Special School Nurse | Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Overview

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. This is a permanent role for term time working.

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?

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staff
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• 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.

Main tasks

• 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 children’s 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 People’s 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 service’s 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 Trust’s quality initiatives and assurance programmes as relevant.
• Actively involved in the orientation, induction and preceptorship of junior staff.

This advert closes on Thursday 25 Sep 2025