Children have the right to be kept safe from harm and protecting children is everyone’s responsibility. Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT) is committed to making sure that children are safe from harm. This includes supporting parents and carer’s and helping them to understand their children’s well-being and needs.
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust have a team of nurses who specialise in Safeguarding Children. The Safeguarding Team do not work directly with children but do offer support and guidance to all front-line health workers and, where it is necessary, to communicate and share information other agencies and professionals to make sure children’s needs are always placed first and to make sure children are able to meet their full potential.
If you would like to know more about how and why we are guided to share information please click here.
Before any staff starts working in Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust they have employment and reference checks to make sure they are safe to work in our organisation (this includes checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Our staff have to attend regular training, and supervision to ensure they have the right skills and are supported to work with children and their families.
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust is a member of the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (HSCB) and follows its procedures, which reflect national guidance, such as ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2018) and ‘What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused’ (2015).
There is a Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children and two Managers who support seven Safeguarding Children Nurse Specialists and Two MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) Nurses.
To contact this team please call: 01727 732005 or email hct.safeguardingchildren@nhs.net
If you are worried about any child up to the age of 18 years or a parent or a carer of a child, the following numbers will enable you to speak to someone about your concerns:
Hertfordshire Children’s Services - Offers a range of support and services for children, young people and their families: Tel 0300 123 4043
Hertfordshire Police (Constabulary) – Hertfordshire Constabulary is the police force responsible for policing the county of Hertfordshire. Tel 101 or 999 in an emergency.
NSPCC – The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.You can also report any concerns about a child to this number: Tel 0808 800 5000
Child Line – is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to and including 18 years of age in the UK. Child Line deals with any issue which causes distress or concern to a child. This may include any abuse, neglect, bullying (cyber bullying) and sexual exploitation (this includes people who abuse children through computers or phones), or anything a child feels is worrying them. Tel: 0800 11 11
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