Safeguarding Children 2009
Review: Getting it right across the NHS - 21st October 2009, London
Written by: Dean Kellogg, Medicology Ltd. Published: 3rd June 2010
The conference started early with a full day ahead of us, packed full of insight, expertise and discussion. After a surprisingly warm October introduction to the day our meeting began with an exhilarating start from Sue Eardley, Head of Safeguarding at the Care Quality Commission and Professor Terence Stephenson, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health, covering lessons and imperatives for the NHS and the challenges to healthcare professionals on the road to improving safeguarding. These presentations really kick started the day and were a fine example of the quality and content that would be covered throughout the day by our credible speaker cohort.
The morning continued with an interesting presentation from Jane Appleby, Lead for Children & Safeguarding, NHS East Midlands, which raised the importance of overcoming workforce challenges. After a short refreshment break the day continued with two very informative talks from Sarah Connelly, National Safeguarding Delivery Unit who comprehensively covered ‘Current legislation and future needs’ followed by Caroline Little from the Association of Lawyers who added a real insight to safeguarding from a useful perspective.
A short Q&A session then allowed the audience to really delve into the speaker’s knowledge and retrieve answers to their questions.
The lunch break followed and allowed people to absorb the depth of information from the morning sessions, and also the importance of sampling lunch! The lunch break added another opportunity for our exhibitors and sponsors to be visited by the delegates and offered them the chance to attend to any questions or information requests.
The afternoon session commenced, with Dr Sara Watkin, Consultant Paediatrician covering the essential elements of Clinical Governance and with Andrew Vincent as a Lead Consultant for Healthcare Leadership adding some very relevant points about how leadership is a necessity when it comes down to the correct operational approach for our Safeguarding teams.
Continuing the fast pace of the day and wealth of knowledge, our presentations continued with Ms Denise Lawes from Wandsworth Local Authority Borough, who added an extremely uplifting aspect to the day with her refreshing, inspiring presentation that clarified ‘The role of the Integrated Children’s System in protecting children’ and how the use of information required for the recording the facts and events of children’s lives, for assessing the needs of children and for monitoring their developmental progress is fundamental to good safe practice and better outcomes.
After a further Q&A session to our panel of afternoon speakers and a well earned tea break the afternoon continued with Dr Owen Hanmer, Consultant Paediatrician - offering insight into the opportunities and threats as paediatrics moves into the community. Stating the strengths and weaknesses behind strategic direction, governance, advice & support and high quality practice.
The afternoon session was concluded by two further presentations, the first from Dr Deborah McInerny & colleague Dianne Swiers, both representing Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust with an in depth presentation raising issues surrounding, who is being trained to the appropriate level? Representation on local boards, meeting requirements of CRB checks, are certain policies up to date where flagging concern for children welfare? cross agency working and the important view of whether inpatient babies and children are indeed within a secure environment.
Expectations on safeguarding children – the Strategic Health Authority Viewpoint was very well delivered by Briony Ladbury, Lead for Safeguarding Children, NHS London, who gave a very thorough review of this. Briony expressed the concerns and challenges that were apparent, including why ‘working together’ doesn’t fit, performance monitoring, what the regional and national drivers were and what actions SHA’s needed to take immediately.
To bring the day to a close we managed to squeeze in one final Q&A session to allow the audience to engage with the previous speakers. Although time kept catching up with us we were glad to have been able to accommodate most questions from the floor at each session.
All in all a very successful day, it was a pleasure to be joined by the many attendees, our speakers and all of the exhibitors for the day. I’m sure that there has been much thought and consideration of the knowledge and insight that was provided on the day, certainly plenty to keep the mind ticking over during the journey home!
Exhibitors & Sponsors:
We are delighted to announce our future conferences, in the hope that you will be available to join us:
- Quality, Governance & Experience
7th December 2009, London - Engaging Clinical Teams in the Business of Health
10th February 2010, London - Driving Cost Improvement from the Clinical Coalface
11th February 2010, London - Fostering Leadership at the Sharp End of Medicine
22nd February 2010, London - View all conferences and book online at:
www.medicology.co.uk/conferences
