Children in Care Specialist Nurse
This job is now closed
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, highly motivated and innovative Specialist Nurse to join the Warwickshire Children in Care Team, South Warwickshire Foundation Trust. This is a senior level post, therefore, knowledge and experience is required to reflect this.
The successful applicant will work collaboratively with the Named Nurse/Specialist Nurses and Named/Designated Doctor to ensure that the organisation meets its responsibilities to Children in Care by carrying out, high quality, complex, timely health assessments working in partnership with other agencies to ensure that the health needs for Children in Care are met in a holistic and timely manner.
If you would like to be part of our journey, we will welcome your application.
Main duties of the job
To undertake the role and responsibilities of 'Specialist Nurse for Children in Care' for the Children in Care team, which contributes to the fulfilment of the Trusts' overarching Safeguarding Children Agenda and National Guidance. This is a senior level post.
Work collaboratively with the Named Nurse and Named/ Designated Doctor to ensure that the organisation meets its responsibilities to Children in Care, working as a member of the organisation's Children in Care health team and manage the Children in Care team in the absence of the Named nurse.
Provide leadership, expert advice and support the Trust to meet it regulated duties related to meeting the health needs of Children in Care to managers and practitioners in the Trusts.
Provide expert health advice to those working with Children in Care, working in partnership with other agencies to ensure that the health needs of Children in Care are assessed and met in a holistic and timely manner as per Statutory Guidance, by competently skilled health care staff as per Intercollegiate LAC Competencies (2020).
To quality assess and monitor completed review health assessments for Children in Care including those with complex needs or identified as hard to reach.
For full details of the duties associated with this role please refer to the attached Job Description.
About us
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.
Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
Details
Date posted
11 May 2023
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 7
Salary
£43,742 to £50,056 a year per annum
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
203-FH491
Job locations
Riversley Park Clinic
Coton Road
Nuneaton
CV11 5HA
Job description
Job responsibilities
To act as a source of expert advice, guidance and support on health matters which relate to Children in Care, for health care staff and partner agencies.
To maintain in-depth knowledge of legislation, national and local policies that affect Children in Care and ensure this is shared across agencies and with other health care staff.
To act as a lead source of reference and resource on Children in Care health matters for out of area agents / agencies, to ensure that continuity of care is maintained for individual children on their placement within and outside the county.
To facilitate, promote and maintain effective communication and liaison systems, within and across Trusts and with partner agencies, as local and out-of-county arrangements.
To identify, develop and maintain professional networks and alliances to facilitate timely delivery of health services to Children in Care according to need.
To undertake expert clinical work for children and young people in complex and vulnerable circumstances as part of Children in Care health assessments, in accordance with agreed policies and procedures and role requirements. Undertake complex health assessments for hard-to-reach children and young people and ensure that the health needs of this vulnerable client group are met.
To take a key role as an advocate for Children in Care and young people.
To oversee and co-ordinate health assessment activities as undertaken by other Named professionals (health visitors & school nurses).
To provide expert leadership to clinical staff such as health visitors, school nurses, social workers and specialist administrators in how to utilise effective care pathways and thorough transition for Children in Care when leaving care.
To support and empower staff to undertake health assessments for Children in Care and ensure the Health Plan is met.
To chair operational meetings and forums in the absence of the Named Nurse associated with the business of Children in Care, representing health services as a champion on Children in Care health matters, as required.
To be an active participant in local, regional and national forums associated with Children in Care business.
To represent the trust in the absence of the Named Nurse in matters relating to the health needs of Children in Care and act as an advocate for Children in Care in public health activities relating to vulnerable children and young people (e.g. Reduction of teenage pregnancy / reduction of substance misuse).
To promote the equality of opportunity for children and young people regardless of race, gender, culture, sexuality, disability or language.
To act as a reference point for children and their carers to address the health needs for Children in Care.
To implement local recommendations on practice arising from Serious Case reviews and other learning frameworks in accordance with Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government 2018) or raised through Clinical Governance and Serious Incident reporting. Also, by working collaboratively with service leads to address these issues.
