Children's Epilepsy Nurse Specialist

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Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.

Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.

We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.

You’ll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.

The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.

We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.

We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.

We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.

Join us and you’ll do the best work of your life – and make a difference to other people’s lives. What we do together, matters.

Job overview

The post holder will provide specialist nursing expertise in the assessment, management and ongoing care of children and young people with epilepsy, holding responsibility and accountability for a defined caseload.

They will undertake comprehensive clinical assessments, develop and implement individualised care plans, and coordinate care across acute, community, primary care and multi-agency services to ensure seamless, high-quality care. Working in partnership with children, young people, families and carers, the post holder will provide holistic support that promotes independence, wellbeing and quality of life.

Acting as a specialist resource within the multidisciplinary team, they will offer expert clinical advice, education and support to professionals across health, education and social care settings. The role requires the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information with empathy and compassion, empowering children, young people and their families to make informed decisions regarding their care.

The post holder will recognise and respond to the cultural needs of children and families, ensuring equitable and person-centred care, and when appropriate will act as a key worker in line with relevant national and local frameworks and guidance.

Main duties of the job

The Epilepsy Specialist Nurse is responsible for providing expert assessment, care coordination and clinical management for children and young people with epilepsy across the community setting. The post holder manages a specialist caseload, undertakes comprehensive assessments, develops and implements individualised care plans.

The role provides specialist advice, education and support to children, young people, families, carers and professionals, promoting effective seizure management, medication adherence, health promotion and self-management. The post holder works closely with acute, community, primary, secondary and tertiary services.

The post holder participates in consultant-led and nurse-led clinics, provides specialist epilepsy advice, supports complex decision-making, communicates sensitive information with compassion, and contributes to safeguarding care as required. The role also includes leadership responsibilities through the supervision and line management of junior staff, mentorship of students and healthcare professionals, and the delivery of training and education programmes.

In addition, the post holder contributes to service development, clinical governance, audit and quality improvement activities, ensuring practice is evidence-based, compliant with professional and Trust standards, and aligned with national guidance and best practice for epilepsy care.

Working for our organisation

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.
• Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
• Season ticket loans are interest‑free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical and Professional

1.Uses key skills of assessment, interpretation and analysis of findings, utilising clinical expertise and judgement to prevent inappropriate hospital admissions and promote effective hospital discharge planning wherever possible. Provide and co‑ordinate support to children and young people with epilepsy, implementing health promotion as appropriate. Teach children and young people, families and carers to competently carry out specific nursing care and procedures as required.

2.Plans, develops, co‑ordinates and manages service provision for children and young people with epilepsy.

3.Assesses patients, plans and implements appropriate models of care, provides specialist advice to schools, universal services and voluntary organisations, and maintains contemporaneous and accurate records.

4.Works as a key member of multidisciplinary and multi‑agency teams, leading and promoting care to ensure a seamless service across acute and community settings.

5.Is competent in performing advanced clinical nursing skills appropriate to the caseload, including, participating in joint consultant‑led and nurse‑led clinics to support children and young people with epilepsy. Using clinic‑based tools for the assessment, diagnosis and management of children and young people with epilepsy. Providing direct and telephone advice to children, young people, parents and carers regarding seizure control and management. Liaising, where appropriate, with primary, secondary and tertiary care services regarding neurological and neurosurgical management.

6.Liaises with epilepsy management support structures at Southend Hospital and across the region and supports the implementation of NICE guidance to improve the care of children and young people with epilepsy and their families. Supports the development of medication management protocols.Develops training materials and provides education for children, young people, parents, carers, and health, education and social care staff in seizure prevention and management. Leads on the transition of children and young people from paediatric to adult neurology services in partnership with the named consultant.

7.Effectively communicates complex and sensitive information to children, families and carers, including supporting diagnosis, breaking bad news, palliative care and bereavement.

8.Supports palliative care and provides symptom management in end‑of‑life care, advising and guiding other professionals as required.

9.Adheres to Trust child protection procedures and policies, taking a lead role when working with children and young people in the safeguarding arena. Provides informative and accurate reports, ensuring the lived experience of the child or young person is clearly represented.

10.Provides line management and professional support to Band 6 staff within the team, as required by the Lead Nurse.

11.Leads and participates in clinical audit and the development of procedures and protocols relating to epilepsy management, medications and epilepsy devices, and disseminates research findings as appropriate.

12.Maintains a non‑judgemental approach when working within the home environment and in all aspects of practice, regardless of circumstances.

Education and Training

1.Contributes to the development and implementation of training programmes, protocols, procedures and care pathways within Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and across South East Essex.

2.Provides up‑to‑date education and expert advice to the multidisciplinary team and works collaboratively with colleagues across services.

3.Attends and participates in induction, mandatory training and other study days as identified.

4. Maintains and develops own professional knowledge and competence in accordance with NMC requirements.

5.Keeps up to date with developments in epilepsy care, treatment and epilepsy surgery.

6.Acts as a mentor, assessor or supervisor for pre‑registration and post‑registration nursing and medical staff, as appropriate.

7.Supports the development of resource materials relating to the care and management of children and young people with epilepsy.

8.Teaches children and young people, relatives and carers about their condition, treatment options and self‑management strategies.

Clinical Governance and Audit

1.Accountable for practising in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

2.Receives clinical and safeguarding supervision in accordance with Trust policies and professional standards.

3.Actively participates in peer review and audit of clinical practice.

4.Promotes and undertakes clinical audit activities, including the Epilepsy12 Audit, and works collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to ensure service delivery meets national standards and best practice tariffs.

5.Ensures clinical practice is informed by robust research evidence and actively promotes and supports innovation and new ways of working to improve patient outcomes.

6.Contributes to the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, procedures and clinical guidelines relevant to epilepsy care.

7.Participates in incident reporting, risk management and the investigation of complaints as required, supporting a culture of continuous quality improvement and patient safety.

8.Maintains accurate, timely and legally compliant clinical records in accordance with Trust policies and professional standards.

9.Attends and completes all mandatory training in accordance with Trust policy and maintains statutory and mandatory training compliance.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered Children's Nurse (RNC/RSCN) or First Level Registered Nurse with significant children's services experience.
• Current NMC Registration.
• Evidence of recent clinical practice in Paediatric Epilepsy Nursing.
• Management/Leadership Training
• Advanced communication training
• Clinical assessment skills

Knowledge

• Several years post qualification with significant experience within the speciality of epilepsy
• Working knowledge of current polices/documents relating to best practice for children and young people with epilepsy
• Extensive knowledge and awareness of safeguarding children and child protection procedures, specifically for children and young people with epilepsy.
• Ability to be creative and innovative to meet demands on the epilepsy service

Skills

• Experienced managing a defined caseload and having the ability to work under pressure to manage workload and meet deadlines
• Experience of delivering training to professionals and families
• Experienced in writing, implementing and evaluating treatment plans
• Ability to undertake risk assessments
• Literate in IT/Computer Skills
• Experience of audit/research
• Experience of developing a service
• Experience as a team lead/manager

Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.
Important note: please ensure that as part of your application, you include professional references with business contact information covering your last three years of employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee, you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post; the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email epunft.recruitment.adverts@nhs.net and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Important Notice: Recently the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which amended on 22 July 2021 and come into force on 11 November 2021 that anyone directly employed to work in a Care Home or who are required as part of their role to be deployed to a CQC registered care home are required to have had both their COVID vaccinations, unless they are exempt. This is therefore a requirement of this role and will form part of our pre‑employment checks.

Please note -staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered ‘suitable alternative employment’ to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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