Named GP Role Overview
These roles are Alliance/Place based and form part of a 3 GP strong team providing a Named GP role for all age safeguarding. The Named GP will provide an important source of advice and training for fellow professionals and other agencies and have an important role in promoting good professional practice within Primary Care relating to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk. In liaison with GP colleagues, the post holder would participate in any internal case reviews, except where there may be substantial personal involvement in the case.
GPs have an important role at all stages of the Safeguarding process. They also have an important role to play in identifying individuals and families early in the course of their difficulties and providing timely support of a preventative nature. They need education and support to fulfil these tasks. In support of the delivery of this education programme, the Named GP has undertaken additional professional training in safeguarding children and adults or, by virtue of experience and practice, have gained the professional respect of colleagues in primary health care.
The Safeguarding Team
Southeast, Southwest and Mid all require 3 PAs, a Child Death Review Designate Doctor for Safeguarding, LAC Doctor (2 PAs SET), and Admin (2.0 WTE ICB).
Southeast, Southwest and Mid will also require the following Designate Leads:
- 1.0 WTE 8B
- 2.0 WTE 8A
- 1.0 WTE B7
Organisational Relationships Accountable to:
The Named GP will be professionally accountable to the Medical Director and managerially accountable to the Designate Safeguarding Lead.
Authority to Act:
The Named GP has the authority to carry out all of their safeguarding duties on behalf of the employing organisation and be supported in so doing by the Integrated Care Board and others (e.g., doctors, nurses, administration).
Named GPs must act within the national policies and safeguarding framework;
- Human Rights Act 1998 (fundamental to all aspects of safeguarding)
- Children Act 1989, 2004
- Crime and Disorder Act 1998
- Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
- Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019
- Mental Health Act 2007
- Care Act 2014
- Serious Crime Act 2015
- Counter- Terrorism and Security Act 2015
- Modern Slavery Act 2015
- Child and Social Work Act 2017
- Domestic Abuse Act 2021
Children’s specific legislation
- Working Together to Safeguard Children: Statutory Guidance on Inter -agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, 2018.
- Care and support Statutory Guidance: Issued under the Care Act 2014
- Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children: Statutory guidance on the planning, commissioning, and delivery of health services for looked after children 2015.
- Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competencies for Healthcare Staff 2019
- Looked after Children: roles and competencies of healthcare staff December 2020
- Safeguarding Children, Young People and Adults at Risk in the NHS: Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework 2019
Employer commitment, and the post holder’s professional accountability:
Mid and South Essex ICB will agree a sessional time commitment for the post of Named GP for all age Safeguarding. The sessional commitment will reflect the requirements stated in the Safeguarding Vulnerable People in the Reformed NHS Accountability and Assurance Framework (2019) including the reference to additional complexities such as multiple providers, geographical challenge and levels of local deprivation.
The Named GP may have a substantive role (i.e., GP Partner) which requires the practice to agree a corresponding adjustment of other clinical duties. The ICB should ensure that adequate resources are available to deliver training, and at times of additional work e.g., during the undertaking of Serious Case Reviews, critical investigations, or root cause analysis. The ICB and GP Practice should agree on provision of reflective supervision. This is an acknowledgement of the stressful nature of this work.
Job Summary / Role:
The Named GP will take a professional lead to support general practice (including Unscheduled Care services and Out of Hours), to meet their responsibilities to all age safeguards. The Named GP will work closely with the Designated Nursing team across the Alliance/s/Place. Other key relationships should be developed with, primary care, social care, the police and NHS and independent providers across the health economy of that area.
Clinical Responsibilities:
Strategic
- Work with the safeguarding nursing team, fellow GP Leads, Designate Doctors, LAC Doctor, Alliance colleagues and the wider primary care quality team to establish and maintain clear systems of communication across the ICB to ensure a focus on a joint proactive approach in addressing safeguarding issues linked directly with the wider determinants of health.
- Contribute to the wider programme of work designed to deliver the safeguarding priorities within the quality strategy to ensure that the work undertaken is outcomes based, measurable and makes a positive impact.
