More information is available on the visiting page
Safeguarding Children
WVT has a key part to play in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a duty on every NHS Trust to have arrangements in place to ensure that the organisation and all staff working within it have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The Trust regularly reviews its arrangements against these requirements and is compliant with them.
The Trust board takes the issue of safeguarding extremely seriously and receives an annual report on safeguarding children issues. The Trust’s Safeguarding Committee meets quarterly and monitors safeguarding processes, reviews the annual audit plan and reports to the Quality Committee.
In addition, we work closely with the Designated Professionals and Herefordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership to ensure our arrangements are robust.
Our policies
We have up to date and robust policies and procedures, including processes for following up children who are not brought to outpatient appointments to ensure they are safeguarded. Other policies that provide support for staff include: Safeguarding Children Supervision Policy, Challenging/ Escalation and Resolution of Professional Differences Policy and Managing Safeguarding Allegations Against Staff Policy. Information and resources are made available to staff to assist in their safeguarding responsibilities on the Trust’s safeguarding children intranet page.
Staff training and job descriptions
Safeguarding Children training is mandatory and is available internally and through Herefordshire’s Safeguarding Children Partnership. Staff receive level 1, 2 or 3 training with a minimum refresher of every three years dependent on their role. The trust reports training level compliance within the safeguarding children performance dashboard.
The Trust can confirm it is compliant with the statutory requirement to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service ( DBS) check on all staff (including volunteers) prior to employment. Dependent on role staff will have a standard or enhanced level of assessment.
The Trust has named individuals with clear roles and responsibilities for safeguarding children. They are clear about their role and receive relevant support, and training, to undertake their roles, which includes partnership working with other social and health care organisations.
Who is Responsible?
Our child safeguarding governance arrangements include named directors responsible for overseeing child safety these are:
- Executive Director, Safeguarding lead - Chief nursing officer - Lucy Flanagan
- Non-Executive Director, Safeguarding Lead – Richard Humphries
- Named Doctor - Lesley Peers
- Named Nurse - Hazel French/Caron Shelley
- Named Midwife - Emily Strange
- Named Nurse - Children Looked After – Kirstie Gardner
- Named Doctor - Children Looked After – Fiona Goodwin
If you have any issues about Child Safeguarding that you would like to raise, don't hesitate to contact us through the team number 01432 363916.
If you see something, are told something or something doesn’t feel right you need to report it.
NSPCC Helpline
Anyone with concerns should email help@nspcc.org.uk or call 0808 800 5000. Click the link to visit the helpline page on the NSPCC website.
If you are worried about a child or young person’s safety or welfare, you can speak to someone in children’s social care by calling:
Herefordshire MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub): 01432 260800
Urgent calls outside of office hours: 01905 768020
In an emergency you must dial 999 for the police and/or ambulance service.
Child safeguarding statement
Wye Valley NHS Trust, working in partnership with other agencies is committed to the vision, mission and values of Herefordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership. Click here to read our Safeguarding statement.
Herefordshire Safeguarding Children Partnerships' Values
- Child Focused
- Collaboration
- Transparency
- Inclusivity
Herefordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership's Principles
Children are at the heart of what we do, and we will learn from the actions we take.
- We will make a difference to the lives of children and young people.
- We will focus on the difference our partnership makes to the lives of children & young people.
- We will ensure that children are at the heart of our discussions and the actions we take.
- We will share information and work together with openness, respect, trust, and confidence.
- We will challenge each other when this is needed and will welcome challenge in return, knowing this helps keep our system safe.
- We will address the well-being needs of children and young people at the earliest opportunity and prevent the need for later child protection intervention whenever possible – providing the right help at the right time.
SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability)
There is information, support, services and activities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).