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Safeguarding Children Team 

The Team strengthened the GP Care Group's safeguarding children governance processes through the implementation of the Safeguarding Subcommittee.

The GP Care Group (GPCG) Safeguarding Children Team tupe’d into the organisation from Barts Health NHS Trust in October 2019.  

Team Function: 

  • Provides safeguarding children and domestic abuse support to GPCG staff:
  • Safeguarding children and domestic abuse advice to staff in hours
  • Safeguarding children training L1-3 to GPCG staff (L2/3 has been via e-learning during Covid, virtual training is now being introduced with a plan to offer F2F training when safe to do so)
  • Provides 1:1 or group safeguarding children supervision to clinical GPCG staff
  • Supports the Tower Hamlets Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH):
  • Post the referral of a child to Children’s Social Care, supports the multi-agency front door team in real-time to risk assess and identify the appropriate level of support that children and families require by sharing relevant GPCG information
  • Provides demographic information as required to support the identification of families requiring support.

Ensure that the GP Care Group complies with its statutory responsibilities for safeguarding children

  • Development of safeguarding children and domestic abuse policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures (SOP’s)
  • Chairs the GPCG Safeguarding Subcommittee
  • Oversees the GPCG safeguarding children action plan and audit schedule
  • Completes the paediatric liaison for the Integrated Urgent Primary Care Service
  • Represents GPCG at strategic and operational safeguarding children and domestic abuse-related multi-agency partnership meetings
  • Completes GPCG reports to inform Local Learning Reviews, Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, and Domestic Homicide Reviews.
  • Oversees the Child Death Review processes for GPCG
  • Compiles safeguarding data for internal/external reporting

Key Achievements 2020/21

  • Successful Integration of the Safeguarding Children Team into GP Care Group.
  • Strengthened the GPCG safeguarding children governance processes through the implementation of the Safeguarding Subcommittee.
  • Developed 0-19 COVID safeguarding guidance and implemented a COVID risk assessment framework.
  • Ensured safeguarding team business continuity during COVID/ lockdown. All safeguarding team activity and MASH functions continued within expected timescales despite a significant increase in demand and a period of reduced staffing capacity.

Development of key safeguarding children's policies and SOP’s

  • Safeguarding Children Training Policy
  • Safeguarding Children Supervision Policy
  • CDOP SOP
  • 0-19 Service Level Definitions SOP
  • No Contact SOP
  • School Health LAC SOP
  • Clinic 1 Paed Liaison SOP
  • Development of a THGPCG safeguarding children competency framework.
  • Development of the GP Care Group Safeguarding Children SharePoint Site which is accessible to all staff.