Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Clinical Lead, Specialist School Nursing and Epilepsy
Closing date is 02 December 2025
Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (EPUT) are seeking to recruit a Clinical Lead for the Specialist School Nursing and Children's Epilepsy Services. You will join an existing team of highly motivated and experienced Specialist School Nurses, two Epilepsy Nurse Specialists, Specialist School Nurse Assistants and 2 Associate Practitioners who provide a respite service to our most complex children. The Clinical Lead is required to travel across South East Essex.
We are looking for a highly skilled paediatric nurse to support the team. You will need to be flexible and dynamic to meet the increasing demands on the services to support children and young people with disabilities and complex long term health needs to access education and achieve their best outcomes.
You will require exceptional communication, organisational and team leadership qualities to work as part of the multi-disciplinary team, ensuring the team are providing safe, effective and high-quality services to children and families, using evidence based practice to ensure all care is child centred and family focused.
You will be a champion for SEND, driving the SEND agenda operationally across the MSE community footprint to ensure outcomes are improved for children and young people with SEND.
You must have exceptional communication and negotiating skills, experience of working across multi-disciplinary team/stakeholders and an in depth understanding of supporting a team with complex safeguarding concerns.
Main duties of the job
Clinical lead and responsibility for delivering specialist clinical paediatric nursing care, promoting development, knowledge and expertise in the care and management of children and young people with complex health needs within special educational needs settings
Clinical lead for paediatric epilepsy nursing service, supporting the epilepsy nurse in delivery and training in various settings across South East Essex
Clinical lead for children's respite service.
Provide leadership and be a source of clinical expertise on SEND for partner organisations, specifically educational settings with 'supporting children with medical conditions'
Be a champion for children and young people with SEND within the organisation and with partner organisations
Direct line management (including budgetary) and responsibility for co-ordination and day to day operational management of the specialist school nursing team, epilepsy nurse and respite service
About us
Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.
* Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
* Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
* If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
* We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication.
* 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service.
* Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
* Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
* £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
* Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.
Work that wraps around your needs
* Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.
* Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.
Job responsibilities
Direct line responsibility and managing all staff within specialist school nursing service, childrens epilepsy and childrens respite services
Be responsible for ensuring that services are delivered in line with the service specification and statutory duties (EHCP/LAC/safeguarding) and meet agreed KPIs
Clinical expert in SEND for partner organisations
Support and supervision to paediatric epilepsy nurses
Provide specialist clinical support and supervision to the specialist school nurses, including support on complex safeguarding matters
Exceptional problem solving skills and ability to respond to unexpected demands
To have the ability to deal with sensitive information and make difficult decisions on contentious issues
Promote voice of the child and to work in collaboration with parents/carers/voluntary and parent forums
Experience of risk assessing and completing complex risk assessments
Lead on transition to adult services for the team
Key member of the education and health care plan (EHCP) panel
Key member of the childrens targeted senior management team
Direct budget responsibility for the team
Responsible for maintaining and improving own professional knowledge and competence in accordance with NMC guidelines
Communication
Strong professional leadership to champion health needs of children and young people with SEND within various forums, meetings and panels ensuring voice of child/young person is paramount
Ability to deliver and receive highly sensitive and complex information, specifically relating to safeguarding Exceptional ability to communicate, influence and negotiate with stakeholders to achieve best outcomes for children and young people with SEND
Person Specification
Qualifications/Experience
* oRSCN/Registered Nurse (child branch) with current NMC registration. With at least 5 years post registration
* oCompletion of Mentorship Course/ENB Equivalent
* oEvidence of advanced paediatric clinical skills/knowledge
* oEvidence of continuing professional development in regards to SEND within the last 12 month
* oPrevious experience of working in the community setting
* oIn depth knowledge of SEND agenda and legislation and local and national priorities for SEND
* oIn depth knowledge of consent and confidentiality when working with children and young people with learning disability or complex health need
* oSignificant proven experience working with complex safeguarding concerns
Skills/Knowledge
* oAbility to work on own initiative, making clinical decisions for the team, set priorities and meet deadlines
* oEvidence of caring for children with neurodevelopmental disorders/complex health needs
* oEvidence of effective collaborative working with children and young people with SEND/parents/carers/parent forums/voluntary organisations
* oProficient communication and negotiation skills and experience of dealing with multi-agency stakeholders to achieve best outcomes for children and young people with SEND
* oEvidence of experience in managing a mixed skill team. Lead, co-ordinate, organise and prioritise own work and the work of the team on a day to day basis
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.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
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