Nursing Services Manager in Edinburgh

George Watson’s College wishes to appoint a Nursing Services Manager to lead the School’s Nursing provision. The purpose of the role is to ensure that high quality medical and first aid care is provided to our pupils and that the nursing service operates to the standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct and scope of nurses professional practice at all times. The postholder will be an active Nurse in the service, alongside their leadership and management responsibilities.

Hours of work will be 36.25 hours per week, 47 weeks per year which represents term time working, a week of professional learning and a requirement to work for three weeks during school holiday periods. The salary for this position will be in the Grade 6 range which currently stands at £47,247 - £53,187 per annum based on 52 weeks per year, so the actual annual salary will be £42,704 - £48,072. A market pay supplement will be applied to ensure that the total salary matches the RCN scale 7.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply, please click the apply for this job button. Please include a letter of application of not more than 800 words giving us more information about you and why you would like the role, addressed to Mrs Louise Clarke, Head of Senior School.

Closing date: 11:59pm on 18 November 2026

Interviews are scheduled to take place in the week commencing 23 November 2026

Main Responsibilities:

• Leadership and Management: To lead the team of Nurses at George Watson’s College to ensure the service meets the needs of the pupils in accordance with the Scottish Government Guidelines. Manage the performance of the nurses in the team, ensuring that they fulfil their obligations for professional development and reregistration of the NMC. Working with Guidance teams and the Learning and Development Manager, develop and deliver a programme of training and learning for teachers, staff and pupils is developed and delivered by all nurses in the team. Manage a working rota ensuring all nurses work 60/40 ratio across each school and all have a good understanding and awareness of the whole school service. Ensure cover is in place for the provision across critical times, cover absence etc. Plan in advance the key milestones in the school year and ensure key tasks are delivered on time, e.g. preparation for new session, planned trips etc. Attend meetings with the Guidance, ASL, Psychologist and senior school teams (JSLT/SSLT) as required to share information about specific children and cascade important information as required to the wider nursing team. Ensures medical supplies stock control and rotation and timely ordering within the departmental budget. To design a system to collect customer data which is then analysed in order to inform the school management teams of issues and plans for the future. Develop a relationship with an appropriate external clinical practitioner to provide support as required.
• Nursing Services: Facilitate safe, evidence based, cost effective, and individualised care for pupils, staff and visitors to the School through robust, high-quality clinical assessments and interventions. To provide on-going nursing support, advice, guidance and information to all key stakeholders (i.e. pupils, staff, visitors, parents/families) covering a range of clinical needs, including both physical and mental health conditions and concerns, in order to promote resilience (e.g. minor ailments, complex and/or chronic medical conditions, infectious diseases, sexual health, stress etc). To facilitate and support all necessary health screening requirements for the School (e.g. risk assessments for trips etc). To provide support in relation to rehabilitation from injury or illness, covering individual needs and the management of various return to school sport and post-concussion protocols. To provide support to Wraparound Care activities, i.e. Holiday Club and After School Club.
• First Aid, Incident and Accident Management: Provides First Aid and emergency care and treatment including all initial health care support for the effective management of injuries, accidents or critical incidents, liaising with emergency services, staff, parents and pupils, as required. Where possible, this includes providing First Aid support for sport fixtures during the working week. To complete all appropriate/associated paperwork to ensure a clear audit trail, as well as health and safety and legal compliance (e.g. RIDDOR, near misses etc). To provide support, guidance and advice to other in-house First Aiders, and ensure systems are updated and pastoral records are completed. To attend as required, key trips out of school which could be day trips or residential with the purpose of providing health care where we have pupils attending who are considered ‘high risk’ or the location or activity is considered ‘high risk’.
• Immunisation Programme and Health Assessments: To facilitate the agreed NHS immunisation programmes in School, assist with the planning, preparation and screening of pupils for the programmes, collaborative working with the NHS Community Vaccination Team, and maintenance of associated clinical protocols. Complete Junior School Health Assessments, organise the School Nurses who document, measure and calculate percentiles.
• Policies/Procedures and Governance: Develops and initiates the review of key policies as required, ensuring all the nursing team and wider stakeholders are consulted where necessary and are trained in the implementation thereof. Ensures policy adheres to the School ethos, legal and medical requirements, and current clinical best practice. Ensure necessary systems are in place for on-going compliance (e.g. emergency response protocols, risk assessments, effective and safe medicine management, consent management, staff training, infection control procedures, etc). Develops standard operating procedures for the whole provision, ensuring all nurses are trained in their use and manages compliance against standards and competency frameworks.
• Departmental Support Services: To provide a range of clinical support services for departments across the School. Specific tasks and support requirements are wide and varied, e.g. provision of First Aid kits and spills packs partnership working with teaching staff training staff in the use of allergy/adrenaline pens, defibrillators support to Additional Support for Learning, regarding clinical and practical support for pupils under their care health care advice and information for school trips, attending trips where required working with the Health and Safety Manager in support of clinical aspects of risk assessments providing general health care support, advice, guidance and information Support the Child Planning/GIRFEC process by attending termly meetings as required (JS and SS). Attend termly Health and Safety Committee.
• Administration and Management of Health Information: Gathers essential health information from parents for their children, analyses the returns and transfers essential data to create the pupil medical record. Ensures accurate completion and maintenance of all documentation and medical records (electronic and paper) and raises any process improvements that are required. Ensures all data handling and storage complies with GDPR.

Ideal Candidate:

Essential Criteria:

• RGN/RN Qualified or hold a degree in a relevant Nursing qualification.
• Current Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• Experience of managing a team, including recruitment, selection, training and development and performance management of colleagues.
• Considerable previous experience in a nursing environment.
• Demonstrable experience of evaluating the safety and effectiveness of own practice and professional development.
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively as part of a nursing team.
• Excellent time management skills, with the ability to demonstrate previous, effective prioritisation of a complex workload.
• Demonstrable understanding of the accountability arising from the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.
• Demonstrable understanding of Child Protection regulations and requirements.
• Excellent, concise, oral and written communication skills, demonstrating the highest levels of sensitivity, diplomacy and confidentiality.
• Ability to use Microsoft packages/IT skills to successfully manage administration and support effective communication pathways.
• Ability to identify personal and professional limitations of self and in doing so: work within the scope of practice value the individual work in a professional manner.
• Operate with empathy, compassion, transparency, integrity, commitment, confidentiality, flexibility, attention to detail, sound interpersonal skills, fairness, confidentiality, communication skills (active listening), non judgemental approach, patience.

Desirable Criteria:

• Specialist relevant nursing qualification (e.g. RSCN/RMN).
• Previous experience working in paediatric nursing.
• Previous experience working in a school environment.

Package Description:

Location: George Watson’s College, Edinburgh

Contract Type: Permanent. 36.25 hour per week, 47 weeks per year

Benefits: Membership of the Galleon Club (the school’s fitness club) and access to a wide range of employee benefits.