University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Clinical Nursing Associate / Assistant Practitioner -­ Neonatal

The closing date is 28 January 2026

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

Southampton Neonatal Services is looking for highly motivated, enthusiastic individuals to work across our Transitional Care Unit, and our new 'Woodland Ward' Special Care Baby Unit. We are looking for people who are dedicated to delivering high quality, family-centred care, and who strive to make a difference to babies and their families.

You will be working in both the Transitional Care Unit alongside the midwife, and Woodland Ward - a purpose built, nurse-led unit caring for sick and preterm babies which opened in October 2024.

Our new Woodland Ward has:* 16 cots, including 4 family integrated care rooms* A welcoming, caring and safe environment for all* An ethos of patients and families come first; Family are at the heart of what we do* Space for a parent to stay with their baby 24 hours a day, encouraging unrestricted access* Family-Integrated Care where we can provide guidance, and advice to parents in a friendly and supportive environment enabling them to care for their baby. This helps them to develop close and loving relationships with their baby and values parents as partners in their care.

About us

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Details

Date posted

08 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year Per annum - Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

188-NM020126

Job locations

Princess Anne Hospital

Coxford road

Southampton

SO16 5YA


Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be a NMC registered Nursing Associate or an Assistant Practitioner with a health related foundation degree. You must have experience working within a multi-disciplinary team with a passion for family centred care.

Under the supervision of a registered midwife/nurse, and together with the Multidisciplinary Team, you will be responsible for the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care of babies and their families, supporting the ethos of family-integrated care. You must have good communication and problem solving skills, with the ability to work autonomously as well as within the wider team.

We actively support and promote effective communication with parents during admission through their participation in ward rounds, providing continuity and consistency. You will work alongside Nurses and Allied Health Professionals to provide parent-craft, education and practical support with empathy, kindness and understanding, empowering them to care for their baby independently. Feeding progression is supported in conjunction with the Infant feeding team and speech and language team. We actively promote and support breastfeeding but also support other parent feeding choices Parents are supported to confidently care for their baby to facilitate a safe and timely discharge and transition to community services.

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be a NMC registered Nursing Associate or an Assistant Practitioner with a health related foundation degree. You must have experience working within a multi-disciplinary team with a passion for family centred care.

Under the supervision of a registered midwife/nurse, and together with the Multidisciplinary Team, you will be responsible for the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care of babies and their families, supporting the ethos of family-integrated care. You must have good communication and problem solving skills, with the ability to work autonomously as well as within the wider team.

We actively support and promote effective communication with parents during admission through their participation in ward rounds, providing continuity and consistency. You will work alongside Nurses and Allied Health Professionals to provide parent-craft, education and practical support with empathy, kindness and understanding, empowering them to care for their baby independently. Feeding progression is supported in conjunction with the Infant feeding team and speech and language team. We actively promote and support breastfeeding but also support other parent feeding choices Parents are supported to confidently care for their baby to facilitate a safe and timely discharge and transition to community services.

Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

  • Nursing Associate on the NMC register.
  • OR Assistant Practitioner with a health-related Foundation Degree e.g. Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care.
  • Passionate about caring for families and their babies
  • Evidence of numeracy and literacy - minimum national qualification level 2
  • Experience of working under appropriate supervision as part of a multidisciplinary team.
  • Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information.
  • Knowledge of nursing procedures and practices in an acute hospital setting.

Desirable

  • Assessed as competent to administer medications.
  • Acute apprenticeship units as appropriate to UHS Care Group/Divisional requirements.
  • Experience of working with newborn babies/children.
  • Extended clinical skills e.g. venesection/cannulation.

Trust Values

Essential

  • Patient First
  • Working Together
  • Always Improving
Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

  • Nursing Associate on the NMC register.
  • OR Assistant Practitioner with a health-related Foundation Degree e.g. Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care.
  • Passionate about caring for families and their babies
  • Evidence of numeracy and literacy - minimum national qualification level 2
  • Experience of working under appropriate supervision as part of a multidisciplinary team.
  • Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information.
  • Knowledge of nursing procedures and practices in an acute hospital setting.

Desirable

  • Assessed as competent to administer medications.
  • Acute apprenticeship units as appropriate to UHS Care Group/Divisional requirements.
  • Experience of working with newborn babies/children.
  • Extended clinical skills e.g. venesection/cannulation.

Trust Values

Essential

  • Patient First
  • Working Together
  • Always Improving

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

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

Princess Anne Hospital

Coxford road

Southampton

SO16 5YA


Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

Princess Anne Hospital

Coxford road

Southampton

SO16 5YA


Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Transitional Care Lead Nurse

Nicky Ringrose

Nicky.Ringrose@uhs.nhs.uk

07342075794

Details

Date posted

08 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year Per annum - Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

188-NM020126

Job locations

Princess Anne Hospital

Coxford road

Southampton

SO16 5YA


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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