Children's Community Nurse - Continuing Health Care
This is an exciting opportunity to join our dedicated Children's Community Homecare Team and develop your skills in caring for children with complex health needs. This role offers the chance to make a real difference by helping to keep children and young people with high medical needs safe and well at home and in their communities, reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.
You will be part of a supportive and skilled multidisciplinary team, working alongside Band 3--7 clinicians and supporting junior home care workers. The team delivers care to children who receive NHS Continuing Healthcare funding, many of whom require respiratory support. We work closely with education, social care, and commissioning colleagues to ensure children's health needs are fully supported across all settings.
This role is ideal for a nurse looking to take the next step in their career with opportunities to develop leadership and service planning experience.
Apply now to be part of a service where your skills and compassion will make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families.
Main duties of the job
Provide direct nursing care and case management to children with complex, long-term, and palliative needs.
Plan and coordinate new care packages, transitions to adult services, and emergency responses.
Supervise and support junior staff, including involvement in rotas, HR matters, and staff training.
Maintain effective multiagency working with healthcare professionals, social services, education providers, and commissioners.
Ensure care remains child-centred, promoting health, independence, and family involvement.
Participate in the development and delivery of training and protocols to ensure high-quality care delivery.
Maintain accurate clinical documentation and contribute to service audits and performance monitoring.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
* Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
* NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
* Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
* A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job responsibilities
As a Band 6 Children's Community Nurse, you will manage a defined caseload of children and young people with complex needs under the Continuing Healthcare framework. You will work autonomously within homes, schools, and other community settings, delivering safe and effective care with a focus on avoiding hospital admission. You will be instrumental in developing care plans, coordinating multi-agency input, and supporting family carers.
You will play a central role in:
Designing and implementing complex care packages, particularly for children requiring respiratory support (e.g., tracheostomy or ventilation).
Leading on operational tasks such as staff rostering, training, supervision, recruitment, and service evaluation.
Supporting the team lead in strategic decisions and contributing to policy development and service improvement.
Acting as a role model for junior staff, offering mentoring and supervision.
Representing the team at multidisciplinary meetings and contributing to safeguarding processes.
This post also offers the opportunity to gain skills in leadership, recruitment, key performance monitoring (KPIs), and multidisciplinary liaison--ideal for someone looking to grow into a senior role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Community qualifications.Regular child protection training at Level 3
Experience
* Experience of complex needs childrenExperience at Band 6 (or equivalent)Experienced nursing of complex care patients.
* Currently working in a community setting.Regular experience of child protection issuesExperience of lone working situations and/or undertaking nurse led clinics.Ventilation/tracheostomy experience
Additional Criteria
* Up to date understanding of health issues in relation to children.Current driving licence and access to vehicle.
* Government publications in relation to community work.
* Issues affecting today's NHS
* Understanding of needs of children with special/additional needs and their families
* Understanding of continuing health care principles.
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.
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