MASH Health Practitioner

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Purpose: 

Respond to requests for health information within the MASH as per the memorandum of understanding, GDPR, Data Protection Act and Information Sharing Agreement to safeguard and protect children from significant harm.
Collate and analyse health information in relation to risk of significant harm to contribute to multi-agency decision making to safeguard and protect children.
Facilitate interpretation of health information in relation to safeguarding risks within own scope of practice.
Liaise with health colleagues/other health agencies where necessary and to support their attendance at strategy meetings for cases already open to them.
To actively gather, share information and participate in strategy discussions for cases that are not open to CCS currently.
Facilitate expert health advice/interpretation of health information where necessary to ensure health specific risk is fully understood and considered in decision making to safeguard children.
Signpost multi-agency colleagues to appropriate relevant health staff within the health system to seek information not readily available to CCS through SystmOne as necessary.
Support MASH Lead nurse in multi-agency audit and Joint Venture audits. 
Liaise with health partners to share information and outcomes from MASH enquiries and Strategy meetings as appropriate.

Main Duties and Responsibilities 

To manage and analyse highly complex information to appropriately inform strategy meetings and risk assessments within the MASH. Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust: delivering excellence in children and young people’s health services. 
Ensure the Named Professional/safeguarding team specialist nurses are aware of serious cases involving CCS and Datix system is utilised to consider learning within the Trust services. 
Participate in MASH management meetings to ensure continued health contribution in the development of the MASH function. 
To highlight concerns regarding practice to the appropriate named professional within the provider organisation or directly with the ICB Designated Nurse in the case of primary care. 
Ensure the health team has access and share health records for children as per MASH Information Sharing Agreement and act as a conduit for information sharing between the health economy and MASH in the case of children and as appropriate parents, or carers. 
Contribute to the evaluation of MASH processes from a health perspective to ensure safe and appropriate information sharing within the MASH and across the wider health economy. 
To contribute to regular audit of referrals to Children’s Social Care from the Health System. 
To maintain high standards of record keeping and documentation on cases where information has been shared. 
To ensure regular safeguarding supervision is accessed as per the CCS Safeguarding Supervision Policy

Communication 

To establish good working relationships and work collaboratively with other agencies including social care and other health care providers. 
Participate in case and strategy discussions and inform decision making regarding thresholds and risk. 
Contribute to the safe and effective running of the health contribution to the MASH service in a timely manner, utilising resources efficiently. 
To promote effective safe communication networks between health agencies and social care. 
To maintain a clear focus of health’s role and offer professional challenge to support resolution of professional disagreements and disputes as needed.
Undertake Audit where required to assist the Lead Nurse in providing appropriate data to contribute to quality assurance of MASH activity. 
Support the lead nurse to provide appropriate data as required by the MASH Operational group.
The post holder will receive safeguarding and clinical supervision from the within CCS Safeguarding Children Team and as required from the CCS Assistant Director of Safeguarding. 
The post holder is expected to work in collaboration with multi-agency partners to promote effective information sharing and assessment to contribute to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. 
To maintain knowledge and expertise on local and national policy in relation to safeguarding children. 
Ensures that own personal and professional development maintains a high level of expertise in relation to safeguarding children.

People Management

Maintaining own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal and KSF process.

Clinical and Practice Governance

Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff/records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
Any data that is taken/shared as part of a phone call or transported, faxed or transferred electronically must be undertaken with regard to the Trust Information Governance and Information Security policies.   
The post holder must adhere to the Trust risk assessment and risk management processes
The post holder must adhere to infection control policies and procedures
It is a condition of your employment that you are currently registered with the NMC and it is your responsibility to maintain your professional registration.

Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust. 
The post holder must participate in clinical and other audits as required
Participate in safeguarding supervision on a regular basis 
The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness process for their team.
Work collaboratively with partner agencies in maintaining good communication, joint working and providing advice on issues specific to health within the MASH.
Ensure that equality and diversity principles are integral to all activities

General

Safeguarding people responsibility:
Safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect is a collective responsibility.
There is an expectation that all staff develop and maintain their role relevant safeguarding people competencies and comply with local safeguarding partnerships practice. Alongside this employee who are registrants are reminded of their professional duty of care.
Safeguarding means protecting a citizen’s health, wellbeing and human rights; enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is an integral part of providing high-quality health care.
Those most in need of protection include:
Children and young people
Adults at risk, such as those receiving care in their own home, people with physical, sensory, and mental impairments, and those with learning disabilities.

The post holder must at all times carry out their duties with regard to Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Policy.

To be aware of the responsibilities of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors, and staff.

All post holders must adhere to the code of conduct on confidentiality and be aware of and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures.

This job description is intended only as a guide to the range of duties involved. The post holder will need to be flexible and adaptable in order to respond to other duties that may be required from time to time and the changes and developments within the Trust. 

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exemptions) Order 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure of Barring Service to be made to check for any previous criminal convictions. Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust is committed to the fair treatment of its staff, potential staff, or users in line with its equal opportunities policy and policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders.