Specialist Community Public Health Nurse - School Nurse

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore, we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us.

The post holders will provide universal and targeted support within a defined skill mix team to deliver The Healthy Child Programme across the school aged population in Sefton. The post holder will work collaboratively with partner agencies across the spectrum of education, social care and non-statutory organisations. The successful candidates will hold case responsibility for identified cohorts of children and young people across the continuum of need. This is inclusive of children/young people in mainstream/alternate education, pupil referral units and elective home education.

Applicants must hold current NMC registration as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (School Health) - that is registered with the NMC.

Main duties of the job:

• To work in partnership with other statutory and voluntary organisations in the delivery of quality, integrated services to school age children, their parents and carers.
• To provide proactive and responsive services, delivered flexibly across a range of settings to meet service user need.
• To provide leadership within the team, acting as a positive role model for junior staff by demonstrating excellent standards of practice.
• To undertake a mentorship role to a range of students on placement within the service and as a preceptor in support of new staff members.

Working for our organisation:

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands. We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• Work with individuals, families, carers, communities, Primary Healthcare Teams and other agencies to undertake a comprehensive specialist assessment of patients/service users in order to inform a personalised plan of care/intervention.
• Manage clinical caseloads efficiently and effectively.
• Formulate and deliver an individual treatment programme using specialist assessment, reasoning and treatment skills based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and a range of treatment options.
• Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes using an accepted/appropriate range of techniques as required.
• To demonstrate the promotion of healthy lifestyle practices to the general public by the utilisation of teaching skills.
• Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including initiation of effective emergency care.
• Where indicated and following completion of the relevant training the practitioner will act as a non-medical prescriber, at all times working within their sphere of clinical practice.

MANAGERIAL / LEADERSHIP:

• To demonstrate leadership by means of delivering change within sphere of practice, when and where indicated, to improve service delivery.
• Contributing to Policy changes as appropriate.
• Influencing, motivating, supporting and enabling others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the healthy child programme.
• To provide specialist advice and guidance in working with colleagues locally to ensure best practice across all disciplines in the assessment, treatment and long term management of patient/clients within sphere of practice.
• The post holder will be expected to prioritise own workload and ensure effective time management strategies are embedded in own practice and that of others.
• To manage resources to ensure they relate to the overall objectives and responsibilities of the organisation.
• To train, supervise/case manage and performance manage staff and students in line with organisational policies.

CLINICAL:

• To be responsible for the specialist assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care using a high degree of autonomy and act as a named practitioner.
• To develop and demonstrate specialist clinical skills, utilising evidence based practice and value based care/intervention.
• To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out clinical duties, ensuring competence to use the equipment and that of other practitioners.
• Where the administration of drugs is a requirement, this should be undertaken in line with Trust Policies and Procedures and in following the NMC Guidelines for administration of Medicines Act 1992 and Misuse of Drugs Act 1991.
• To be proactive in providing advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of treatment and to ensure a consistent approach to patient/service user care/intervention.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT:

• To maintain own professional/personal development (CPD) by keeping up-to-date with current developments and incorporate them as appropriate into your work.
• To support junior staff/students with their learning and development.
• Ensure all mandatory training is accessed and kept up to date for self and junior staff.
• To develop and deliver specific training via presentations, staff meetings/tutorials.
• To participate in the supervision scheme as supervisee and supervisor/mentor demonstrating reflective practice.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE / RESEARCH AUDIT:

• To adhere to the appropriate Registrant Body code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and comply with local and national standards of practice.
• Support the formulation and implementation of clinical and operational practices and procedure as appropriate.
• Ensure the principles of Clinical Governance are incorporated in service delivery by maintaining a high quality service based on agreed clinical standards.
• Demonstrate an understanding of clinical governance and risk management and apply to own work situation to minimise risk of harm to patients/service users, staff & visitors.
• Undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures.
• Undertake research activity and assist in developing a research and evidence based culture within the Service.

COMMUNICATION:

• To be an effective communicator.
• Work collaboratively within the team and other stakeholders. This will include forms of verbal/written report writing, referrals to other agencies.
• To communicate complex sensitive information effectively with all patient groups/service users/carers where there may be difficulties in accepting or understanding information.
• To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients/service users and carers who may have difficulties understanding complex information.
• To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation in line with legal and departmental requirements and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.

Person specification:

• Qualifications: SCPHN (SN) Qualification registered with the NMC, Mentor/teaching qualification, or equivalent, or equivalent work based experience.
• Skills: Understanding of local and national influences on health care delivery, awareness of current trends in School Health practice, awareness of local and national Public Health agendas, evidence of ability to manage and prioritise within caseload, assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating individualised and school based programmes of care, demonstrate excellent Communication Skills – spoken, written and IT, understanding of skills required for team working, ability to motivate/negotiate with and influence others, understanding of teaching/education skills with junior staff, demonstrate the ability and skill required of a clinical leader to a team of staff, ability to travel, for work purposes, within the Mersey Care area.
• Experience: Actively involved in professional development, Nurse Immuniser (or willing to undertake training and practice), Clinical Governance and Risk Management, experience of research/audit/evaluation, evidence of ability to prioritise, evidence of ability to manage caseload, ability to motivate/negotiate with and influence others.
• Knowledge: Knowledge of Health Promotion and Education, knowledge of Health Needs Assessment, knowledge of Childhood Immunisation Programmes, knowledge of Child development, screening and assessments, knowledge of Child Safeguarding issues.