South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust successfully held our first annual safeguarding conference on Monday 11 March at Hardwick Hall Hotel in Durham.
It examined recent case studies, showcased best practice and offered opportunities for healthcare staff to enhance their professional curiosity.
The conference was kicked off with an engaging session from Hilary Lloyd, chief nurse at South Tees Hospitals, and Lindsey Robertson, chief nurse and director of patient safety and quality at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
Throughout the day, various speakers from both trusts and external organisations contributed to the conference with their expert presentations and insightful talks.
They examined the various risks of exploitation, including current local and national trends and heard how life looks for vulnerable victims.
Moreover, the pioneering conference also discussed ways to build and maintain how to maintain resilience when working in increasingly challenging environments and improving engagement and outcomes for the patients we serve.
Jenny Duthie, adult specialist nurse at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, added:
It was a really great day. It was fantastic to see so many people taking part and all the discussions happening around the tables. The presentations and the speakers were unreal – really though-provoking and even as a practitioner I learned so much that I didn’t know.
“I actually received a phone call just yesterday from a colleague at the trust about a significant safeguarding case. He told me that without the conference he doesn’t think he would have had the confident to know what to do – which was fantastic to hear.”
Lindsay Britton-Robertson, assistant director of nursing – safeguarding at South Tees Hospitals, said: “We have got so much more complex cases, especially since Covid-19.
“In our Middlesbrough area, we’ve got loads of young people who are being criminally and sexually exploited.
“So being able to equip our staff with all of the different strands of safeguarding feels really challenging at times, but we hope we are delivering the key messages and are visible.”
The conference was concluded with closing remarks delivered by Hilary Lloyd and Lindsey Roberston, who thanked everyone for making the event a huge success.