3 Year Fixed Term- Independent Chair of Child Death Overview Panel

An exciting career opportunity has arisen for an independent chair of Child Death Overview Panel in Surrey. The role is a part time role, paid at a day rate with 12 hours per month required.

The Surrey Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) is looking to recruit an independent chair who is committed and determined to drive the child death review agenda across Surrey.

The Surrey Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) works in accordance with the requirements laid out in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 and supporting Child Death Review statutory and operational guidance. This panel will review deaths of all children and young people, under the age of 18, resident in Surrey.

This post will be hosted within the ICB on behalf of the Child Death Review partners in Surrey (ICBs and Local Authorities). To ensure compliance with statutory guidance, the Chair must be independent of the key providers (NHS, social services and police) in Surrey.

With experience of working effectively at a strategic level with managers across various agencies, the post holder will ensure that the Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) fulfils its statutory functions as set out in Working Together 2018 and the supporting Child Death Review statutory and operational guidance (2018).

Working in close partnership with the Child Death Review Partners, the post holder will chair Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) Meetings and encourage all panel members to participate fully in discussions and case reviews. The post holder will ensure all child death cases are reviewed in a timely way with a focus on identifying learning to inform single and multi-agency preventative working and initiatives. This post will be independent of all Child Death Review partner agencies. The post holder will be required to travel across the County of Surrey. Travel expenses to be agreed upon appointment.

In Surrey, the Child Death Overview Panel is part of the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership’s (SSCP) Governance framework. As such, the CDOP Independent Chair will work closely with the Independent Chair of the SSCP and the SSCP’s Partnership Development Manager. As part of the SSCP’s Governance framework, the Independent Chair will be expected to report to and advise the SSCP, its Executive and Sub-Groups on key issues related to child deaths. The CDOP Independent Chair will also become a de facto member of the SSCP’s Business Group

Surrey Heartlands is a partnership of organisations working together – with staff, patients, their carers, families, and the public – to support people to live healthier lives.Surrey Heartlands developed into an Integrated Care Board (ICB) since July 2022, working through 4 Integrated, dynamic, and sustainable partnerships (ICP’s) , each working together to deliver a shared vision across Surrey. ICP’saim to improve how local services are designed and co-ordinated for efficiency and benefit to the patient and service users.Each partnership is based on co-operation with our component partners, and focusing on local population needs, priorities and decision making.

The 4 ICP’s are known as:

• North West Surrey Alliance
• Guildford and Waverley Alliance
• Surrey Downs Health and Care
• East Surrey Place

We have an ambitious vision for transformation and continuous improvement of health and care across our footprint and to deliver our objectives we need a team of capable, collaborative professionals who share the same vision. We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better patient outcomes. We welcome all applications, especially those from underrepresented communities, including people with a disability, and those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

The post holder will ensure that the CDOP process is effective, and will:

• chair CDOP meetings and ensure that all statutory requirements are met;
• take responsibility for co-ordinating meeting dates, panel agenda, the CDOP action plan, and the production of any required reports;
• ensure that new panel members, members invited to CDOP, and observers sign a Confidentiality Agreement;
• coordinate with a child death team/public health professional, in order to provide the CDOP with information about epidemiological and health surveillance data;
• assist CDOP in evaluating patterns and trends in relation to child deaths and in implementing public health prevention initiatives and programmes; and
• Prepare a six monthly and annual report summarising the activities of CDOP.