Safeguarding Children: Trust Declaration of Assurance

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to keeping safe all children and young people in its care and premises.  We recognise the duty of the Trust, and of each member of our staff, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (Children Act 2004), and we will always take action where there are concerns about a child’s welfare.  The Trust, including its Board, has examined its arrangements for safeguarding children, and can confirm that these are robust, improving, and meet (or exceed) statutory and good practice guidelines.  Where we have identified areas for improvement we have detailed action plans to strengthen our procedures and working practices.  The action plans are monitored and reported regularly (if appropriate to the Board itself).

Safeguarding Children and the Care Quality Commission Review

In mid-2009 the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reviewed NHS Trusts’ arrangements for safeguarding children.  In response, David Nicholson (NHS Chief Executive) requested Trust Boards to assure themselves that their organisation’s safeguarding arrangements were satisfactory (notably in 5 domains) and to publish an assurance statement. The NUH Board is assured that:

1. NUH meets the relevant statutory requirements in relation to CRB (Criminal Record Board) checks.

2. The trust’s Child Protection Policies and systems are up-to-date and robust, and that there are effective processes for following-up children who miss outpatients appointments and for ‘flagging’ children who there are safeguarding concerns.

3. NUH deliver 3 levels of Safeguarding Children training according to the requirements of individual posts.  The training is mandatory for all staff.  Compliance with this is monitored centrally.

4. The Trust has a named doctor and named midwife for safeguarding, each with dedicated time in their job plans and a full-time named nurse for safeguarding.  In addition, there has been further expansion of the safeguarding team with the appointment of a Domestic Abuse Nurse with a specific focus on the Emergency Department. These individuals are clear about their roles and responsibilities.

5. The Board lead for safeguarding is the Medical director, who presents the Safeguarding Annual Report (and ad hoc reports as required).  The Report describes the relevant audit programme which provides the Board (and the Trust’s Audit Committee) with assurance that safeguarding systems and processes are working effectively.

In April 2010 Ofsted, as part of an interagency inspection described robust processes within NUH.  In December 2010 CQC and Ofsted reported robust safeguarding processes within NUH.

For further details of the Trust’s safeguarding arrangements and assurances (set out against David Nicholson’s domains) please click on here.

Peter Homa
Chief Executive
Nottingham University
Hospitals NHS Trust