To lead in the transfer of information for children post adoption and those who have left care.
Provision of Professional Advice - Leadership and Advisory Role
To manage the Children in Care team in the absence of the Named Nurse and provide expert advice, training and supervision to other professionals across the organisation regarding the health needs Children in Care and their families and have the authority and confidence to make autonomous decisions.
Work closely with other specialist services such as CAMHS, sexual health, and services for disabled children and take a lead in promoting positive health outcomes for Children in Care.
To have a significant role in the development and implementation of care pathways to affect an enhanced health service for Children in Care in collaboration with service providers across agency sites.
To ensure practice and policy relating to Children in Care are informed by research and evidence-based detail.
To have a significant role and provide expert knowledge and input in the development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and procedures for promoting the health of Children in Care and undertake effective audit.
To ensure that practices and procedures for Children in Care are established and upheld, which are consistent with local trust and inter- agency requirements and to be instrumental in writing, improving and updating team processes.
To support the development, delivery and evaluation of programmes of clinical supervision and support for health care practitioners, as required.
Communication - Key Relationships
Establish and maintain partnership working with other Specialist, Named and Designated Looked After Children professionals locally, regionally and nationally.
Establish and maintain effective liaison with professional leads from other agencies, such as Education and Childrens Social Care, taking a key role to ensure that the health needs of Children in Care are seen as a priority.
Chair HeLAC multi-agency operational meetings in the absence of the Named nurse and Designated Doctor.
Promote and develop collaborative interagency working through HeLAC, multi- agency operational meetings, Fostering and Adoption Services, Social Services and Voluntary Agencies to deliver a high standard of practice for Children in Care.
Take an active role in working with other Children in Care professional networks, nationally and locally, to share good working practices.
Develop and maintain effective working relationships with Public Health.
Develop effective working relationships with the sexual health service, youth offending and young peoples drug services to ensure they are delivered jointly by Health and Social Care.
Performance and Quality of Service Delivery
Monitor activities and take a lead in undertaking audits relating to Children in Care health service performance and health needs analysis in order that national and local standards can be achieved.
Evaluate the service using feedback from children, young people and carers and take active steps to improve services.
To work in partnership with community, voluntary and statutory organisations in providing innovative and alternative ways of engaging and supporting children in service provision and direction.
Managerial Responsibilities
To provide strong and effective leadership to the Administrators for Looked After Children and to colleagues across the health economy.
Provide line management to the Children in Care administrators as required.
Actively contribute to service evaluations, reviews and reconfigurations which may impact on service delivery or employment led by the Named Nurse and Named Doctor.
Work with the Named Nurse to ensure that services are delivered in line with overall service plans and priorities for Warwickshire and that successful initiatives and best practice are shared across all geographical areas within the county.
Be the Lead nurse for Children in Care for the trust in the absence of the Named nurse and Chair operational meetings as required in the absence of the Named Nurse and having the authority to make autonomous decisions.
Training and Supervision
Develop training programmes; lead on the delivery of training regarding the health of Children in Care to practitioners (e.g. health visitors. School nurses, A/E staff, therapists, social workers, foster carers), evaluate training and take a key role in updating training in line with national and local guidance.
Provide an expert lead link role to Residential Homes in Warwickshire who care for Children in Care and work with residential workers and foster carers to promote the health status of Children in Care.
To provide clinical supervision and support to health care practitioners who work directly with children and young people in care.
To provide regular specialist training and advice to health care practitioners working with children in care and care leavers.
To identify training needs for health, education, and social care staff and foster carers and take an active role in the development and implementation of appropriate multi-disciplinary training programmes and provide training as required.
Judgement and Decision Making
To work with the Named Nurse to evaluate national and local guidance and ensuring policies, procedures, protocols and standards are maintained and regularly reviewed, and are evidence based.
Provide specialist advice to Childrens Services Forums, other health forums and partnership agencies on matters relating to Children in Care.
Take a key role in the operational delivery of the wider Child Health Service.
To prioritise and manage own workload, meet demands and deadlines and respond to health professionals who require support in a timely manner.
