a degree on a part-time basis. This helped develop concepts of evidence-based practice, skills in analysing data and application of research to practice. Working with families over the last 14 years has had a huge impact on my professional development. As a nurse, acting as an advocate for the client is empowering and also has helped my skills in working with families. I have developed skills in communication both verbal and written, negotiating skills with clients and managing change with clients through individual work alongside them. I have personally and professionally developed as a result of participating in the Clinical Nurse Leadership Course

What attracted you to this job?

• Opportunity to develop: -Practice in child protection work -Standards of practice for community nurses in child protection -Skills in audit and change management -Clinical supervision in Child Protection for all community nurses -Risk management to prevent poor practice
• Promotion
• No direct management of a caseload

Enjoyable aspects of the job/role

• Working with Health Visitors in preparation for case conferences and seeing their thought processes evolving. Staff being developed to be assertive at case conference and with families where there are child protection concerns
• Development of good well thought out reports
• Individual job satisfaction when other professionals start to comment on the work being presented by Health Visitors

Important success factors

• Personal Child Protection Supervision with my manager, allowing me to evolve my thinking whilst bringing in my own experiences of working with Vulnerable Families
• Working with Social Services Training Team
• In Service training on specific aspects of the job -Supervision Skills, Court room skills, report writing skill

Advice for those considering the type of job/role?

A post such as this one is a great opportunity to move into nurse management where you do not have to operationally manage staff in their work. It gives an opportunity to develop and influence practice whilst working with nurse managers in the organisation. This job provides you with the freedom to be creative whilst working with staff in their child protection work. This job allows for developing evidence-based practice and standards in care so if you enjoy developing staff and practice this may be the job for you. The down side is that things happens more slowly and change suddenly evolves. There is a need to understand that you will have to be patient with yourself and staff. When the change happens in practice it creates a much empowered environment

Career Profiles