Paediatricians in Wales supported to meet highest levels of Safeguarding

The National Safeguarding Team’s Safeguarding Training for Paediatricians has helped paediatricians update their safeguarding knowledge to the required level 3 professional standards. It was attended by 70 clinicians from across NHS Wales at the Life Sciences Hub Wales in Cardiff Bay on the 13 November.

The National Safeguarding Team is part of the Quality, Nursing and Allied Health Professionals directorate (QNHAPs) and comprises Designated Doctors, Nurses and a National GP Lead with significant expertise and experience in safeguarding. The team provides strategic focus and professional leadership to NHS Wales to promote the welfare and safeguarding of children and adults at-risk, including children and young people looked after by their Local Authority.

This valuable networking across paediatric specialities allowed discussion on controversial issues and expert advice on specific cases. Consultants from Wales and Great Ormond Street Hospital explored many key areas including the role of dermatology in differentiating intended harm from medical conditions, the use of radiology in the differential diagnosis of inflicted skeletal injuries in childhood, fabricated or induced Illness and perplexing presentations. The importance of multiagency team working, good record keeping and communication were also reiterated to ensure a consistently high-quality of service for those with complex case histories and backgrounds.

Topics for future sessions were planned to help reinforce the peer-to-peer learning and sharing of best practice in Wales and these will include:

•    Assessment and description of attachment behaviour in consultation
•    Therapies for treating attachment based difficulties
•    Emotional and psychological support for safeguarding professionals
•    Safeguarding and children with complex needs 
•    Eye changes in non-accidental injuries
•    Forensic dentistry – how to differentiate and identify bite marks
•    Challenging court case experiences

Thanks to its success and positive feedback, this training will become an annual event used to reflect and discuss current issues and meet the training needs of our paediatric workforce. 

Rhiannon Beaumont-Wood, Executive Director of QNAHPs said “This event provided the opportunity for Paediatricians in NHS Wales to access  specialist Safeguarding expertise which is located in Public Health Wales, enabling knowledge to be mobilised to practitioners in a way that will benefit their practice. I am delighted this event was successful and look forward to this becoming a regular event in the Safeguarding calender.   It is critical that Paediatricians and others can be informed by the best available evidence and sharing of best practice,  provided in a way that is informative and accessible”.