Safeguarding Officer - Principal in Dublin

About the Role

Safeguarding Officer - Principal
Dublin, Ireland

Full time, Permanent

Saint John of God University Hospital is a leading provider of compassionate, person-centred mental health care in Ireland. As an acute university teaching hospital, we offer a full continuum of mental health services through both inpatient and outpatient programmes. Our expert multidisciplinary teams support individuals experiencing conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and psychosis.

We also deliver specialist programmes in areas including Eating Disorders, Addiction, Psychiatry of Later Life, and Adolescent Mental Health, alongside unique services. Our care is grounded in our core values of hospitality, compassion, and respect, with a strong emphasis on dignity, recovery, and personalised care pathways.

As an affiliated of University College Dublin, we also collaborate with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, and the University of Limerick, we are committed to training the next generation of healthcare professionals and advancing clinical research to improve patient outcomes. As a Mental Health Commission-approved centre under the Mental Health Act 2001, we maintain the highest standards of clinical excellence and governance.

With 180 inpatient beds and a growing portfolio of innovative outpatient services, we accept referrals nationally and internationally. Our aim is to be a centre of hope and recovery for individuals and families across all stages of mental health.

As an integral member of the Social Work Team, this role is crucial in ensuring the effective implementation of safeguarding policies and procedures, providing advice and support to hospital staff, and overseeing compliance with relevant safeguarding legislation, national guidance and organisational policy and procedures.

This is a full-time position. The person appointed will hold a part time case load in addition to their Safeguarding Officer responsibilities.

The person appointed will be answerable to the Head of the Social Work Department and will carry out duties as assigned by the Head of the Social Work Department.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support hospital staff adherence to the hospitals safeguarding policy as approved by the hospital management team, national legislation and guidance
• Collaborate with the Head of the Social Work Department, Safeguarding and Protection Committee and Sexual Safety Committee to review and update hospital policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with current legislation, national guidance and best practices.
• Collaborate with the Head of the Social Work Department, and with the Safeguarding and Protection Committee and Sexual Safety Committee as required to review and update internal reporting procedures and protocols to ensure they are in line with best practice.
• Act as Designated Liaison Persons/Designated Officer, offering case-specific advice while supporting staff to ensure that all reporting obligations are met.
• Review internal safeguarding concerns reports and provide support and advice to hospital staff and Multi-Disciplinary Teams to develop, implement and review safety plans.
• Conduct Preliminary Screenings as required.
• Report to Hospital Management, Line Manager, Safeguarding and Protection Committee and Risk Committee on Safeguarding trends as required.
• Conduct appropriate Safeguarding Audits
• Promote a positive safeguarding culture in the organisation.
• Provide safeguarding training for staff at induction and at other times as required.
• To actively engage with professional supervision provided by the Head of the Social Work Department.
• To provide a professional social work service at senior level to the attending patient population, family and relevant others in an LGBT+ inclusive, non-discriminatory manner.
• Report to Head of Social Work Department
• To conduct psychosocial assessments, paying particular attention to factors impacting on risk, illness, treatment, recovery and the maintenance of wellbeing.
• To contribute to appropriate meetings and participate on committees as assigned.
• To work with specialist multidisciplinary treatment teams as assigned by the Head of the Social Work Department.
• To actively engage with professional supervision provided by a designated the Head of Department.
• To fully participate in the working of the Social Work Department as directed by the Head of Department or designate including attendance at departmental meetings, participation in clinical audit and research projects and attendance at both in-house and external training as relevant.
• To keep up to date with best practice standards and with all national legal and guidance developments and uphold the code of ethics of professional social work practice.
• To comply with hospital policies and procedures, maintain professional Social Work records to the highest professional standards and in line with Hospital Policy.
• To maintain Registration with CORU and meet CORU CPD requirements.

Requirements

Essential Criteria:

• CORU registered professionally qualified Social Worker
• Minimum 5 years Social Work Experience
• A good working knowledge of all aspects of safeguarding including types of abuse; risk assessment and management; the impact of abuse on adults and children; offender behaviour; dynamics of abuse, including institutional abuse.
• Experience of working in both adult safeguarding and child welfare and protection, including handling allegations, complaints and serious incidents.
• Experience of working in the area of adult mental illness.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of working in safeguarding in the field of Mental Illness.
• Experience of working with Multi Disciplinary Teams
• Experience of working in a hospital environment

Details

Closing date: 22 Oct 2026 4:30 PM