Responsibilities for Research and Development
Participate in research as required both nationally and locally and carry out audits.
With the Named Nurse, establish quality standards against which health assessments can be bench marked to ensure effective assessments have been undertaken.
Promote awareness of Children in Care issues through dissemination of evidence-based practice and current research.
Co-ordinate the monitoring and audit of Children in Cares systems and implement and evaluate practice standards taking a lead on audit.
Additional
To maintain NMC registration and professional development in accordance with expectations of the role.
To support the Named Nurse to ensure that all trust standards are maintained and monitored to improve the quality of care to all whom come into contact with services provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To act as a source of expert advice, guidance and support on health matters which relate to Children in Care, for health care staff and partner agencies.
To maintain in-depth knowledge of legislation, national and local policies that affect Children in Care and ensure this is shared across agencies and with other health care staff.
To act as a lead source of reference and resource on Children in Care health matters for out of area agents / agencies, to ensure that continuity of care is maintained for individual children on their placement within and outside the county.
To facilitate, promote and maintain effective communication and liaison systems, within and across Trusts and with partner agencies, as local and out-of-county arrangements.
To identify, develop and maintain professional networks and alliances to facilitate timely delivery of health services to Children in Care according to need.
To undertake expert clinical work for children and young people in complex and vulnerable circumstances as part of Children in Care health assessments, in accordance with agreed policies and procedures and role requirements. Undertake complex health assessments for hard-to-reach children and young people and ensure that the health needs of this vulnerable client group are met.
To take a key role as an advocate for Children in Care and young people.
To oversee and co-ordinate health assessment activities as undertaken by other Named professionals (health visitors & school nurses).
To provide expert leadership to clinical staff such as health visitors, school nurses, social workers and specialist administrators in how to utilise effective care pathways and thorough transition for Children in Care when leaving care.
To support and empower staff to undertake health assessments for Children in Care and ensure the Health Plan is met.
To chair operational meetings and forums in the absence of the Named Nurse associated with the business of Children in Care, representing health services as a champion on Children in Care health matters, as required.
To be an active participant in local, regional and national forums associated with Children in Care business.
To represent the trust in the absence of the Named Nurse in matters relating to the health needs of Children in Care and act as an advocate for Children in Care in public health activities relating to vulnerable children and young people (e.g. Reduction of teenage pregnancy / reduction of substance misuse).
To promote the equality of opportunity for children and young people regardless of race, gender, culture, sexuality, disability or language.
To act as a reference point for children and their carers to address the health needs for Children in Care.
To implement local recommendations on practice arising from Serious Case reviews and other learning frameworks in accordance with Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government 2018) or raised through Clinical Governance and Serious Incident reporting. Also, by working collaboratively with service leads to address these issues.
To lead in the transfer of information for children post adoption and those who have left care.
Provision of Professional Advice - Leadership and Advisory Role
To manage the Children in Care team in the absence of the Named Nurse and provide expert advice, training and supervision to other professionals across the organisation regarding the health needs Children in Care and their families and have the authority and confidence to make autonomous decisions.
Work closely with other specialist services such as CAMHS, sexual health, and services for disabled children and take a lead in promoting positive health outcomes for Children in Care.
To have a significant role in the development and implementation of care pathways to affect an enhanced health service for Children in Care in collaboration with service providers across agency sites.
To ensure practice and policy relating to Children in Care are informed by research and evidence-based detail.
To have a significant role and provide expert knowledge and input in the development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and procedures for promoting the health of Children in Care and undertake effective audit.
To ensure that practices and procedures for Children in Care are established and upheld, which are consistent with local trust and inter- agency requirements and to be instrumental in writing, improving and updating team processes.
To support the development, delivery and evaluation of programmes of clinical supervision and support for health care practitioners, as required.
Communication - Key Relationships
Establish and maintain partnership working with other Specialist, Named and Designated Looked After Children professionals locally, regionally and nationally.
Establish and maintain effective liaison with professional leads from other agencies, such as Education and Childrens Social Care, taking a key role to ensure that the health needs of Children in Care are seen as a priority.
