Specialist Community Practice School Nurse - Locality Lead

Job responsibilities

1. Job Purpose

To lead a locality team of skill-mixed staff to deliver evidence-based activities and interventions to promote health and wellbeing of school aged children and young people attending state-maintained schools or home educated within the borough of Kingston Upon Thames.

Assessment of health needs and implementation of planned programs of care for safeguarded children and the delegation of this work, where appropriate, to appropriately skilled and trained members of the team.

The post holder will be working as part of a wider School Health team and 0-19 service with opportunities to influence practice and development of the wider service offer.

3. Key Result Areas

Service Delivery

To promote optimal health outcomes for children, young people and their families by:

Maintaining knowledge of the health needs of children, young people and their families and apply this to practice.

Continuously developing expertise in safeguarding children and adults, ensuring the use of these skills in practice, adhering to Your Healthcare policies, alerting senior staff and the named nurse for child or adult protection and other team members when exceptional risks are identified.

To be accountable as a professional for actions in relation to own and work delegated to others, acting within the NMC code of professional conduct.

To be aware of the multiple needs of children, young people, and their families, acquiring knowledge of services available to fulfil these needs and ensuring proactive referral to other agencies where appropriate.

To assess children, young people and adults holistically and provide care based on an awareness of the wider determinants of health.

To promote optimum health outcomes for children, young people and adults by effective liaison with colleagues both internal and external to Your Healthcare.

Participating in and developing health promoting activities for children, young people and their families in a variety of community settings. Activities include but are not limited to Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), group work, school staff training, parent advice clinic, pupil drop-ins, health assessments and one to one intervention.

To contribute to service developments across the School Health Service and implement in the designated locality.

Participating in use of digital technologies to support service delivery.

To participate, as requested by the School Health Lead, in Clinical Governance activities such as clinical audit and research.

To comply with current evidence-based guidelines, Your Healthcare and relevant policies and procedures and to support other locality team members to do the same.

To act as a mentor to school health staff and participate in performance reviews and appraisals in accordance with Your Healthcares policy and procedures.

Communications and Working Relationships

To provide support, leadership and supervision of members of a skill mixed locality team.

To allocate work to the most appropriate members of staff.

To maintain up to date accurate records, ensuring confidentiality is maintained in accordance with Your Healthcare, NMC requirements and the Data Protection laws.

To participate fully in the use of information technology, collecting and entering statistical data relevant to service area.

To organise and participate in team, organisational and partnership meetings as required.

To participate in and contribute to the development of the School Health Service as part of the 0-19 service.

To take on role of practice assessor/supervisor of pre-registration students and provide mentorship to new members of staff.

To maintain professional competence and personal development by participation in mandatory and essential training, which are reflected in the personal development plan.

Decision Making

To be able to prioritise own caseload and the work priorities of the locality team in a way that promotes peoples equality, diversity and rights.

To ensure the efficient and effective use of all resources to meet the needs of service users and their families.

Working without direct supervision to plan, deliver and evaluate interventions, applying knowledge of evidence, guidance and policy.

Participate fully in regular clinical and safeguarding supervision activities.

To be able to recognise when ad hoc support and supervision is required.

To contribute to multi-agency decision making for safeguarded children.

To apply an understanding of inequalities in health and vulnerable populations to working practice.

5. General Accountability

Health and Safety: To have responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of self and others and to comply at all times with the requirements of health and safety regulations.

Confidentiality: To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity.

Equal Opportunities, Alcohol & Non-Smoking: To comply with the Trusts policies on equal opportunities, the consumption of alcohol and non-smoking.

Infection Control: All staff members have a responsibility to themselves, patients,service users, visitors and other staff to maintain high standards of Infection Prevention and Control and follow the agreed company policies and procedures.

Safeguarding: All staff members have a responsibility to themselves,patients,service usersand other staff in ensuring the effective Safeguarding of Children and Adults and must follow the agreed company policies and procedures.

Data Protection Act: To comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

Conflict of Interest: To comply with the organisations code/policy relating to business conduct and/or conflict of interest.

Other Duties: To undertake such other duties as may be required from time to time and are consistent with the responsibilities of the grade.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Highly self-motivated and passionate about improving health and wellbeing

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse with Specialist Practitioner Community Public Health Nurse Qualification (candidates with extensive experience in School Nursing Practice who dont hold the SCPHN qualification will be considered).
• Minimum of 2 years experience in School Health/Health Visiting, or equivalent community role
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Practice assessor

Desirable

• Contraception and Sexual Health qualification

Experience

Essential

• Working with safeguarded children
• Working with sexually active young people
• Working with children and families with complex needs
• Delivery of interventions with an outcome focus to improve health and wellbeing
• Leading a team
• Facilitating groups
• Mentoring staff and students

Desirable

• Leading on health improving activities and projects

Knowledge

Essential

• Factors affecting the health and well-being of children and young people
• Understanding of clinical governance
• Working knowledge of public health policy, guidelines and evidence base that informs practice in School Nursing

Desirable

• The research process
• Sexual health and contraception

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Work under pressure and manage competing priorities
• Excellent interpersonal skills - influencing, negotiating and communication with team members, service users and partner organisations
• Understanding and negotiating barriers to communication
• Teaching and mentorship to support development of staff and students
• Able to work autonomously, without direct supervision
• Able to demonstrate and promote teamwork
• Adaptable to change
• IT skills including excel, word and PowerPoint and an ability to learn new digital skills

Desirable

• Skills in using Microsoft 365 applications including Teams, Forms, OneDrive, SharePoint and Sway

Other factors

Essential

• A full DBS disclosure will be required
• Full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes or access to a bike, with facility to be able to transport large items such as measuring equipment.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).