Special School Nurse

The post holder will work as a Special School Staff Nurse, supporting the delivery of healthcare to children and young people with medical conditions in Special Schools across Brighton & Hove and West Sussex, under the direction of Special School Nurses. Based primarily in the Brighton & Hove Hub, covering four schools, the role may require flexibility to work across other schools as needed.

They will work closely with Special School Nurses, Clinical Leads, Community Children\’s Nurses, Paediatricians, and other professionals to ensure safe, high-quality care. The role includes contributing to clinical teaching and supporting student supervision.

They will promote and safeguard the wellbeing of children in line with The Children Act (1989 & 2004) and Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013 & 2023).

Please refer to the full job description and person specification for further details.

Main duties of the job

Please refer to the job description and person specification attached to this vacancy for full details.

This is a permanent role for term time working.

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?o Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeingo Varied environments: community hospitals, patients\’ homes, and bases across Sussexo Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retiremento Excellent training, development, and research opportunitieso Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staffo Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brightono Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networkso Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust

Our values—Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence–guide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Job responsibilities

Work within level of competency to deliver quality nursing care, support, information and advice, for a supervised and / or delegated SSN caseload helping to ensure that appropriate resources are available to assist in providing this care.

Provide clinical childrens nursing and public health advice within the school setting.

Develop and implement care plans for children and young people with complex health needs and disability.

Work within level of competency to identify and provide child specific health care procedures training for school staff, including competency-based assessment where required.

Help develop, implement and review clinical protocols and standard operating procedures which assist in delivering safe care and best nursing practice.

Contribute to single and multiagency safeguarding of disabled children, young people and young adults.

Contribute and support the delivery of health promotion packages appropriate for a Special School setting and service delivery.

Ensure timely, concise and accurate documentation of care interventions, including telephone advice and support are documented and recorded.

Act as a resource and role model of special school nursing, to all other professionals and work colleagues.

Attends relevant education and training practice updates in tertiary centres and special interest groups both within the Trust, locally and nationally to help develop and contribute towards establishment of clinical practice standards.

Staff may be required to work anywhere in West Sussex and Brighton and Hove in order to meet the needs of the commissioned service.

Participate in clinical and safeguarding supervision as per Trust policy to sustain and develop practice.

Main responsibilities

Deliver and help within the Special School Nursing hub to help ensure the consistent delivery of safe quality nursing care for children and young people.

Continue personal, professional development to ensure competency in key SSN skills relevant to role.

Contribute to the School Health Care Plans and emergency care plans working alongside the designated Special School Nurse.

Advise on and where appropriate implement child/young person specific health education and promotion interventions.

Facilitate the health care teaching and learning of all staff in the school, students and any other staff during community placements.

Act as a role model to provide health care leadership and support to school staff

Deliver and help maintain high standard, safe, effective health care within the school setting

Contribute to Children and Young Peoples Community Nursing (CYPCN) Service and school audits, inspections and/or reviews as appropriate

Ensure electronic health records are maintained and compliant with Trust policy and keep accurate, contemporaneous records and written reports as required.

Assist the Head Teacher, Clinical & Team Lead, Safeguarding Team and Matrons / Senior Management Team in co-ordinating child protection processes in accordance with Trust policy and the Local Safeguarding Board (children and adults) procedures whilst supporting junior staff in understanding and exercising the Trust safeguarding policy and Sussex procedures

Maintain and help to analyse relevant service data which will demonstrate activity of the role/team and assist with identifying service needs and possible developments.

Regularly evaluate the clinical effectiveness of care and in consultation with Team Lead and Clinical Lead and senior management team, make adjustments where appropriate in order to make the best use of team and SCFT resources.

Support in the development, implementation, and evaluation of guidelines / teaching / competency assessment tools for use within the CYCPN service for care of identified health needs and promotion of well-being.

Participate in nursing research and audit projects pertinent to clinical practice in conjunction with CYPCN services standards, quality improvement and development forum.

Ensure when aware of clinical incidents in practice that these are reported via the correct channels and assist with the implementation of relevant recommendations.

Contribute to the development of health-related policies, procedures and guidelines ensuring they are evidenced base, to ensure pupil safety and safe delivery of care in the school setting.

Work collaboratively with professionals across the health economy in universal and specialist services and other agencies to ensure the needs of children and young people and families are met.

Implement and maintain the Trusts quality initiatives and assurance programmes as relevant.

Actively involved in the orientation, induction and preceptorship of junior staff.

Person Specification

Skills and knowledge

• Experience of a range of clinical competencies appropriate to the role e.g. enteral feeding, airway management, complex bowel and bladder management, tissue viability and pressure management, seizure management, recognition of the deteriorating child or willing to learn/achieve competence
• Proficient clinical assessment and care planning skills
• Able to recognise, take appropriate action and contribute to the child & adult protection process in order to safeguard children and young people
• Understanding or willing to learn of Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberties as it applies to children and young people.
• Broad knowledge of the developing child Working knowledge of relevant legislation and national guidelines
• Ability to communicate effectively complex and sensitive written and verbal information
• Ability to prioritise own workload and maintain quality care in times of pressure
• With support, ability to develop, implement and evaluate new working practices across education and health domains
• Ability to delegate skills appropriately including competency and capability assessment
• Working knowledge of IT and new technologies
• Ability to assess health care needs for children aged between 0-19 years
• Able to work collaboratively, with support, within a multi-disciplinary interagency team and liaise effectively with a wide range of stakeholders
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance
• Ability to organise and respond efficiently to complex and sensitive information
• Commitment to young person-centred care which supports choice and independence
• Commitment to ensuring the continued well-being and safety of the child/ young person at all times
• Ability to pass on skills/knowledge to others within both formal and informal environments
• Commitment to personal and team development
• Understanding of public health care including health screening and health promotion

Qualifications and/or professional registration

• Registered Nurse – Child or Learning Disability
• Current registration with NMC
• Module in mentorship, ENB 998 or equivalent Specialist Public Health School Nursing qualification.
• Current registration with the NMC Registered Nurse

Experience

• Experience of working in partnership with other agencies
• Relevant post registration experience in child health care
• Minimum of 1 year experience of Children\’s / Learning Disability nursing post registration (RNC)
• Experience of working with children who have complex health, disability and palliative care needs.
• Experience of planning, managing and helping co-ordinating programmes of care in collaboration with other allied health, social, education and volunteer agencies
• Able to teach/provide health promotion Experience of School / Community nursing

Other requirements

• Holds full driving license and has access to a car to meet the travel needs of the role
• Be aware of and prevent waste of resources within the service and the wider Trust
• Demonstrate a positive commitment to uphold equality and diversity policies, including the ability to role model dignity and respect for fundamental rights of disabled children.

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.

Includes the following special schools in the Chichester and Worthing area – Fordwater, Palatine, Oakgrove and Herons Dale

£31,049 to £37,796 a yearper-annum pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time,Term time hours

Reference number

Job locations

Includes the following special schools in the Chichester and Worthing area – Fordwater, Palatine, Oakgrove and Herons Dale

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