Job overview
The post holder will be an autonomous, highly skilled practitioner providing expert care to children and young people within the SCYPS Child Development Service. They will have advanced knowledge in developmental paediatrics and neuro-disability, leading assessment, diagnosis, management, and review. Working collaboratively across health, education, and social care, the Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) will support integrated, family-centred pathways that improve outcomes and experiences. The role combines advanced clinical practice, leadership, education, and research to deliver safe, effective, and evidence-based services and drive ongoing quality improvement.
Main duties of the job
·Provide advanced assessment, diagnosis, and management for children and young people with developmental, neuro-disability, and complex health needs.
·Deliver holistic, family-centred care and coordinate integrated pathways across community settings.
·Manage an autonomous caseload, ensuring continuity, quality, and safety of care.
·Contribute to EHCPs, safeguarding, and transition processes to support wellbeing and inclusion.
·Act as a clinical leader within the Child Development Service, role-modelling advanced practice and shaping the development and embedding of the ACP role.
·Balance clinical practice with leadership, education, and research responsibilities, adapting as the service evolves.
·Drive evidence-based practice through audit, evaluation, and quality improvement.
·Support workforce development through education, supervision, and professional learning.
·Monitor and report on quality, outcomes, and performance to inform service development.
Working for our organisation
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
·Deliver a balanced role encompassing clinical practice (minimum 80%) and leadership, education, and research (maximum 20%). (2.3, 3.1, 4.1)
·Provide expert assessment, diagnosis, management, and ongoing review for children and young people with a range of developmental and physical health needs. (1.4, 1.6)
·Undertake developmental and health assessments, identifying unmet needs and coordinating care through appropriate multidisciplinary and multi-agency pathways. (1.4, 1.7, 1.9)
·Offer advanced clinical input for children and young people with complex needs, supporting care planning, escalation, and review in collaboration with families and wider healthcare teams. (1.2, 1.7, 1.9)
·Practice autonomously within professional scope, including independent prescribing where appropriate, to ensure safe, effective, and child-centred care. (1.7)
·Promote continuity and quality of care by engaging children, young people, and families, using feedback and outcomes to inform service development and improvement. (1.5, 1.9, 1.10)
·Manage an independent caseload across community settings, maintaining high standards of clinical practice, governance, and collaboration. (1.2, 1.9)
·Works collaboratively across agencies and professions to identify need for specialist input, making timely onward referrals to ensure safe, integrated care. (1.9)
· Use critical thinking and advanced decision-making skills to safely assess and manage patients, working within their defined level of competence. The post holder has the responsibility to inform those supervising their duties, if they are not competent to perform a duty. (1.1)
·Act as the lead ACP within the Child Development Service, role-modelling advanced practice and shaping the development of the role across the Trust. (2.1, 2.5)
·Work collaboratively across paediatrics, nursing, therapies, education, and social care to promote integrated, child- and family-centred pathways. (2.6, 2.7)
·Contribute to service transformation in line with ICS and Trust priorities, including safeguarding, EHCP processes, and transition planning. (2.5, 2.9)
·Lead and monitor quality assurance, clinical outcomes, and performance indicators to support continuous service improvement. (2.3, 4.6)
·Support the development of advanced practice within SCYPS, contributing to governance, scope, and future workforce planning. (2.5, 2.11)
·Contribute to the education and development of multidisciplinary colleagues and future ACPs through supervision, teaching, and reflective learning. (3.4, 3.7, 3.8)
·Apply master’s level knowledge and critical reflection to embed evidence-based practice and promote a culture of continuous learning. (3.1, 3.2)
·Support families and carers through health education, promoting shared decision-making and empowerment in care planning. (3.3)
·Undertake and lead audit, evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives within community child health and developmental paediatrics. (4.2, 4.6)
·Critically appraise and apply research evidence to inform and improve care pathways. (4.3, 4.5)
·Share and disseminate best practice through presentations, reports, and professional networks within and beyond the organisation. (4.7, 4.8)
·Promote the integration of research and evidence-based practice into everyday clinical decision-making. (4.3, 4.5)
·Contributes to the recruitment, selection, and development of staff, supporting effective team composition and skill mix.
·Ensure robust clinical governance is embedded across the service.
·Contribute to the risk register, incident reviews, and lessons learned processes.
·Work with managers and commissioners to support service development and business planning.
·Support transition pathways between children’s and adult services.
Person specification
Education/Qualification
Essential criteria
1. RSCN/RN Child with NMC registration
2. Master’s level qualification in Advanced Clinical Practice
3. Independent and Supplementary Non-Medical-Prescriber (V300)
Experience
Essential criteria
4. Have significant clinical experience of the health needs of children and young people at a senior level
5. Evidence for advanced clinical knowledge and relevant experience in managing care for children and young people with complex and chronic illnesses.
6. Evidence of working as an autonomous practitioner at an advanced level.
7. Experience of communication and collaborative working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
8. Experience in addressing child protection issues.
9. Experience of leading service improvement work
Desirable criteria
10. Experience in developmental assessment
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
11. Ability to demonstrate advanced clinical assessments and diagnostic skills
12. Ability to follow up on care to ensure safe, effective, and consistent treatment.
13. Ability to deliver individualised evidence-based care and treatment plans
14. Ability to motivate self and others and maintain constructive working relationships across organisational boundaries.
15. Willing to negotiate and can handle confrontation effectively and professionally.