Safeguarding

Safeguarding remains at the heart of our work at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The Safeguarding Team supports the Trust by responding to advice requests via the SPOC, providing specialist safeguarding supervision, and conducting ward support visits. The team also ensures relevant resources, policies, and guidance are available to support safeguarding practice, enhancing clinicians' knowledge to recognise, assess, respond, and refer appropriately when managing safeguarding and public protection concerns.

Safeguarding advice and support is obtained by completing a SPOC advice form, available via Safeguarding | Nottinghamshire Intranet, and emailing it to safeguardingadvice@nottshc.nhs.uk. The team responds to advice requests within 24 working hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). Doctors are encouraged to seek advice at an early stage when uncertain about the appropriate course of action.

Specialist safeguarding supervision can be booked by emailing Safeguardingsupervision2@nottshc.nhs.uk and specifying the session you wish to attend. The sessions are listed on Connect under the safeguarding pages and are split into care unit sessions; you are welcome to attend.

Please feel free to speak to a member of the safeguarding team when they visit your work area.

A wide range of resources and information is available on the Trust safeguarding pages on Connect: Safeguarding | Nottinghamshire Intranet.

Within the Trust Safeguarding Team, we recognise that our workforce can be affected by domestic abuse and the additional complexities this creates. If you are experiencing domestic abuse or managing someone who is, please refer to the workforce domestic abuse policy 10.16: 10.16 Workforce Domestic Abuse | Nottinghamshire Intranet. We also have information on Connect to support you: Experiencing Domestic Abuse | Nottinghamshire Intranet.

The Delegated Named Doctor for Safeguarding sits within the Trust's Safeguarding Team, providing senior clinical leadership, professional advice, and support to doctors and other clinical colleagues regarding safeguarding children and adults at risk. This is particularly relevant where cases are complex and there may be uncertainty regarding risk, information sharing, mental capacity, consent, professional responsibilities, or the appropriate safeguarding pathway. The Delegated Named Doctor for Safeguarding also supports allegations and themes, and contributes to safeguarding governance, policy development, learning from safeguarding incidents and reviews, multi-agency working, and promoting high standards of safeguarding practice across the Trust. The Delegated Named Doctor can be contacted via Simeon.hanson@nottshc.nhs.uk. This role provides consultation and support, but does not replace a clinician's responsibility to take immediate action, follow Trust safeguarding procedures, make appropriate referrals, or escalate urgent concerns where a child or adult may be at immediate risk of harm.