SCPHN School Nurse in Plymouth

24 hours per week - 9 Months - Maternity Leave Post

Are you a School Nurse who wants to make a difference in the lives of children, young people and their families across Plymouth? If so, then we need you to help us in the delivery of an innovative School Nursing Service within our Public Health Nursing 0-19 service.

Main duties of the job

• You will be a qualified School Nurse (SCPHN) with team leadership skills, looking for a diverse and exciting School Nursing post.
• You will be forward thinking, proactive, and committed to improving the health outcomes of children, families and communities.
• All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7-day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs. As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve. We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives. We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation. Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities.

Job responsibilities

• To work with individuals, families, schools and the community.
• To work in multi-agency partnerships, for example, Social care and other agencies.
• The wider SCPHN 0-19 team and Livewell Southwest, e.g. Public Health, Children and Families, Performance Management.
• The Primary Health Care Team.
• University Hospitals Plymouth departments, e.g. Paediatric Department; Neonatal Outreach, Emergency Department, Safeguarding Children's Office.
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
• Midwifery.
• Education departments, e.g. Plymouth University and Professional Training & Development Department.
• Schools, Nurseries and Children Centres.

Professional Duties & Responsibilities

• To practice the principles of Community Public Health Nursing as reflected in the wider definition described in the NMC competencies.
• Search for Health needs including surveillance and assessment.
• Stimulation of awareness of health needs including strategic leadership, promoting and protecting health.
• Influence on policies affecting health including developing quality and risk management, policy and strategic development.
• Facilitation of health-enhancing activities including developing services and programs working with and for communities and Schools.
• There are frequent requirements for concentration and the work pattern is unpredictable.
• Occasionally within the course of employment attendance to court may be required to give evidence.
• There is constant change management/process affecting community service delivery.
• There is exposure to highly distressing or highly emotional situations, some potentially dangerous situations in the community, e.g. Drug & Alcohol Misuse, Violence and clients displaying mental health symptoms.
• Specialist Community Public Health Nurses deal with highly emotionally charged clients to safeguard children.
• The frequency of exposure is variable.
• Specialist Community Public Health Nurses are expected to be flexible and adaptable working on independent bases to cover colleagues and service provision during sickness and study leave and utilising the resources available to them.
• They are easily accessible to the public, receive and cope with frequent interruptions throughout the day.
• During visits they may be required to work in unpleasant home environments, e.g. dirty, excrement, aggression.
• Likelihood of movement of base due to changing practice.
• To have specialist knowledge across the range of work procedures and practice underpinned by theoretical knowledge or relevant practical experience.
• To encourage the uptake of immunisations.
• To act as an advocate for clients, liaising with agencies within and outside the health service.
• To participate in and initiate multi-agency activities and meetings as required.
• To work in partnership with children, young people and families to identify health needs that promote and supports a healthy lifestyle.
• To take appropriate action in response to any deviation from the normal which may include referral to team members or other agencies.
• To identify children in need and respond in line with national and local requirements.
• To be the lead practitioner for families where there are identified child welfare concerns.
• To be responsible for managing, organising and promoting the needs of the caseload and neighbourhood public health.
• To take an innovative approach to practice in response to a changing service.
• To actively participate in Clinical and Professional Governance, team meetings by regular attendance, contributing to the content and agenda and provide evidence of participation.
• To be actively involved in the delivery of the NHS Public Health agenda as identified in the citywide Public Health Development Plan.
• To actively seek and promote client participation in planning delivery and evaluation of services.
• To be responsible for seeking to influence policy and strategic planning affecting service delivery.
• To take a leadership role as service delivery requires, e.g. specialist interest group, working parties.
• To ensure that equipment used during delivery of a School Nursing service is maintained appropriately.
• To participate in regular Clinical Supervision, Line Management, Appraisals and Caseload Supervision, as per Policies.
• To participate in the recruitment and selection process of prospective employees, e.g. SCPHN, Student SCPHN, Skill mix team members.
• To be a Line Manager to Band 2, 3, 4 and 5 as identified by the Team Manager.
• To provide staff with appraisals as per Livewell Southwest Policy.
• To be responsible for management of annual leave, study leave and sick leave of staff.
• To manage disciplinary issues and complaints following Livewell Southwest Protocols and procedures.
• To supervise and facilitate student placements as required.
• To contribute to Livewell Southwest requirements for data collection and sharing of information.
• To access annual appraisals, identify training needs and develop a continuing professional development plan.
• To facilitate and provide practice based teaching and training to colleagues and identify opportunities for knowledge sharing within other organisations.
• To have a professional responsibility to ensure that staff access the training as identified in their appraisal.
• To provide mentorship/preceptorship to newly qualified or appointed staff.
• To utilize the framework of Clinical Governance to learn from critical incidents and apply to practice.
• To ensure that skills in audit and research are maintained.
• To assist in Livewell Southwest research and audit, as required.
• To maintain a personal professional portfolio of continuing professional development as required by the NMC.
• Responsible for participating in audit and data entry thus demonstrating contribution to Livewell Southwest targets.
• To work within the clinical effectiveness framework using available evidence, research and audit to plan, implement and evaluate care.
• To attend in-service training required by the needs of the service and organisation.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Specialist Community Public Health Nurse Certificate, Diploma or Degree.
• NMC Registration.
• Registered Nurse Prescriber with current NMC registration.

Experience

• Experience of working with children, young people and families.
• Working with complex families.
• Demonstrate experience of working with child protection concerns.
• Able to work effectively in a multi agency arena.

Knowledge

• Demonstrate knowledge current health issues relating to children and families.
• Demonstrate knowledge in: Healthy Child Programme, Framework for Assessment, Child Protection.
• Evidence of research based practice.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• To have understanding of current Government Policies affecting living, culture/racism/disability.
• Knowledge of requirements of those children and families with complex needs.

Skills

• Ability to work effectively with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Self-manage time.
• Reliable, empathetic, approachable, understanding, non-judgmental and tolerant.
• Adaptable.
• Diplomatic and flexible.
• Team Player.
• Leadership.
• Able to lead and line manage a team of skill mix in delivering a service.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.