Overview
The post holder will provide cover for schools within the locality from Shoreham-by-Sea to Chichester. They will work as a Specialist School Nurse across the Special School Nursing portfolio, ensuring arrangements are in place to support children with medical conditions.
They will provide clinical and public health nursing to children and young people in the special school setting, partnering with Community Paediatricians and other health professionals to deliver high‑quality care. The post holder acts as an advisor within the children's community nursing team for training in mainstream schools, liaising with clinical experts for specialist knowledge, skills and leadership.
They will protect, safeguard and promote the wellbeing of children in accordance with the Children Act (1989 & 2004) and Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013).
Responsibilities
* Provide clinical children’s nursing and public health advice within the school setting.
* Develop and implement care plans for children and young people with complex health needs and disability.
* Identify and provide child‑specific health care procedures training for school staff, including competency‑based assessment where required.
* Use professional knowledge to provide evidence‑based practice.
* Contribute to single and multi‑agency safeguarding of disabled children, young people and young adults.
* Make a positive contribution towards the development and implementation of child health improvement programmes.
* Demonstrate highly skilled and innovative practice and support new ways of working.
* Demonstrate robust assessment skills and recognise the timely need for appropriate action and onward referral and involvement of other agencies.
* Initiate and provide health promotion packages appropriate for a Special School setting.
* Support education staff in providing health promotion.
* Promote best practice and act as a change agent by motivating and developing staff.
* Contribute to the development and review of clinical policies and guidelines.
* Participate in the recruitment and selection process of new staff as required.
* Provide nursing support to multi-disciplinary clinics (e.g., nutrition/enteral feeding).
* Contribute to the School Health Care Plans and emergency care plans.
* Advise on and, where appropriate, implement child‑specific health education and promotion interventions.
* Facilitate the health care teaching and learning of staff, students and other staff during community placements.
* Act as a role model to provide health care leadership and support to school staff.
* Deliver and help maintain excellent health care and practice standards within the school setting and children’s community nursing team; reviewing where needed.
* Contribute to children’s/young people’s community nursing service and school inspections and/or reviews as appropriate.
* Ensure health records are maintained and compliant with Trust policy; keep accurate, legible, contemporaneous records and written reports as required.
* Assist the Head Teacher, Team Lead, Safeguarding Team and Head of CCN Service in coordinating child protection processes in accordance with Trust policy and the Local Safeguarding Board (children and adults) procedures; support junior staff in understanding and exercising the Trust safeguarding policy and Sussex procedures.
* Maintain and assist in analysing relevant service data to demonstrate activity of the role/team and identify service needs and possible developments.
* Regularly evaluate the clinical effectiveness of care and, in consultation with Team Lead and senior nurses in the wider CCN service and Community Paediatrician, make adjustments where appropriate to make the best use of team and SCT resources.
* Develop, implement, and evaluate guidelines/teaching tools for children/families/colleagues, healthcare professionals for use within the CCN service for care of identified health needs and promotion of wellbeing.
* Ensure when aware of clinical incidents in practice that these are reported via the correct channels and assist with the implementation of relevant recommendations.
* Initiate and influence the development of health‑related policies, procedures and guidelines ensuring they are evidence‑based, to ensure pupil safety and safe delivery of care in the school setting.
* Work collaboratively with professionals across the health economy in universal and specialist services and other agencies to ensure the needs of children and families are met.
* Implement and maintain the Trust’s quality initiatives and assurance programmes as relevant.
* Actively involved in the orientation, induction, preceptorship and supervision of junior staff.
Additional Information
This advert closes on Thursday 26 Mar 2026.
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