This course has been designed for Senior Executive leaders who have Board accountability for safeguarding children and adults; Executive leaders from ICB’s including Chief Executives, Accountable Executives, Directors, Chief Nurses and all leaders from Integrated Care Systems and Partnerships.

Course overview

The course will explore the culture, attitude and ethos necessary to enable safeguarding to be “core-business” throughout the NHS. Current duties and responsibilities will be examined whilst considering the transition to Integrated Care Boards, Systems and Placed Based Partnerships and the future ahead.

We will consider what Senior Executives must do to ensure that the legal framework for safeguarding within the NHS is being understood and applied given the increase in both the complexity of  cases and system pressures. This will focus on the importance of the obligations and duties to promote equality and human rights and deliver rights respecting care within a rights respecting culture.

The course will also take a look at ‘closed’ cultures within organisations and the steps that need to be taken to eliminate discrimination and advance health equalities.

There will be a review of the legal framework relevant to adult and child safeguarding to include The Care Act 2014, The Children Acts 1998 and 2004, The Children and Social Work Act 2017, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, accompanying guidance and the importance of Making Safeguarding Personal, the Voice of the Child and Think Family.

You will explore what this means for safeguarding at the strategic level with a focus on co-production, prevention, collaboration and partnerships, and what this means for staff, providers, contracts and commissioning.

The course will allow reflection on the consequences of poor safeguarding practice on the outcomes for adults and children with consideration from lessons learnt through safeguarding reviews, public enquiries, criminal cases, complaints and coroners.

Learning outcomes

• Understand what safeguarding means to NHS strategy following the transition to  Integrated Care Boards in line with current legislation, guidance and policy.
• Understand what is required at the strategic level to ensure safeguarding is ‘core business’ within integrated care boards and integrated care systems.
• Understand what is required at the strategic level to ensure safeguarding is ‘core business’ amongst all partners, agencies and providers.
• Demonstrate enhanced legal literacy around relevant legal frameworks to support and drive all safeguarding strategy.
• Examine the importance of effective partnership and multi-agency working and the relevant duties, responsibilities, accountability and assurance that is held by all.
• Evaluate the consequences of failing to implement such strategies with consideration of the current themes emerging from reviews and case law.