All staff have a duty to be aware of the special attention children and young people (under 18 years of age) should be given while in our care.

To ensure this is the case, we have taken the following measures:

• Reports are presented to the board of directors every six months on safeguarding children
• We carry out regular audits to check our systems and processes are effective
• We have clear procedures in place in the emergency department (A&E) and staff receive regular update training on safeguarding children
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks are made on all new staff in accordance with NHS Employer guidelines and our own safeguarding policies
• Training in safeguarding children is one of the components of the corporate induction programme for all new starters and is included in the annual mandatory refresher training
• A named nurse and named doctors have specific responsibility for safeguarding children across all parts of our hospitals – they are clear about their roles and are given sufficient time to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities

Safeguarding Adult, Children and Looked After Children Annual Report 2021/22