Named Nurse Children in Care

Job overview

East Sussex Health Care have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Nurse to join our Safeguarding team as the Named Nurse for Children in Care.

We are looking for Nurses who  have expert knowledge and experience in with children in care and have the skills to provide leadership and line management to the Children in Care team.

The successful candidate will be responsible for providing visible leadership, knowledge and expertise in relation to  Children in Care.  The role sits within the broader Safeguarding Team which advocates a Think Family  approach, as such the post holder will work closely with the Head of Safeguarding and the Named  Professionals for Safeguarding.

Crucial to meeting the health needs of Children in Care is the ability to work collaboratively with partner agencies, the successful candidate will need to demonstrate experience in  working collaboratively with colleagues to advocate for health needs of children.

Main duties of the job

• Monitor the timeliness and quality of health assessments for children in Care and ensure actions taken to implement the health care plan are tracked
• Ensure that Children's Health Assessments are undertaken within appropriate time scales, compile reports evidencing team activity  Act as a key conduit and contact point for the child, young person and their carer, where they have difficulties accessing health services.   Manage the Specialist Nurses and nurse administration workforce in the Children in Care team Providing robust supervision for the Specialist Nurses, supporting staff to prevent further harm by identifying abuse, neglect, and managing risks related to exploitation, ensuring a safe, evidence-based service. Work closely with Local Authority colleagues, Designated Professionals and multi-agency partners, contributing to meetings, panels and strategic forums, and ensuring statutory responsibilities and performance standards are met.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Work in close partnership with the Named Doctor to ensure that the Trust meets its responsibilities for children in care and young people.  To assist the Trust in fulfilling its responsibilities as a provider of health services to improve the health of LAC.
• To support the Children in care Nursing Team to focus on reducing the health inequalities this group face given current evidence around exploitation, smoking, alcohol, healthy eating and physical activity.
• To co-ordinate the statutory health assessments and care planning process and provision by supporting the Children in care nursing team in planning and undertaking CIC review health assessments, formulating SMART health care plans, case loading, monitoring and evaluating health services in line with local and national targets and legislation for children looked after and young people placed both within and outside East Sussex.
• To interpret and implement national policies and guidance by developing local policy which apply to the Trust.
• To construct systems to ensure that all children in care review health assessments are of a high standard and completed on time.
• To ensure that health care plans are implemented and that outcomes are measured.
• To undertake regular audit of statutory CIC health review assessments conducted by Trust health staff.
• Audit outcomes for children in care in relation to interagency working with Local Authority staff.
• Provide a high-quality research based CIC service and be a source of expertise for the Trust. .    Be responsible to and accountable within the managerial framework of East Sussex Healthcare Trust.