Specialist Childrens Learning Disabilities Nurse

Job responsibilities

Clinical

o Use highly developed effective communication skills based on valuing others, recognising own and others strengths and differences.

o Ability to utilise an enabling and therapeutic approach with children and young people together with their families and carers.

o Ability to assess and plan enabling and outcome focussed care interventions with children, young people and their families/carers, drawing on previous nursing experience within an evidence based and theoretically grounded framework, utilising Every Child Matters principles.

o Monitor and evaluate care against agreed outcome measures.

Effectively plan and manage group work activities with colleagues.

Ensure that care offered to children/young people is safe and needs focussed, drawing on current evidence based best practice.

Use effective and standardised assessment tools.

Practice in enabling and facilitative manner that aims high by drawing on strengths whilst recognising and working with stakeholders to minimise and overcome or adapt to environmental constraints.

Be sensitive to and validatory of, social and cultural difference whilst maintaining the primacy of safeguarding principles.

Keep timely, concise and accurate records, maintaining confidentiality.

Carry caseload as allocated by Integrated Team Leader, developing individualised nursing care plans.

Lead or participate in individual or group work with children and young people, adapting resource packages to meet specific needs.

Exercise clinical judgement, soundly grounded and evidence based, supported by effective case supervision.

Engage in play with children and young people.

Applying evidence-based nursing knowledge to specific situations.

Adapting standardised methodology to meet individual need, carefully analysing situations that arise in light of previous experience and best practice.

Exercising sound clinical judgement with children, young people and families/carers who may have extensive needs but who have access to limited resources.

Person to person contact with children, young people and their family/carers on a regular basis.

To participate in regular reviews of cases and attend case discussions, conferences and reviews as appropriate, including safeguarding core groups and the conference process.

Professional

Identify and request sufficient time to continue professional development.

Actively engage in monthly peer support meetings.

Keep up to date regarding current practice and policy developments.

Participate in research as allocated by the Integrated Team Leader/Clinical Pathway Lead following NCH&C guidelines and policies.

Organisational

Collaborative working with inter-disciplinary and multi-agency partners.

Manage diary effectively to maximise clinical/development/travelling time to cover large mixed rural and urban populations.

Report workload pressures appropriately.

Supervise and manage junior members of staff including PDR and capability processes.

Be aware of and responsive to, issues of potential and actual risk that may arise in carrying out care, reporting promptly using recognised NCH&C systems.

Participate in service development work as directed by Integrated Team Leader utilising own strengths and areas of professional interest/specialism.

Input client data as required on current IT system.

Maintain security and confidentiality of information acquired, stored and sent within local and national guidelines

Regularly visit children and their carers at home and may frequently be lone workers.

The post holder may use VDU equipment for at least an hour daily.

Qualifications

Essential

• RNLD/RN/RMHN - Diploma level
• ENB 998
• LSCB Core Module
• Norfolk Steps
• Additional specialist knowledge and expertise (equivalent to diploma level) in ADHD/ASD/LD

Desirable

• ENB 807

Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience of working with children who have learning disabilities and their families
• Substantial experience of collaborative multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working

Desirable

• Community Learning Disability Nursing
• Participation in group work

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

Essential

• Established Named Nurse skills
• Evidence based and outcome led nursing practice
• Sensitivity to and understanding of the individual needs of children and their families
• Effective use of information technology
• Extensive knowledge of the emotional, psychological, developmental and social needs of children and young people with learning disabilities
• Proven ability to apply evidence based clinical interventions
• Ability to evaluate clinical effectiveness
• Understanding of non-verbal communication systems and their use with children and young people
• Accurate, timely and concise recording
• Thorough understanding of the Common Assessment Framework
• Ability to work in partnership with others

Desirable

• Knowledge of local statutory and non-statutory resources available for this particular group
• Good working knowledge of Sign-a-long, PECS/ Widget
• Holder of identified caseload
• Participation in group work
• Individualised enabling direct work with children/young people
• Webster Stratton
• Theraplay

Communication

Essential

• Able to speak and understand English Language
• Able to communicate on all levels with children/young people/parents/carers and other professionals
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Good presentation skills
• Able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team

Personal and People Development

Essential

• Able to supervise junior staff
• Able to deliver parent training with other colleagues

Desirable

• Line management responsibilities

Personal Attributes / Behaviours (linked to the Trust's Behaviour Framework)

Essential

• Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults
• Value diversity
• Must hold full and valid UK driving licence and have use of a vehicle
• Enhanced DBS check

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).