Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Staff Nurse/Key Worker

The closing date is 25 November 2026

Job summary
To work as the key nurse, ensuring the delivery of a high standard of family centred assessment and treatment plans as agreed with the multidisciplinary team on a day-to-day basis through participation in and the provision of, aspects of a wide range of therapeutic approaches and activities within the inpatient and community setting. To support the day-to-day organisational planning and operational management of aspects of the Unit, including managing ad hoc shifts or defined areas of a shift as requested by the senior nurse.

Main duties of the job

• Using a range of clinical skills, to assist and at times autonomously lead on assessment and treatment care needs, within a risk assessment framework for children and their families admitted to the Unit.
• To assist in the planning, implementation and evaluation of family centred nursing care and management plans as agreed with the core team.
• To support the delivery of a range of daily individual and group structures to promote the therapeutic milieu of the Unit. This includes providing agreed activity groups and individual activities.
• To observe, communicate and at times, co work with senior multidisciplinary team members, in the provision of a range of therapeutic approaches on an individual, group or family basis.

About us
As one of Europe's biggest and busiest children's hospitals, at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, we treat everything from common illnesses to highly complex and specialist conditions. In addition to our main hospital site, we offer paediatric services at a number of community sites and hold local clinics across Merseyside, Cumbria, Shropshire, Wales and the Isle of Man. We also provide specialist inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs in our recently relocated and newly opened state of the art facility.

Alder Hey has a thriving research portfolio and leads research into children's medicines, infection, inflammation and oncology. We are becoming recognised as one of the world's leaders in children's healthcare and research. We contribute to public health, lead cutting-edge research and teach the next generation of children's specialists. Alongside this is our Innovation Hub, a dedicated space where clinicians and industries can come together to create new products and technologies.

We know that a children's hospital is different and that our job is more than just treating an illness. To us, every child is an individual. As well as giving them the very best care, we set out to make them feel happy, safe and confident as they play, learn and grow. At Alder Hey we are here to look after a child and their family and that includes mums, dads, brothers and sisters.

Details
Date posted: 11 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year, per annum
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 411-NEI-26-8424816
Job location: Sunflower House, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities

• Using a range of clinical skills, to assist and at times autonomously lead on assessment and treatment care needs, within a risk assessment framework for children and their families admitted to the Unit.
• To assist in the planning, implementation and evaluation of family centred nursing care and management plans as agreed with the core team.
• To support the delivery of a range of daily individual and group structures to promote the therapeutic milieu of the Unit. This includes providing agreed activity groups and individual activities.
• To observe, communicate and at times, co work with senior multidisciplinary team members, in the provision of a range of therapeutic approaches on an individual, group or family basis.
• To provide high quality clear written and verbal accounts of the child's stay in relation to the defined care and management plans.
• To contribute to evidence-based clinical nursing reports, for parents and multidisciplinary professionals as agreed with the core team.
• To actively access and participate in the unit supervision and support process and in line with development, to provide on a shift by shift basis, the same to newly qualified/appointed nurse, support worker and student nurse staff.
• To follow and inform the development of policies and protocols to support evidence based clinical practice.
• Proactively manage telephone calls; many may be of a sensitive nature from patients/parents/carers or from other healthcare professions, all of which require a high level of patient confidentiality and sensitivity.
• Responsibility for providing accurate, up to date, clinical advice relating to queries into the department.

Person Specification
Qualifications

• Essential: Registered RMN or RNLD or RSCN (with experience in CAMH through placements)
• Desirable: Completed preceptorship

Experience

• Essential: Placements or direct working within a MH or LD setting; Organising own duties and prioritise tasks within a busy team environment; Working within a multi-disciplinary team; Actively participating in mentoring/supervision processes
• Desirable: Experience within the field of CAMH; Inpatient provision of care; Risk assessment and management tools/processes

Knowledge

• Essential: LD/MH presentations; Team working (reasons for); Supervision and support systems (reason for); Risk assessment and management (reasons for); Evidence based practice
• Desirable: Child/adolescent mental health problems and approaches to assessment and treatment

Skills

• Essential: Excellent communication skills when providing or receiving complex or sensitive information; Excellent observational skills to support safe and effective care and treatment; Ability to adopt a flexible approach when required by the needs of the service; Ability to coordinate and prioritise workload and meet deadlines
• Desirable: Understanding of the therapeutic milieu; Individual and group activities

Training & Development

• Essential: Identify own training and development needs; Participate in training and development sessions; Read and identify evidence-based practice
• Desirable: Provide aspects of training and development processes to other new staff/students; Participate in research/audit

Managerial

• Essential: Effective/efficient time management skills; Conflict management skills; Approaches to promote a safe, healthy and therapeutic environment
• Desirable: Staff organisation skills; Skills in providing daily structures/activities; Monitoring and supervision skills for working with support workers and student nurses

Personal Attributes

• Essential: Capacity to listen and act in a caring manner towards patients, relatives and visitors, especially where there are barriers to understanding; Ability to demonstrate excellent leadership skills, including leading change, empowering others and holding people to account.

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. 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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Sunflower House, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://alderhey.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Ward Manager Jessica Syed, Jessica.Syed@alderhey.nhs.uk

Applications are welcome from all, in line with the Trust's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.