Chair HeLAC multi-agency operational meetings in the absence of the Named nurse and Designated Doctor.
Promote and develop collaborative interagency working through HeLAC, multi- agency operational meetings, Fostering and Adoption Services, Social Services and Voluntary Agencies to deliver a high standard of practice for Children in Care.
Take an active role in working with other Children in Care professional networks, nationally and locally, to share good working practices.
Develop and maintain effective working relationships with Public Health.
Develop effective working relationships with the sexual health service, youth offending and young peoples drug services to ensure they are delivered jointly by Health and Social Care.
Performance and Quality of Service Delivery
Monitor activities and take a lead in undertaking audits relating to Children in Care health service performance and health needs analysis in order that national and local standards can be achieved.
Evaluate the service using feedback from children, young people and carers and take active steps to improve services.
To work in partnership with community, voluntary and statutory organisations in providing innovative and alternative ways of engaging and supporting children in service provision and direction.
Managerial Responsibilities
To provide strong and effective leadership to the Administrators for Looked After Children and to colleagues across the health economy.
Provide line management to the Children in Care administrators as required.
Actively contribute to service evaluations, reviews and reconfigurations which may impact on service delivery or employment led by the Named Nurse and Named Doctor.
Work with the Named Nurse to ensure that services are delivered in line with overall service plans and priorities for Warwickshire and that successful initiatives and best practice are shared across all geographical areas within the county.
Be the Lead nurse for Children in Care for the trust in the absence of the Named nurse and Chair operational meetings as required in the absence of the Named Nurse and having the authority to make autonomous decisions.
Training and Supervision
Develop training programmes; lead on the delivery of training regarding the health of Children in Care to practitioners (e.g. health visitors. School nurses, A/E staff, therapists, social workers, foster carers), evaluate training and take a key role in updating training in line with national and local guidance.
Provide an expert lead link role to Residential Homes in Warwickshire who care for Children in Care and work with residential workers and foster carers to promote the health status of Children in Care.
To provide clinical supervision and support to health care practitioners who work directly with children and young people in care.
To provide regular specialist training and advice to health care practitioners working with children in care and care leavers.
To identify training needs for health, education, and social care staff and foster carers and take an active role in the development and implementation of appropriate multi-disciplinary training programmes and provide training as required.
Judgement and Decision Making
To work with the Named Nurse to evaluate national and local guidance and ensuring policies, procedures, protocols and standards are maintained and regularly reviewed, and are evidence based.
Provide specialist advice to Childrens Services Forums, other health forums and partnership agencies on matters relating to Children in Care.
Take a key role in the operational delivery of the wider Child Health Service.
To prioritise and manage own workload, meet demands and deadlines and respond to health professionals who require support in a timely manner.
Responsibilities for Research and Development
Participate in research as required both nationally and locally and carry out audits.
With the Named Nurse, establish quality standards against which health assessments can be bench marked to ensure effective assessments have been undertaken.
Promote awareness of Children in Care issues through dissemination of evidence-based practice and current research.
Co-ordinate the monitoring and audit of Children in Cares systems and implement and evaluate practice standards taking a lead on audit.
Additional
To maintain NMC registration and professional development in accordance with expectations of the role.
