Job summaryThis nursing role within Sussex Community Foundation Trust (SCFT) Chailey Clinical Services (CCS) provides skilled nursing care to children and young people with complex health needs and physical disabilities across 24/7 services, including school and residential settings. Working in line with the NMC Code, the post holder will deliver specialist care to children attending Chailey Heritage Foundation School and Bluebells Short Breaks Service, promoting independence, wellbeing, and a valued lifestyle. The role supports the development and delivery of evidence-based practice in line with Trust policies and national standards, working closely with team leaders, clinical leads, and the multidisciplinary team. The post holder will collaborate with colleagues across SCFT, Chailey Heritage Foundation, external healthcare providers, and statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure coordinated, high-quality care. The post holder will also contribute to education by teaching, assessing competence, and supporting the supervision of registered and non-registered staff and students, completing mentorship training where required. They will safeguard and promote the welfare of children in accordance with the Children Act (1989 & 2004) and Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018).
Main duties of the job- Provide, receive and communicate complex, sensitive information relating to children and young people with complex health needs, disabilities and life-limiting/life-threatening conditions.
- Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, Clinical Leads, Team Leader and external agencies to deliver safe, holistic, evidence-based care.
- Promote partnership working through open communication with children, families, carers, schools and statutory/voluntary agencies.
- Listen empathetically, support health promotion and enable informed decision-making.
- Communicate complex information clearly to ensure safe, effective and continuous care.
- Recognise own limitations, seek guidance when required and escalate safeguarding or patient safety concerns.
- Attend and contribute to MDT meetings, assessments, reviews and care planning.
- Maintain accurate, timely documentation, including reports, care plans and emergency protocols.
- Deliver presentations and training, share relevant professional information and contribute to clinical governance, audit and research.
- Support staff recruitment and retention while promoting high standards of professional and clinical practice.
About usWe 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.
Job responsibilities- To deliver evidence-based skilled specialist nursing care according to the individual child or young persons health needs.
- To ensure all children & young people receive nursing care promoting a valued lifestyle and independence, ensuring their cultural and religious needs are met.
- To contribute to safe medicines management, providing nursing advice and troubleshooting for staff, including those within our partner organisation, Chailey Heritage Foundation.
- To provide education, training and support to non-registered and registered professionals, including student nurses and medical students.
- To be able to work rotas shift patterns and to be able to respond to stressful situations, manage time effectively, make adjustments and re-prioritise as required, using considerable mental effort on a daily basis.
- To deliver direct personal and intimate care to children & young people.
- To be proficient working in a variety of conditions including in school classrooms, outdoor areas and swimming pool.
- To be able to demonstrate negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.
- To support nursing staff in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating care for children & young people with complex health needs and their families, based on research and evidence of good practice.
- To respect each child or young person and their familys right to confidentiality.
- To develop skills and knowledge within the field of complex fluctuating health needs and physical disability, ensuring the relevant clinical skills required for management of safe nursing care are maintained.
- To work within a rota covering 24 hours, 52 week nursing care to the children & young people accessing Chailey Heritage Foundation School and its associated residential bungalows or the Bluebells Short Breaks Service. You may also be required to work in other 24 hour childrens services to support patient safety.
- To be the designated specialist link for staff for an identified area of specialist practice such as epilepsy, enteral feeding, bladder and bowel care, respiratory or tissue viability.
- You will work with the Matron, Clinical Specialist Lead Nurse, Team Leader and Clinical Leads to ensure staff are delivering specialist nursing care to the children & young people. The postholder will ensure staff are provided with up-to-date knowledge and skills around their specialist area of practice and nursing management of these children & young people.
- To be responsible for attending all statutory and mandatory training and ensuring you remain in date with all that is required.
- To be responsible for ensuring you attend regular clinical supervision and undertake your annual Personal Development Plan.
- To maintain your registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
- To be responsible for ensuring safe use of clinical and non-clinical equipment utilised whilst performing your role.
- To support the clinical supervision and education of team members, including student nurses and medical students in all areas of specialist clinical knowledge and skills.
- Participate in peer supervision and education sessions. To take the lead, develop and contribute to a specialist area of expertise within peer review and reflective practice as part of the nursing teams at CCS
- Deliver and actively support whole service delivery of excellent standards of nursing care and management practice.
- Assess and interpret altered health care needs of the children & young people. To be responsive in updating care plans accordingly.
- Work together with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to ensure the consistent delivery of safe high quality nursing care and management.
- Help implement and write clinical policies and standards; adhere to national standards, clinical policies and standard operating procedures, in line with SCFT requirements.
- Ensure health records are maintained and compliant with Trust policy and keep accurate, legible, contemporaneous records and written reports as required.
- Participate in report writing for both internal and external requirements aligned to the needs of the children & young people and the service.
- Respond and escalate and/or report any concerns re: child protection and adult safeguarding through the appropriate routes, in line with the Trust safeguarding policy and pan Sussex Procedures.
- Attend health reviews, organising a representative who knows the child or young person concerned to attend if you are unable to attend. Evaluate the effectiveness of care and in consultation with the MDT, to adjust where appropriate.
- Develop, implement and evaluate guidelines/teaching tools for children, young people, families, healthcare professionals and non-registered professionals
- Participate in nursing research and audit projects, as required.
- Liaise with statutory agencies regarding the nursing/health needs of the children and young people.
- To respond to incidents and report appropriately, in line with Trust policy.
- To work on other services managed by CCS as required, ensuring safe levels of nursing care.
Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential- NMC registered child nurse
- RN Learning Disability with relevant portfolio of evidence working with children and young people with complex health needs and physical disabilities/specialist clinical knowledge in enteral feeding & seizure management for Specialist Enteral Feeding/Nutrition or Epilepsy posts only
- RN Adult, RN Mental Health RN Learning Disability - with relevant portfolio of evidence for Futures Service
Desirable- Child physical assessment module level 3
- Portfolio of evidence demonstrating continued professional development, including evidence of reflective practice/education and training relevant to post/ clinical competency in specialist area.
- A recognised teaching and assessing qualification, 998 or Learning Through Mentorship
- Qualification / module or significant relevant experience within a specialist area (Epilepsy, Bladder & Bowel, Enteral Feeding, Tissue viability) and/or leadership qualification
ExperienceEssential- Experience of working with children & young people with complex fluctuating health needs and physical disability
- Significant experience in shift leadership and management
- Evidence of post registration professional development
- Evidence of a range of clinical competencies appropriate to the role.
- Experience of planning, managing and co-ordinating programmes of care in collaboration with other allied health professionals, social, education and volunteer agencies.
Desirable- Significant experience within an area of specialist nursing
- Experience of teaching/health promotion
SkillsEssential- Ability to identify an individual's needs and preferences.
- Act as a role model in promoting excellent standards of nursing care.
- Ability to care for children & young people with complex and fluctuating health needs and disabilities
- Able to present information, written and orally, in a clear and logical manner
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills - the ability to communicate and engage with staff, children, young people and families who may be experiencing difficult circumstances
- Knowledge of children and young adult safeguarding
Desirable- Time management and organisational skills
- Good presentation skills
- Competent IT skills
OtherEssential- Ability to travel to meet the needs of the service.
Desirable- Ability to work shifts including weekends and night duty.
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 SponsorshipApplications 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 (Apply through our website).UK RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (Apply through our website).Employer contact detailsSpecialist Nursing Team Lead, Lauren Mundy, L.mundy@nhs.net, 01825724732
