Job overview
Band 5 Special School Nurse- Part time ( 3 days per week )
Are you an enthusiastic and committed Nurse who is keen to work with children and young people with complex medical needs in Haringey’s Special Schools? We are looking for a new member to join our special school nursing team. You will be part of the well-established and supportive nursing and multidisciplinary team working with Health and Education staff from a variety of disciplines. The team works across 5 highly respected special schools with well-established multidisciplinary team working. Support is also available from the CAMH’s learning difficulties team and from our established team of consultant paediatricians. You will be based at 1 special school but will also have opportunities to work across some of the other special schools.
You will receive high quality CPD and Child Protection supervision. There is a strong commitment to continuing professional development to help you in your work. This post will give potential applicants opportunities to develop their skills in special school nursing. Applicants new to the role are welcome but must have experience of children’s nursing, or working with young people with learning difficulties.
For further information please contact Laura Hills- Clinical Lead for SLT and Operational lead for special school Nursing, Haringey – 07776306841 or Meriem Chakal- Senior Special School Nurse -
Main duties of the job
Deliver nursing care to children with autism, learning disabilities and complex health needs across Haringey special schools, primarily Brook on Broadwater.
Support pupils’ health needs including medication management, enteral feeding, epilepsy, diabetes, continence care and health promotion.
Assist with health assessments, annual health reviews and agreed health surveillance programmes for children in special schools.
Develop, implement and maintain written care plans and statements of nursing need in collaboration with senior nurses and the multidisciplinary team.
Train, advise and support school staff, healthcare assistants, parents and carers in meeting children’s healthcare needs safely and effectively
Work as part of a multi-agency team, liaising with education staff, therapists, social workers, paediatric services and specialist nursing teams to ensure coordinated care.
Identify, monitor and support vulnerable children, including contributing to safeguarding processes, child protection meetings and report writing as required.
Maintain accurate clinical records using electronic systems and ensure confidentiality and data protection at all times.
Manage own workload with professional autonomy, participate in supervision, appraisal, audits and service development activities.
Adhere to Trust policies including infection control, health and safety, safeguarding, equality and professional codes of practice.
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Role Purpose
To deliver high-quality, child-centred nursing care to children and young people with autism, learning disabilities and complex health needs attending special schools in Haringey. The post holder works as part of a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency team to promote health, safeguard children and support access to education.
Key responsibilities
Clinical care
Deliver individualised nursing care for children with complex needs including epilepsy, diabetes, continence, enteral feeding and medication management.
Support health assessments, annual health reviews and health surveillance programmes.
Undertake screening (vision, hearing, growth and development) and refer concerns appropriately.
Provide direct clinical care where required, including feeding support, seizure management and suctioning
Training, Leadership and developmental support
1. Support and contribute to the supervision, delegation and development of Health Care Assistants.
2. Deliver training and guidance to school staff, parents and carers.
3. Participate in the education and support of students and newly appointed staff.
Service development, Administration and safety
4. Contribute to service improvement, audits and identification of service gaps.
5. Ensure equipment is safe, clean and secure; report stock or equipment issues.
6. Adhere to Trust policies on safeguarding, infection control, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality.
7. Work flexibly across school sites as service needs require.
Key relationships
Internal:
8. Clinical Lead Special School Nurse
9. Team Leader
10. Special School Nursing Team
11. Health Care Assistants
12. Multi-disciplinary professionals (Therapists, Psychologists, Dietitians, Paediatricians)
External:
13. Children and young people
14. Parents and carers
15. School staff and First Aiders
16. Social Care and safeguarding services
17. External health services (e.g. Continence Service, Dental Team)
Person specification
Desirable
Desirable criteria
18. School Nurse/ Community Nurse Qualification ideally Specialist Practitioner
19. Evidence of Post Registration training and development
Essential
Essential criteria
20. RSCN or RN (Child Branch)
21. Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing in an effective way with people from a variety of backgrounds and different ages.
22. To demonstrate the ability to reflect on clinical practice to enhance professional/ personal development.
23. Ability to prioritise and effectively manage own workload
24. Basic information technology skills
Desirable criteria
25. School Nurse/ Community Nurse Qualification ideally Specialist Practitioner
26. Evidence of Post Registration training and development
Essential
Essential criteria
27. Ability to demonstrate an understanding of working together in a team.
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS
To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:
28. Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
29. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
30. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
31. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
32. Participate in required training and supervision.
33. Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct
Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.