Job summary
This is a specialist nursing post within the Specialist Health Visiting Service at Tynemouth Road Health Centre for children under 5 with additional needs and disabilities.
You will be responsible for providing support, advice and practical assessments to children and their families in the London Borough of Haringey.
The role requires the post-holder to have a broad knowledge of the range of services and resources available to children with various conditions and presentations. You will have a key role in supporting families pre and post diagnosis by guiding and signposting them to relevant services. You will be a key professional in delivering support via "The Huddle" which is a stay and play support group for families of children with additional needs.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide a Specialist Nursing/Health visitor role to children and families accessing the multi-disciplinary children's community services based at Tynemouth Road Health Centre. Children seen by the service present with a wide range of complex conditions, disabilities and special needs, many are vulnerable and have a high level of social need. The role of the Specialist Nurse/Health visitor involves working closely with the Band 7 Specialist Health Visitor to ensure smooth delivery of specialist services to children with special needs in Haringey. The post holder will be accountable to the Specialist Health Visitor and the Borough Lead for therapies and Specialist Nursing.
The post holder will liaise closely with other colleagues involved with the child's care, including the generic Health Visiting teams across the borough, to facilitate understanding of the impact of the child's condition on the families' lives. The Specialist Health Visitor guides and supports families through the services available from health, social care and education. They provide information, advice and support and signposts to other relevant services.
The postholder will share a caseload of children with the specialist Health Visitor and will assess, plan and implement care plans for those children in conjunction with the multi- disciplinary team and according to service priorities. For some children, visiting the families in the home or nursery may be required.
About us
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 Trustbelieves 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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide a specialist health visiting service for children with additional needs and disabilities and their families referred through the Child Development Team. These children present with a wide range of complex conditions including neurodiversity and a wide range of social issues.
- To plan, implement and evaluate packages of specialist nursing/health visitor care in collaboration with the specialist health visitor.
- To provide specialist advice, information and intervention to children and families with special needs as identified in care plan. i.e., make referrals, liaise, visit, etc.
- To identify other services and resources available to children and families and signpost accordingly.
- Communicate with families so they understand the processes within the wider multi-disciplinary team and support families through these processes.
- To communicate with sensitivity and empathy as required and support families in accepting their childs diagnosis and potential.
- To encourage and facilitate attendance at appointments.
- To work alongside and liaise with other key professionals and agencies.
- To work within the London wide and Haringey child protection procedures, and to ensure that issues of vulnerability and risk associated with children with special needs is communicated and understood by parents and colleagues alike.
- To participate in clinical supervision with the named nurse for child protection and with the specialist health visitor to ensure that own practice is compliant with Child Protection Procedures.
- To work in close liaison with the named health visitors/ school nurse, providing specialist advice and support, acting as a resource on the services provided to children with special needs in the community.
- To modify the range and complexity of information so that it can be understood by parents and carers with a range of abilities.
- Liaise with acute trusts over discharge planning for children returning to the community, representing the community team, and liaising with key professionals in the team as required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide a specialist health visiting service for children with additional needs and disabilities and their families referred through the Child Development Team. These children present with a wide range of complex conditions including neurodiversity and a wide range of social issues.
- To plan, implement and evaluate packages of specialist nursing/health visitor care in collaboration with the specialist health visitor.
- To provide specialist advice, information and intervention to children and families with special needs as identified in care plan. i.e., make referrals, liaise, visit, etc.
- To identify other services and resources available to children and families and signpost accordingly.
- Communicate with families so they understand the processes within the wider multi-disciplinary team and support families through these processes.
- To communicate with sensitivity and empathy as required and support families in accepting their childs diagnosis and potential.
- To encourage and facilitate attendance at appointments.
- To work alongside and liaise with other key professionals and agencies.
- To work within the London wide and Haringey child protection procedures, and to ensure that issues of vulnerability and risk associated with children with special needs is communicated and understood by parents and colleagues alike.
- To participate in clinical supervision with the named nurse for child protection and with the specialist health visitor to ensure that own practice is compliant with Child Protection Procedures.
- To work in close liaison with the named health visitors/ school nurse, providing specialist advice and support, acting as a resource on the services provided to children with special needs in the community.
- To modify the range and complexity of information so that it can be understood by parents and carers with a range of abilities.
- Liaise with acute trusts over discharge planning for children returning to the community, representing the community team, and liaising with key professionals in the team as required.
Person Specification
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Well developed skills in team working
- Clear understanding of the role of paediatric nurse/health visitor
- Ability to work in partnership with colleagues from other agencies
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to prioritise own caseload and workload
- Ability to interact successfully with children and young people including those with additional needs and disabilities
- Ability to take lead on a clinical area (including standards, audits and training)
- Ability to work calmly under pressure and be flexible to demands
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Registered General Nurse, paediatric nurse and/or Health Visitor with relevant Diploma or Degree qualification
- Evidence of successful completion of a range of courses relating to children and young people with additional needs and disabilities
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing safeguarding concerns
- Experience and knowledge of children with additional needs and disabilities
- Experience and knowledge of neurodiversity
Desirable
- Experience of advising parents and carers disabilities and offering information appropriate to the individual child's needs.
- Experience of completing clinical audits, developing standards/ care pathways.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Accountability - Takes responsibility for own actions and promotes good teamworking
- Openness - Shares information and good practice appropriately
- Mutual respect - Treats others with courtesy and respect at all times
Documenttion
Essential
- Demonstrates an understanding of own responsibilities in respect to record keeping
Desirable
- Demonstrates ability to formulate clear and thorough reports, notes and letters in accordance with national, local and professional standards
Communication
Essential
- Demonstrates the ability to respond to service users with clear communication, presenting information to best suit the recipients needs
Desirable
- Demonstrates the ability to manage conflict in line with trust protocols and good practice
Person Specification
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Well developed skills in team working
- Clear understanding of the role of paediatric nurse/health visitor
- Ability to work in partnership with colleagues from other agencies
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to prioritise own caseload and workload
- Ability to interact successfully with children and young people including those with additional needs and disabilities
- Ability to take lead on a clinical area (including standards, audits and training)
- Ability to work calmly under pressure and be flexible to demands
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Registered General Nurse, paediatric nurse and/or Health Visitor with relevant Diploma or Degree qualification
- Evidence of successful completion of a range of courses relating to children and young people with additional needs and disabilities
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing safeguarding concerns
- Experience and knowledge of children with additional needs and disabilities
- Experience and knowledge of neurodiversity
Desirable
- Experience of advising parents and carers disabilities and offering information appropriate to the individual child's needs.
- Experience of completing clinical audits, developing standards/ care pathways.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Accountability - Takes responsibility for own actions and promotes good teamworking
- Openness - Shares information and good practice appropriately
- Mutual respect - Treats others with courtesy and respect at all times
Documenttion
Essential
- Demonstrates an understanding of own responsibilities in respect to record keeping
Desirable
- Demonstrates ability to formulate clear and thorough reports, notes and letters in accordance with national, local and professional standards
Communication
Essential
- Demonstrates the ability to respond to service users with clear communication, presenting information to best suit the recipients needs
Desirable
- Demonstrates the ability to manage conflict in line with trust protocols and good practice
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.
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.
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).
