Job overview
Do you have experience or interest in managing chronic health conditions such as asthma, eczema, or constipation? If so, we have an opportunity for you to join our Children’s Community Nursing service as a Band 6 nurse.
This is an exciting opportunity as part of a pilot scheme to deliver a population-based approach to healthcare while working within a well-supported and friendly team.
The Chronic Health Needs Nurse will provide an essential bridge between health and education, addressing a critical service gap in Lambeth and Southwark. By implementing a holistic, proactive approach, this role will reduce health-related school absences, improve children’s wellbeing, and create a more inclusive learning environment.
Join us and be a part of a team that is making a difference in children's lives through innovative community healthcare.
Secondment opportunities would be considered on application
Main duties of the job
We are seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking, and resilient nurse to join our team. You will have experience working as an autonomous practitioner within acute, community or primary care settings. This role requires excellent organisational, time management and communication skills.
This role will support the set-up and delivery of a pilot scheme for the targeted intervention of children and young people with severe school absence and identified chronic health conditions.
This post aims to address gaps in current service provision by bridging healthcare and education, ensuring that children with chronic conditions receive holistic, proactive support. The role will enhance the existing Patch CCN and school nursing services by focusing on school attendance, emotional wellbeing, and educational access.
As an autonomous practitioner, you will provide high-quality health assessments and specialist nursing care, education and training to children and young people in various settings, including homes, schools, nurseries and the community.
You will work collaboratively across the health and primary care sector ensuring the safety and well-being of service users. At all times, you will promote dignity and human rights by adopting person-centred care principles.
Working for our organisation
Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.
We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’.
The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will work as part of the Children’s Community nursing service and across professional and organisational boundaries, liaising with GPs, schools, teachers, school nurses, health visitors and other professionals including statutory and voluntary agencies to deliver an individualised service to the school age population and their families/carers.
The post holder will work as an autonomous practitioner providing high quality specialist nursing care, education and training to children and young people in the home, school, nursery and community settings. They will have a leadership role and be responsible for the management of their own caseload ensuring a high standard of service delivery to the school age population and their families in the community.
The post holder will provide clinical supervision to other staff, students and lead clinical audits. The post holder will work collaboratively across the Children’s Community Nursing Service ensuring the safety and well-being of services users, and always working in a manner that promotes dignity and human rights through the adoption of person-centred care principles.
Key responsibilities
Holistic assessments:
oConduct home and school visits to evaluate environmental factors, barriers to attendance, and additional support needs.
oDevelop individualised care plans to ensure children can attend and thrive in school.
School engagement and training:
oDeliver specialist bespoke training for school staff on managing chronic conditions, recognising emotional health needs.
oSupport schools in making reasonable adjustments and adaptations to facilitate children being in school (, ensuring access to bathrooms, adapting physical activities, and implementing emergency plans for asthma).
oImplement advanced care planning.
oOffer ongoing support to ensure sustainable improvements in practice.
Family and community liaison:
oProvide parent education and guidance on managing chronic conditions at home.
oAct as a link between families, schools, and the wider multidisciplinary team ensuring cohesive communication and coordinated care
Emotional health and well-being
oWork with mental health services to address anxiety,
depression, school avoidance and other mental health challenges associated with chronic conditions.
See job description for full role and responsibilities
Person specification
Professional/Statutory Registration
Essential criteria
1. RN Child Registered Nurse on the NMC register. To hold the appropriate level for the area of speciality.
Qualifications/Education
Essential criteria
2. BSC/1st degree (health related) or equivalent qualification/training and experience
3. Evidence of professional/clinical knowledge in area supplemented by specialist clinical training and CPD
4. SSSAP (Or equivalent) Course
Desirable criteria
5. Community Specialist Practitioner
6. Specialist Community Public Health Nurse, School Nursing, Health visitor/Family Public Health Nurses with 5-19 child and young person relevant experience
Previous experience
Essential criteria
7. Previous post registration experience in the management of patients within the speciality and/or community setting
8. Previous experience caseload management with proven ability to take full responsibility for workload
9. Able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
10. Previous experience as an autonomous practitioner to make clinical judgements and decisions regarding client need and to be responsible and accountable for choices made.
11. Experience of teaching/ assessing/ supervising others in a clinical setting
12. Good understanding of safeguarding issues and policy framework
Desirable criteria
13. Previous experience of working with children with chronic conditions including constipation/eczema/ asthma
Skills/Knowledge/Abilty
Essential criteria
14. Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues.
15. Demonstrates appropriate knowledge underpinned by theory acquired through CPD
16. Ability to work flexibly and respond to changing demand in workload.
17. Ability to motivate, facilitate and support staff, clients and carers
18. Ability to perform concise comprehensive patient assessments, formulate care plans, implement and evaluate outcomes.
19. Ability to contribute to and develop new approaches to community nursing.
20. An understanding of audit and research-based nursing practice.
21. Demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management and how this effects their role
22. Time management and organisation skills
23. Excellent communication skills
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.