- To attend regular meetings with the Director/Deputy of Nursing for Safeguarding to review the work plan and ensure deliverables are mutually agreed and clinical support is focused on the business priorities.
- To work with the Designated Professionals to advise the Alliances on deficiencies and vulnerable areas, priorities, and areas of risk.
Policies and Procedures
- The post holder will have the ability to apply policies, standards, and legislations to support everyday practice and ensure practice is in line with local and national policy and regulatory and legislative requirements in the delivery of the Quality Strategy program of work.
- Advise on the implementation of policies and procedures in General Practice in relation to Safeguarding.
- Work closely with the safeguarding team, supporting all activities necessary to ensure that the ICB and Primary Care meets all Safeguarding responsibilities.
Learning and education
- Work within a wider safeguarding programme of training and education across the ICS.
- Work with Primary Care to develop a safeguarding training strategy and support the safeguarding team in ensuring practice compliance/expectations.
- Provide an important source of advice, education and training for fellow professionals and other agencies in the identification of risks early in the course of their duties in order that they may provide timely support of a preventative nature.
- Develop and promote communication across GP practices across the Alliance/Place for the dissemination and sharing of information.
- Promote good professional practice within Primary Care relating to safeguarding.
- In liaison with GP colleagues, the post holder will participate in any internal case reviews, except where there may be substantial personal involvement in the case.
- Act as Health Investigation Officer for Safeguarding Investigations (if Area Team unable to supply a clinical advisor for this role) which requires a GP to investigate, if a Primary Care Practice/ Professional is the person alleged responsible.
- Contribute with others, towards improving skills and knowledge within Primary Care for disseminating good practice in raising alerts for residents who are suffering, or at risk of suffering harm from abuse or neglect.
- Participate in Safeguarding Board activities in agreement with and shared with the Designated Nursing team.
- Work with the safeguarding admin team to adopt and disseminate the Royal College of General Practitioner’s publications relating to safeguarding
- To develop and ensure active engagement in audit to evaluate and enhance safeguarding in GP Practices across the Alliance/Place. This will include engagement in multi-agency audit
- To support the planning and delivery of training, including multi-agency training events when appropriate.
Wider System Working
- To provide advice to the SET Case Review Groups, Domestic Homicide Panels and Safeguarding Teams as requested and support GPs in the provision of reports to these panels/ groups. To ensure that knowledge and recommendations from serious case reviews is disseminated and addressed.
Requirements for the role
- Experienced GP of good professional standing.
- Fully registered, vocationally trained.
- Able to demonstrate excellent communication skills.
- Considerable experience in the care of families at risk.
- Be developing or already acknowledged to have Safeguarding expertise.
- Be familiar with the SET Policies and Procedures.
- Enhanced DBS check.
Governance, policies and procedures
- Support and have oversight of general practice safeguarding policies and procedures in line with legislation, national guidance, and the guidance of the SET Policy Group.
- Encourage case discussion, reflective practice, and the monitoring of significant events at a practice level
- Be familiar with the SET Policies and Procedures.
- Contribute to the development and review of policies and procedures relevant to safeguarding children and adults, including implementation of new government recommendations.
- Support the dissemination and implementation of local policies and procedures across GP practices.
- Contribute to assurance reports and risk assessments in the overall safeguarding reporting requirements in the delivery of statutory responsibilities
Competencies
- Good Communicator.
- Able to build consensus amongst colleagues and other stakeholders.
- Able to build an understanding of the strategic context of services within own area.
- Have an understanding of commissioning.
- Have an understanding of primary and community care.
- Team player – ability to listen, learn, reflect, and challenge others.
- Open to new challenges, innovation, and learning.
Added Value
- Enthusiasm for safeguarding and for working in partnership with colleagues from different organisations and professional backgrounds, both clinical and managerial, valuing each other’s skills and jointly delivering objectives.
- Understanding that innovative and potentially radical solutions may need to be found.
- Willingness to challenge current practices and cultures.
- Being able to recognise key influencers and involve them.
- Solution focussed and problem-solving ability.