Dr. Lauren Harding: Meet The Skills & Development Coaches

I started my career as a nurse and completed a degree in children’s nursing before working in the community. I initially worked as a community staff nurse for health visiting and school nursing, before undertaking a postgraduate diploma to become a specialist community public health nurse (SCPHN). Safeguarding was an ever-present part of my job role, and I became involved in supporting the health needs of children and young people in the child protection system, and children who had been placed in care. This inspired me to apply for a scholarship to complete a PhD in safeguarding at Oxford Brookes University, where I completed a 4-year study looking at how community nurses undertake risk assessment in safeguarding. After my PhD, I moved abroad to Abu Dhabi to work on safeguarding and wellbeing projects for the Ministry of Education. In the second year of the COVID pandemic, I moved back home and returned to clinical practice, working out of COVID hubs and outreach centres. Coming into education has always been a goal of mine since becoming involved in teaching as part of my PhD. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and learning from others, and hope to inspire confident future leaders in safeguarding.

My knowledge and experience centres on the care and protection of vulnerable children and young people, both in the early stages of concerns being identified and when children have entered the child protection system. As a specialist community nurse I have been the first point of contact for safeguarding concerns, making assessments of risk and completing referrals. Part of my role was also to represent health at child protection conferences and lead on the creation of associated reports. This has given me first-hand experience of the common challenges and barriers front-line professionals can face in safeguarding work, such as managing stress, making quick decisions under pressure and sharing information at the right time, and in the right way. As a safeguarding researcher, I undertook in-depth study into child protection and risk assessment in particular. I still maintain an up-to-date overview of research updates to share with learners and encourage learners to develop their own skills of engaging with research. As safeguarding is an ever-changing landscape, it is a key skill to maintain current awareness of the risks our most vulnerable children and adults may face.

I take a person-centred approach to supporting learners through their apprenticeship journey. I always strive to understand their goals, both short and long term, to tailor any additional support and encourage them on their path to success. Coming from a health background, I have first hand experience of the challenges of undertaking study whilst working in a busy environment. I work hard with my learners to plan their time, create SMART goals and reasonable steps of consistent progress. It is always highly rewarding when a learner completes their programme, but equally to see their confidence grow as they progress through the apprenticeship and realise their goals. They often come towards the end of an apprenticeship with enthusiasm to share new knowledge and take on more of a leadership role within the remit of their work.