To support the Named Nurse to ensure that all trust standards are maintained and monitored to improve the quality of care to all whom come into contact with services provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RN/RGN/Specialist Community Public Health Nurse
- Degree in nursing / health visiting / related subject
- Master's degree in related / relevant subject or working towards this / Post grad qualification or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Substantial, recent post qualification experience with at least two years at Band 6
- Experience of working with Children in Care
- Experience of managing own workload
- Must be able to make autonomous decisions
- Experience of taking management responsibility / Leadership skills
- Experience of providing supervision for nurses / specialist community practitioners and administrators
Skills
Essential
- Robust understanding of legislation and guidance relating to Children in Care
- Excellent clinical skills providing direct work with vulnerable groups
- Demonstrate excellent record keeping skills
- Ability to lead on audit
- Chair meetings in absence of Named Nurse
- Use data to construct reports
- Excellent oral, written communication, report writing and presentation skills
- Must be able to demonstrate excellent negotiation skills across agencies concerning vulnerable groups
- Must be able to work confidently in a multi-agency environment and make autonomous complex clinical and organisational decisions
- Must demonstrate effective leadership skills
- Must be able to demonstrate effective management skills
- Must be able to make autonomous decisions
- Must demonstrate an ability to effectively plan, prepare, deliver, evaluate and update training packages in response to national and local guidance
- Must be able to demonstrate sound knowledge of Clinical Governance
- Evidence of continued, up to date extensive and relevant professional development and training at national, regional and local level
- Must have the ability to work as part of a team and take charge of the team in the absence of the Named Nurse
Desirable
- Sound knowledge of national and local guidelines for Children in Care and protecting children
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Must have excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills
- Must be able to demonstrate a robust understanding of the need for confidentiality in all aspects of the work of the department and ensure that this is demonstrated by more junior staff
- Must be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of equal opportunities
- Must be self-motivated
- Must be able to influence and motivate others
- Must be an excellent timekeeper
- Must be reliable and work with integrity at all times
Other
Essential
- Must be a non-smoker whilst on duty
- Must have access to independent transport
- Must be willing to undertake Criminal Records Bureau to enhanced level
- Must be legally entitled to work in this country
- Must have sound IT skills or be prepared to undertake training and be able to work with a range of Microsoft packages
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RN/RGN/Specialist Community Public Health Nurse
- Degree in nursing / health visiting / related subject
- Master's degree in related / relevant subject or working towards this / Post grad qualification or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Substantial, recent post qualification experience with at least two years at Band 6
- Experience of working with Children in Care
- Experience of managing own workload
- Must be able to make autonomous decisions
- Experience of taking management responsibility / Leadership skills
- Experience of providing supervision for nurses / specialist community practitioners and administrators
Skills
Essential
- Robust understanding of legislation and guidance relating to Children in Care
- Excellent clinical skills providing direct work with vulnerable groups
- Demonstrate excellent record keeping skills
- Ability to lead on audit
- Chair meetings in absence of Named Nurse
- Use data to construct reports
- Excellent oral, written communication, report writing and presentation skills
- Must be able to demonstrate excellent negotiation skills across agencies concerning vulnerable groups
- Must be able to work confidently in a multi-agency environment and make autonomous complex clinical and organisational decisions
- Must demonstrate effective leadership skills
- Must be able to demonstrate effective management skills
- Must be able to make autonomous decisions
- Must demonstrate an ability to effectively plan, prepare, deliver, evaluate and update training packages in response to national and local guidance
- Must be able to demonstrate sound knowledge of Clinical Governance
- Evidence of continued, up to date extensive and relevant professional development and training at national, regional and local level
- Must have the ability to work as part of a team and take charge of the team in the absence of the Named Nurse
Desirable
- Sound knowledge of national and local guidelines for Children in Care and protecting children
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Must have excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills
- Must be able to demonstrate a robust understanding of the need for confidentiality in all aspects of the work of the department and ensure that this is demonstrated by more junior staff
- Must be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of equal opportunities
- Must be self-motivated
- Must be able to influence and motivate others
- Must be an excellent timekeeper
- Must be reliable and work with integrity at all times
Other
Essential
- Must be a non-smoker whilst on duty
- Must have access to independent transport
- Must be willing to undertake Criminal Records Bureau to enhanced level
- Must be legally entitled to work in this country
- Must have sound IT skills or be prepared to undertake training and be able to work with a range of Microsoft packages
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Riversley Park Clinic
Coton Road
Nuneaton
CV11 5HA
Employer's website
https://www.swft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Riversley Park Clinic
Coton Road
Nuneaton
CV11 5HA
Employer's website
https://www.swft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Details
Date posted
11 May 2023
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 7
Salary
£43,742 to £50,056 a year per annum
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
203-FH491
Job locations
Riversley Park Clinic
Coton Road
Nuneaton
CV11 5HA
Supporting documents
Privacy notice
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)