Special School Nurse

Job summary

The following is indicative of role - The post holder will work as a Specialist School Nurse across the Brighton and Hove area, as part of each school's requirement to ensure that arrangements are in place to support children with medical conditions.

The post holder will provide clinical and associated public health nursing of children and young people in the special school setting, in partnership with Community Paediatricians and other health professionals to ensure the provision of high quality health care.

Main duties of the job

The Special School Nurse contributes to the delivery of:

• Universal public health for all children and young people in Special Schools
• Specialist public health for complex health needs and disability health and wellbeing which includes management of: health care plans; level 1 continence management; bespoke sexual health; emotional/mental health wellbeing; weight management; public health.
• Specialist partnership plus for complex health needs and disability health and well-being which includes management of: complex long term health condition management in school; clinical nursing advice and interventions; health maintenance advice; health education; educating staff when the child's health needs change such as post surgery and in palliative care; delegation of care duties; nursing input to Education and Health Care Plans (EHCP); level 2 continence; children in need/child protection statutory health professional duties
• Specialist partnership plus role in education includes supporting School staff to manage individual child/young person health changes/events during the School day; reviewing incidents and risks at School related to the child/young person's health condition; delegation of clinical tasks by providing training, supervision, monitoring and advice

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
• Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our values -- Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence -- guide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Date posted: 15 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 6

Salary: £37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum pro rata

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working, Term time hours, Annualised hours

Reference number: 150-MT1636-CC

Job responsibilities

Main duties of the role:

• Provide, receive and understand complex, sensitive information relating to children and young people with a range of health needs including children with complex long term conditions and those children with life threatening and life limiting conditions, and be competent in providing support on particular clinical issues related to their health condition.
• Work collaboratively with the school staff, Head Teacher, CCN team members, Team Lead, clinical facilitators, Matron for CCNS, Head of CCNS, children's services professionals and other professionals to promote and ensure high standards of professional and clinical practice drawing on national best practice and Trust policy.
• Communicate information effectively with members of the multi-professional team within the school, the Trust and with external stakeholders and partners, to ensure specialist care is delivered to children both effectively and efficiently and ensuring that continuity is maintained.
• Communicate information in an empathetic way to parents/carers, young people and school staff, which relates to the clinical care of the child/young person and the provision available to them.
• Actively listen to parents/carers, children, young people and school staff and respond appropriately.
• Works with children to help maintain their own health and well-being in school by teaching them and school staff about their condition and its management, including how to carry out health care procedures in school, utilising a variety of strategies to assist the child and school staff in understanding the child's health needs and how these can be met at school.
• Involves others in communication between the children's family / carers and the multi-professional team within the school, Trust and with external stakeholders/partners and ensures good communication for the delivery of safe quality care.
• Communicates complex and sensitive information effectively to children/young people and their families and other staff helping to overcome any barriers to understanding and providing support during distressing or emotional events. Seeking guidance and support from other practitioners where needed.
• Communicates proactively with school staff about the child's health condition and school health care plan and ensures accurate records are maintained.
• Reports and escalates as necessary any safeguarding or patient safety concerns for children at the school.
• Ensure systems are in place to proactively disseminate information; attends and contributes to multi-disciplinary team meetings, reads emails and professional/managerial literature as required to pass on relevant information to school staff and children's community nursing teams.
• Works together with the school, CCN team lead and HR department to support and participate in the recruitment and retention of staff.
• Acts as an ambassador / role model for Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and the Nursing Profession. May be asked to give presentations to university students and other interested bodies about the work of the special school community nurse.
• Acts as an ambassador /role model for Special School / College and its students.
• Contributes to inter-agency working to reduce health inequalities for disabled children and young people.
• Develops information for children, young people and school staff, ensuring that information is in an easy to read format.

Person Specification

Qualifications and/or professional registration Essential:

• Registered Nurse- Child or Learning Disability or Specialist Public Health School Nursing qualification. Current registration with the NMC Registered Nurse
• Either: Degree in Community Specialist Public Health (School Nursing/Community Children's nursing) or other appropriate degree qualification. Or: Candidates working towards a relevant nursing degree and have a breadth of experience working with children/young people with complex needs and disability - minimum 50 % complete to allow application.
• Practice Supervisor / Practice Assessor / ENB 998 / 997 / Degree level mentorship module or equivalent or willingness to undertake

Experience Essential:

• Significant experience of children's nursing post registration
• Considerable experience of working with children who have complex health, disability and palliative care needs
• Experience of a range of clinical competencies appropriate to the role e.g. enteral feeding, airway management, complex bowel and
• Able to teach/provide health promotion

Skills and knowledge Essential:

• Proficient clinical assessment and care planning skills
• Able to recognise, take appropriate action and contribute to the child & adult protection process in order to safeguard children and young people
• Understanding of Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberties as it applies to children and young people
• Broad and comprehensive knowledge of the developing child
• Working knowledge of relevant legislation and national guidelines
• Ability to communicate effectively complex and sensitive written and verbal information
• Ability to prioritise own workload and maintain quality care in times of pressure
• Ability to develop, implement and evaluate new working practices across education and health domains
• Ability to delegate skills appropriately including competency and capability assessment
• Working knowledge of IT and new technologies
• Evidence of implementation of risk assessments
• Able to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary interagency team and liaise effectively with a wide range of stakeholders
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance
• Ability to organise and respond efficiently to complex and sensitive information
• Commitment to young person-centred care which supports choice and independence

Other requirements Essential:

• Ability to travel as required to meet the needs of the service as required
• Ability to multitask

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Employer name: Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Brighton General Hospital, Elm Grove, Brighton, BN2 3EW

Employer's website: https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/