Northern Trust launches Strategy for Safeguarding Children

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust launched a new strategy this week to ensure the safety and protection of all children.

Northern Trust Chief Executive, Dr Tony Stevens, emphasised the role that health and social care professionals can play in supporting families; underlining the Trust’s commitment to delivering on this, he said:

“Child Protection is in everybody’s business. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust takes its responsibilities to safeguard children from abuse and neglect very seriously and has launched this strategy to formalise processes, building on existing and extensive Trust arrangements.”

Director of the Women, Children and Families Division in the Northern Trust, Marie Roulston, set out the need for the Northern Trust, and other key agencies, to work together to protect children, stressing that “no one organisation will have all the answers”.

The Northern Trust’s multi-disciplinary Child Protection Co-ordinating Group has developed action plans with a focus on Safe & Effective Practice, Leadership and Learning, Partnership Working (especially with families) and IT support for staff to facilitate the implementation the strategy.

Assistant Director for Safeguarding Children/Family Support and Chair of the Coordinating Group John Fenton said “we can be proud of the dedication and commitment shown by Trust staff in this complex and sensitive area but we must always strive to improve – this strategy aims to help us do just that”.

Pictured:

L – R :

Mary Stewart (Community Dental), Amber McCloughlin (Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children), John Fenton (Assistant Director for Safeguarding & Family Support), Bob McCann (Chairman), Dr Tony Stevens (Chief Executive), Liz McCurry (Principal Practitioner), Dr Alison Livingstone (Named Paediatrician for Safeguarding Children ), Sharon Crawford (Head of Service)

22nd February 2017