Specialist Children in Care Nurse
Job Description
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated Specialist Nurse for Children in Care to join Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, supporting children, young people and care leavers across Greenwich and Bexley.
Working with the Children in Care health team and key health, social care and education partners, the post holder will help improve outcomes by completing statutory and review health assessments, developing evidence-based care plans and providing expert clinical advice.
The role will support coordinated multi-agency care for children in care, care leavers and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, working closely with nursing, medical, social care, education, CAMHS, sexual health and voluntary sector colleagues.
You will also contribute to service development, policy and pathway implementation, clinical governance, audit, performance monitoring, health promotion and training.
We are seeking a skilled children's nurse with community experience, a strong understanding of safeguarding and statutory guidance, and excellent communication, leadership, organisational and partnership-working skills.
Main duties of the job
The Specialist Nurse for Children Looked After is a Band 7 role within Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, working across Greenwich and Bexley to improve health outcomes for children and young people in care.
The post holder will work collaboratively with health, social care, foster carers, schools and partner agencies to ensure children looked after receive high-quality, timely and evidence-based health assessments, care planning and support. The role includes completing statutory and review health assessments, developing health care plans, providing expert clinical advice, supporting safeguarding practice, and ensuring the voice of the child is captured.
Key responsibilities include managing a defined clinical caseload, supporting the implementation of national guidance and local procedures, contributing to service development, monitoring performance and KPIs, and identifying gaps in provision. The post holder will also provide leadership, training and supervision to colleagues and partners, promote best practice, support clinical audit and research, and contribute to policy and pathway development.
Overall, the role requires strong clinical expertise, leadership, communication and partnership-working skills, with a focus on improving physical, emotional and mental health outcomes for Children Looked After, care leavers and vulnerable young people.
About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
- We're Kind
- We're Fair
- We Listen
- We Care
Job responsibilities
Key duties include:
- Undertaking statutory and review health assessments for Children Looked After, including children with complex health needs.
- Developing, implementing and monitoring evidence-based health care plans that reflect the child or young persons needs.
- Managing a defined clinical caseload of Children Looked After, care leavers and relevant out-of-borough placements.
- Providing specialist clinical advice, consultation and support to health professionals, social care, foster carers, schools and partner agencies.
- Working collaboratively across health, social care and safeguarding teams to promote joined-up, multi-agency care.
- Acting as an advocate for children and young people, ensuring their voice is captured within assessments and care planning.
- Supporting and leading service development, including identifying gaps in provision and contributing to improved pathways, policies and procedures.
- Monitoring performance, activity and outcomes, including KPIs, contractual targets and quality standards.
- Contributing to clinical governance, including audit, research, standard setting and evidence-based practice.
- Providing education, training and supervision to staff, students, foster carers, social workers and partner organisations.
- Promoting physical, emotional and mental health, including health promotion initiatives and improving immunisation uptake.
- Maintaining accurate records and data systems in line with Trust policy and professional standards.
- Representing the service in meetings and supporting effective communication across agencies and professional networks.
Person Specification
Education
Essential
- RN or RSCN or Child Branch
- BSc Community Nursing or Public Health degree or equivalent. School Nursing/Health Visiting
- ENB 998 or Mentorship training / Practice Supervisor
Desirable
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
Experiencce
Essential
- Relevant experience of working with Children Looked After.
- Strong understanding of child protection and safeguarding issues.
Desirable
- Evidence of leading improvement in LAC services
Skills
Essential
- Be a car driver with use of a car for work purposes.
- Computer literate, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and RiO.
Leadership
Essential
- Experience of leadership within a Public Health or Community Nursing Service
Desirable
- Experience leading initiatives within a community setting.
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Acorns & High Point House
Queen Mary Hospital/ High Point House
DA14 6LT
United Kingdom
