Pauline Lambert is the first line of defence in the battle to prevent a repeat of the John Smith and Maria Colwell child abuse scandals.

Maria and John lived in different decades but their short lives are forever linked in the public's memory.

Both were victims of horrific cruelty at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them.

Simon and Michelle McWilliam, John's prospective adoptive parents from Portslade, were each jailed for eight years on cruelty charges at Lewes Crown Court in 2001. The child had suffered 54 injuries, including bite marks.

As the law stands, they could not face a murder charge because it could not be proved who inflicted the fatal injuries.

Seven-year-old Maria was battered to death by her stepfather on Brighton's Whitehawk estate in January 1973.

The two cases span nearly 30 years but show that there are still serious failings in the system.

And that need for extra protection for youngsters in the city has led to the appointment of a new Community Nurse Consultant in Child Protection.

Pauline Lambert is employed by South Downs Health NHS Trust and has wide experience as a nurse and health visitor.

She leads a team of eight nurses and health visitors in the city, which includes a nurse consultant for children in care employed by South Downs Health and a nurse consultant for child protection at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

The idea is to intervene at an early stage when the team suspects neglect and to educate parents or guardians before informing social services. If the cases are so serious that urgent action is needed, however, then the relevant authorities will be notified immediately.

Mrs Lambert said: "There is a very strong commitment to child protection in this area and I want to make sure it remains at the top of everyone's agenda.

"There is a high level of need in the city and it is important we work with communities, helping people to understand what they can do and how they can help keep children safe. It is not just about professionals working alone."

Nurse consultant posts are a Government initiative to give an increased focus on the most important aspects of care.

The key areas of their work include providing leadership, developing clinical practice, research and influencing education and training.

Mrs Lambert worked as a nurse for 15 years and as a health visitor for five. She has worked in senior nurse roles that have included increasing levels of child protection responsibility.

She is working on a research degree with support from the University of Brighton and is married with two children.

She said: "I see it as really positive that this level of investment is being made in child protection services.

"It is easy to be defensive but our challenge for the future is to learn lessons from the past and use that experience to really engage with local people and keep children safe.

"Our main focus is on prevention. What we are trying to do is speak to and work with families right from the start and as effectively as possible.

"We have to work out what is best for the children.

"Sometimes we may have to make difficult decisions, which may involve referrals to other agencies such as social services, the police or the education authority.

"If there are real significant cases of concern, then that may lead to legal proceedings, which is what social services are more involved with.

"We are also planning to work closely with initiatives such as Sure Start, trying to get people to think about how they care for their children or who they can go to if they are finding it difficult to cope."

Mrs Lambert will be working with health visitors and school nurses. If they have any concerns about a child they see in the course of their job, those concerns can be referred to the community team.

She will also be working on education and research.

If a campaign to raise the profile about the dangers of shaking babies is launched, then Mrs Lambert and the team will support it and try to get the message across locally.

She said: "It is important to stress that I do not work alone. The team works with the city council, the primary care trust, the police, the hospital and with the public.

"Tragedies still happen. We need to learn from what has happened and continue to work and look to the future. We must carry on to get it right."