Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Specialist Nurse Cared for Children (Looked after Children)

The closing date is 16 September 2025

Job summary

We are currently recruiting to a full time Senior Specialist Nurse Cared for Children (looked after children) based predominantly in the community site but covering the Trafford locality.

This post is an exciting opportunity for a motivated, committed, and skilled nurse with experience working with cared for children. Working with vulnerable groups where there are complex safeguarding concerns or young people who are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

To succeed, you will need to be highly motivated to ensure safe and effective services for cared for children remains a priority for all staff working within the organisationacross acute and community services.You will need excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills and a flair for critically evaluating information and recording it in a concise and accurate manner. Comfortable working under pressure, adept at prioritising and working flexibly often to a deadline you will be well supported to further your own professional knowledge, skills, and development within this highly specialised area.

You will be given the opportunity to receive safeguarding/ looked after children development, supervision, and training within a highly motivated and committed team. Please use the contact details below for further information or to arrange an informal discussion/visit.

Main duties of the job

  • To work as part of the MFT Safeguarding Team.
  • To provide leadership and be accountable for the development, supervision, co-ordination and day to day management of the Specialist Cared for Children Health Team.
  • To provide leadership, support, advice, and expertise to health practitioners across the Trust around the specific needs of care experienced individuals.
  • To provide virtual oversight (advice, consultation, co-ordination, and health liaison) to all cared for children with respect to their health needs and outcomes.
  • Contribute to the production of health data for cared for children to inform profiling and analysis.
  • To lead on the delivery and development of training in respect of the specific needs of care experienced individuals.
  • To support the Named Nurse Cared for Children in the development and implementation of mandatory policies and procedures, standards, and audit and to take part in initiatives which promote the health and wellbeing of care experienced individuals.
  • To act as a resource and an expert source of support/ supervision for those working with cared for children.
  • To contribute to providing health expertise to multi-agency colleagues
  • Contribute to strategic work with regards to the health needs profiling, placement stability, quality of care and improving the health and wellbeing of cared for children.
  • To manage a clinical caseload within an agreed criteria, co-ordinate and plan care for cared for children.

About us

MFT is one of the largest NHS Trust In England with a turnover of over £3bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.

Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 30,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.

We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.

We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.

At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.

Details

Date posted

02 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

349-COR-7407641-RL4

Job locations

Trafford Town Hall

Stretford

M32 0TH


Job description

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk.

Were looking forward to hearing from you!

Job description

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk.

Were looking forward to hearing from you!

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • First level Registered Nurse with substantial post registration experience
  • Specialist Practitioner in Public Health Nursing/Health Visiting/School Nursing (or equivalent relevant experience/degree)

Desirable

  • Relevant Master's degree or equivalent level of qualification
  • Appropriate management/leadership courses
  • Teaching qualification ENB 998 or equivalent

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post registration experience working with Cared For Children
  • Evidence of professional leadership
  • Experience of multiagency working with looked after children and young people
  • Working knowledge of children's health and development and the nature and impact of abuse
  • Awareness of issues affecting ethnic minorities and other socially excluded groups
  • Experience of delivering training
  • Experience of policy development and implementation
  • Experience and contribution to single and multi agency audit processes

Desirable

  • Accredited training qualification

Knowledge, skills and aptitudes

Essential

  • Knowledge of current local and national safeguarding/looked after children policies, guidance and legislation
  • Evidence of excellent communication skills with "hard to reach" children and young people
  • Experience of report writing
  • Ability to analyse and critically evaluate information and record in a concise and accurate manner
  • Ability to communicate well across organizational and professional boundaries
  • Ability to work under pressure, to prioritize, work flexibly and to tight deadlines
  • Experience of completion of audits and reports within timescales
  • Evidence of Innovative Practice
  • Evidence of presentation skills
  • IT skills: including emailing, word processing and data collation

Desirable

  • Clinical/safeguarding supervision training
  • Understanding of clinical governance
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • First level Registered Nurse with substantial post registration experience
  • Specialist Practitioner in Public Health Nursing/Health Visiting/School Nursing (or equivalent relevant experience/degree)

Desirable

  • Relevant Master's degree or equivalent level of qualification
  • Appropriate management/leadership courses
  • Teaching qualification ENB 998 or equivalent

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post registration experience working with Cared For Children
  • Evidence of professional leadership
  • Experience of multiagency working with looked after children and young people
  • Working knowledge of children's health and development and the nature and impact of abuse
  • Awareness of issues affecting ethnic minorities and other socially excluded groups
  • Experience of delivering training
  • Experience of policy development and implementation
  • Experience and contribution to single and multi agency audit processes

Desirable

  • Accredited training qualification

Knowledge, skills and aptitudes

Essential

  • Knowledge of current local and national safeguarding/looked after children policies, guidance and legislation
  • Evidence of excellent communication skills with "hard to reach" children and young people
  • Experience of report writing
  • Ability to analyse and critically evaluate information and record in a concise and accurate manner
  • Ability to communicate well across organizational and professional boundaries
  • Ability to work under pressure, to prioritize, work flexibly and to tight deadlines
  • Experience of completion of audits and reports within timescales
  • Evidence of Innovative Practice
  • Evidence of presentation skills
  • IT skills: including emailing, word processing and data collation

Desirable

  • Clinical/safeguarding supervision training
  • Understanding of clinical governance

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

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Trafford Town Hall

Stretford

M32 0TH


Employer's website

https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Trafford Town Hall

Stretford

M32 0TH


Employer's website

https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Senior Specialist Nurse CIC - Trafford

Emma Davies

emma.davies3@mft.nhs.uk

01619123125

Details

Date posted

02 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

349-COR-7407641-RL4

Job locations

Trafford Town Hall

Stretford

M32 0TH


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)